Alveopora Corals | How to Care for Alveopora

This has to be one of my favorite corals of all time. The Alveopora Coral, or what I like to refer to as Alveo for short, belongs to the same family as the Goniopora.   They are classified as a Large Polyp Stony coral (LPS), but for some reason they are not as popular as their close cousin (the Goni’s). This is possibly why I like them so much – they are the understated beauties of the reefing community.

Other names that the Alveopora Coral can be referred to as is the Flower Pot Coral, Daisy Coral or even a underwater Sunflower Coral. If you have ever seen one, it is easy to understand why these names have eventuated. Each polyp (when fully extended) look like a little flower reaching for the light. Not to mention how they sway with the water flow, which also looks very much like a flower dancing in the wind.

I have a Pastel Alveopora in my coral collection – and even though it is one of the smaller corals in my tank – it is definitely one of the more eye catching. Here is a picture of the favorite coral

Alveopora Corals – Origin

In the wild the alveopora corals can be found around the warmer waters of the Indo-Pacfic region. Such as around the Solomon Islands and the top end of the Australian coast line (particularly around the Great Barrier Reef).

Alveopora Corals – Description

We touched on briefly how these beautiful corals can represent underwater flowers. You can see from my little Alveopora (above) how it can often look like a bouquet of flowers.

At the base of the coral you will generally find a round stony skeleton. It is from here you will see the polyps either contracted within for protection, or extended to catch as much light as possible. When fully extended, each polyp will contain 12 tentacles (or the flower petals if you want to continue with the flower analogy).

The alveopora can come in a variety of colors, ranging from the pastel white (that I have), through to green, and tan variants.

Alveopora Corals Care – How To Guide

Now there may be a reason why the alveopora corals are not a popular in reefers tanks – however this may is quite possibly an unfair assumption made by unseasoned aquarists. Many people find it hard to care for the closely related Goniopora – which has a bad reputation of suddenly dying off within a few days for “no apparent reason”. And this reputation may have transferred to the easier to care for alveopora coral.

Nevertheless, we always recommend you take a conservative approach and do your research before taking the plunge into owning one of these beauties.

This guide is aimed at giving you a good understanding of how to care for alveopora corals.

Description	Specification
Difficulty	Moderate
Personality	Semi-Aggresive Coral
Size	3 – 15 inches
Diet	Photosynthesis and Voracious
Tank size	At Least 20 Gallons
Lighting	Moderate indirect lighting
Temp	72 – 78° F
Gravity (Salinity)	1.023 – 1.025
Water Flow	Low – Medium Strength
Calcium	400 – 450 ppm

Feeding Alveopora Corals

Like my other corals, when it comes to feeding time, I like to spot feed.

It’s quite rewarding, as you can see the feeding responses and you know that the coral is getting the nutrients it needs to flourish. You know it is feeding when the food hits the extended polyps, it will quickly retract, but then extend again very quickly. You may feel that it is a defensive response, however the difference is that the coral doesn’t ‘stay’ retracted and extends again to try and get more food.

I use a mixture of frozen mysis shrimp and copepods to feed my alveopora coral.

Alveopora Coral Care – Placement

When it comes to lighting, the alveopora isn’t one of those corals you would place in the high maintenance bucket. As long as the coral is receiving some light, the alveopora should be quite content. After a bit of experimentation I decided to place my alveo in the open, halfway down the tank. Here it receives quite a lot of light, but it isn’t too intense.

Water flow is probably a more important factor to consider when it comes to placement of the alveopora coral. Since the coral feeds by using the water column to bring it bits of food, try to place the coral in a medium water flow.

The added benefit of placing the alveopora in a position with moving water is that the polyps will sway and look like flowers blowing in the wind.

Summary – Alveopora Coral Care

If you are on the fence about housing one of these beautiful corals in your tank, then I can safely say you won’t regret it.

With it’s low maintenance requirements and ability to add movement to your tank’s landscape, the alveopora coral will surely be a winner in any reefer’s tank.

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