Pocillopora Corals for the Nano-Reef Aquarium
One of the most frequently kept Pocillopora corals is P. damicornis because it is widely available, is also abundant and not in anyway threatened. It is also one of the most studied corals by researchers and marine and other biologists, and has led to a far better understanding of corals, coral reefs and coral reproduction and growth. You will often see it mentioned in research papers as the " guinea pig " coral.
Pocillopora damicornis © reefsave
Pocillopora damicornis is easy to care for, but it can be sensitive when it comes to especially temperature changes, inefficient water flow or laminar flow as opposed to non-uniform flow, and also stress from being moved inside the Nano-Reef, and of course from shipping or transportation.
This is a little surprising in a way, as they inhabit all types of environments in the wild, even areas of quite 'dirty and turbid' water.
In Nano-Reefs of 20 gallons (or more) they will do best in bright, but not necessarily intense lighting. They can adapt to moderate lighting as well as long as the changeover is done slowly, a procedure that does not just apply to this coral.
Moving them from one area in the aquarium to another can cause any coral a lot of stress, so if movement is a must for some reason, do it slowly and gradually, so that no sudden major changes occur that may impact the coral in a negative way.
The stress comes from to the fact that in the 'new' location lighting and water flow conditions will be different than in the old one, and the Pocillopora has to slowly adapt to those new conditions. Once they are established though they do become and can be considered quite hardy corals.
P. damicornis needs strong water flow and, depending on how the flow actually runs over and by the coral, its shape may change from thin branches that are not close together, to thicker ones and a denser growth.
Pocillopora verrucosa © Austin Reef Club
Like many SPS corals, the shape of the P. damicornis is affected by both water conditions and by its location in the Nano-Reef. Two different species can look quite the same or alike in deeper waters, yet they can develop into a different form or look in shallower areas.
Water temperature plays a big role in how fast they grow. They reproduce both sexually and asexually through fragmentation. They have short 1" sweeper tentacles that can affect nearby corals if they can reach them and sting them. Place them in such a manner that they cannot sting others but also so they cannot get stung by other corals that may have long sweeper tentacles, and many LPS ones do as we have already seen.
The polyps of the Pocillopora genus are embedded within the skeletal structure and retract completely, and instantly, if there is external movement. Their Polyps are small and fuzzy and very striking with a two-tone color.
P. damicornis comes in brown, green, pink, purple, cream, and a combination of green and yellow, brown and pink. Many other combinations of colors have however been aquacultured and such corals will have names related to their actual color such as for instance: Green Damicornis, Pink and Green, Pink Peony, and Cadmium Pocillopora Coral, to name just a few.
In a Nano-Reef the Pocillopora corals does best in a well-feed reef with plenty of dissolved solids and they can be fed zooplankton once or twice a week.
Keep in mind though that if you feed large amounts of such foods that you will need to keep a close eye on your water quality as nutrient levels can rise quickly when such foods are used, leasing to a possible deterioration of the water quality and the ensuing issue such as the appearance of GHA's.
Smaller forms of foods are still being developed, such as invert larvae and even new types or species of rotifers, which is a good food for them a well. Lack of food would include no coral growth, and no polyp extension and in some cases even tissue recession.
Provide a long photoperiod as well as oxygen saturation of the water in the Nano-Reef is quite important as well as new studies have shown.
Good reef keeping!
© Albert Thiel - Dec 30, 2012
One of the most frequently kept Pocillopora corals is P. damicornis because it is widely available, is also abundant and not in anyway threatened. It is also one of the most studied corals by researchers and marine and other biologists, and has led to a far better understanding of corals, coral reefs and coral reproduction and growth. You will often see it mentioned in research papers as the " guinea pig " coral.
Pocillopora damicornis © reefsave
Pocillopora damicornis is easy to care for, but it can be sensitive when it comes to especially temperature changes, inefficient water flow or laminar flow as opposed to non-uniform flow, and also stress from being moved inside the Nano-Reef, and of course from shipping or transportation.
This is a little surprising in a way, as they inhabit all types of environments in the wild, even areas of quite 'dirty and turbid' water.
In Nano-Reefs of 20 gallons (or more) they will do best in bright, but not necessarily intense lighting. They can adapt to moderate lighting as well as long as the changeover is done slowly, a procedure that does not just apply to this coral.
Moving them from one area in the aquarium to another can cause any coral a lot of stress, so if movement is a must for some reason, do it slowly and gradually, so that no sudden major changes occur that may impact the coral in a negative way.
The stress comes from to the fact that in the 'new' location lighting and water flow conditions will be different than in the old one, and the Pocillopora has to slowly adapt to those new conditions. Once they are established though they do become and can be considered quite hardy corals.
P. damicornis needs strong water flow and, depending on how the flow actually runs over and by the coral, its shape may change from thin branches that are not close together, to thicker ones and a denser growth.
Pocillopora verrucosa © Austin Reef Club
Like many SPS corals, the shape of the P. damicornis is affected by both water conditions and by its location in the Nano-Reef. Two different species can look quite the same or alike in deeper waters, yet they can develop into a different form or look in shallower areas.
Water temperature plays a big role in how fast they grow. They reproduce both sexually and asexually through fragmentation. They have short 1" sweeper tentacles that can affect nearby corals if they can reach them and sting them. Place them in such a manner that they cannot sting others but also so they cannot get stung by other corals that may have long sweeper tentacles, and many LPS ones do as we have already seen.
The polyps of the Pocillopora genus are embedded within the skeletal structure and retract completely, and instantly, if there is external movement. Their Polyps are small and fuzzy and very striking with a two-tone color.
P. damicornis comes in brown, green, pink, purple, cream, and a combination of green and yellow, brown and pink. Many other combinations of colors have however been aquacultured and such corals will have names related to their actual color such as for instance: Green Damicornis, Pink and Green, Pink Peony, and Cadmium Pocillopora Coral, to name just a few.
In a Nano-Reef the Pocillopora corals does best in a well-feed reef with plenty of dissolved solids and they can be fed zooplankton once or twice a week.
Keep in mind though that if you feed large amounts of such foods that you will need to keep a close eye on your water quality as nutrient levels can rise quickly when such foods are used, leasing to a possible deterioration of the water quality and the ensuing issue such as the appearance of GHA's.
Smaller forms of foods are still being developed, such as invert larvae and even new types or species of rotifers, which is a good food for them a well. Lack of food would include no coral growth, and no polyp extension and in some cases even tissue recession.
Provide a long photoperiod as well as oxygen saturation of the water in the Nano-Reef is quite important as well as new studies have shown.
Good reef keeping!
© Albert Thiel - Dec 30, 2012
