Pink Petals Alve

About this coral

Pink Petals Alve is a named Alveopora, a flowerpot coral with beautiful flowing polyps. Alveopora is a large-polyp stony (LPS) coral that adds movement and texture to a reef aquarium. The care notes below are general guidance for Alveopora as a group, not details documented for this particular color morph. In the wild, Alveopora live on exposed reef slopes at depths of up to 30 meters, where gentle but steady water flow keeps them free of debris and carries food to them. In aquariums they are usually placed in the bottom third of the rockwork. Alveopora is considered more delicate than the closely related Goniopora and is more sensitive to changes in flow and light.

Features:

• Flowerpot coral with flowing polyps that can extend during the day and at night.
• Photosynthetic: it gets energy from the aquarium lighting through the symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) living in its tissue.
• Benefits from target feeding one to three times a week, which supports healthy growth and polyp extension.
• Polyps should sway gently in the current. If they are being blown around, the flow is too strong.
• If the light is too strong, the polyps may stay retracted. A coral that seems to stretch toward the light may not be getting enough.
• Allow 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of space around the coral, since its tentacles may sting nearby corals at night.

Specifications:

• Coral group: Alveopora (flowerpot coral), LPS
• Care level: Moderate to advanced; needs stable water conditions
• Lighting: Moderate, about 50 to 150 PAR; avoid intense direct light
• Water flow: Gentle to moderate
• Placement: Lower rockwork or sandbed, with room for the polyps to extend
• Temperature: 74 to 80°F (23 to 27°C)
• pH: 8.1 to 8.4
• Salinity: 1.024 to 1.026