Lemon Kissed Plate Coral

About this coral

The Lemon Kissed Plate Coral is an LPS plate coral sold under the shop name Lemon Kissed. Plate corals belong to the family Fungiidae. Unlike most corals, which stay attached to rock, they live loose on the bottom of the reef. In the aquarium they are placed on the sandbed, where they add a rounded, fleshy centerpiece to the lower part of the display. The care guidance below applies to plate corals in general and is not specific to this colour morph. The exact species and the morph's origin have not been confirmed.

Features:

• It sits free on the substrate, so it goes on the sandbed rather than being glued to rockwork.
• It is photosynthetic, and it also benefits from small meaty feedings once or twice a week.
• It can puff up and deflate to move across the sand or turn itself upright.
• If it keeps moving around, that can mean the light is too strong, the flow is too harsh, or the substrate is irritating it.
• Watch for a gaping mouth, a shrinking rim or bleaching, which are signs of stress.
• It suits reefkeepers with some experience who can keep water parameters stable.

Specifications:

• Care level: Moderate (general plate coral guidance)
• Lighting: Moderate, roughly 150 to 250 PAR
• Water flow: Low to moderate, indirect
• Placement: Sandbed or soft substrate
• Diet: Photosynthetic; feed mysis, enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped marine meats or coral foods
• Temperature: 76 to 82°F
• Salinity: 1.025 to 1.026
• pH: 8.1 to 8.4
• Alkalinity: 8 to 10 dKH
• Calcium: 400 to 450 ppm
• Magnesium: 1250 to 1350 ppm