Lighting
70-160 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 6/10
Alveopora
Alveopora spp.
Use this Alveopora profile to compare flower-like polyps with Goniopora and Duncan Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for reduced flower-like extension under moderate flow.
Compare flower-like polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Care score
- 6/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 70-160 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Minimum tank age
- 5 months
- Minimum tank size
- 25 gallons
Care note
This entry has low confidence or is marked for expert review. Treat the ranges as conservative starting points and compare them with your own system.
- Verify taxonomy before species-level SEO or care claims.
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Ryan Boren
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jesse Hofmann-Smith
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kerryn Johns
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 4.0
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 8-9.5 dKH
- Calcium
- 420-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1280-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 3-20 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.12 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Alveopora, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Alveopora requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- fine particulate coral food, phytoplankton blends
- Frequency
- 1-2 times weekly in small amounts
ID
Identification
Key features
- flower-like polyps
- often around 12 tentacles per polyp
- softer waving extension
Common colors
- Green
- Pink
- Cream
- Purple
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Alveopora typically has fewer tentacles per polyp than Goniopora and often a lighter, airier polyp look. Separate Alveopora from Goniopora and Duncan Coral by checking flower-like polyps, often around 12 tentacles per polyp, and softer waving extension in normal white light. Then confirm corallite walls, polyp shape, tissue inflation, and where recession begins; avoid using a trade name as the only ID evidence. Because trade photos can exaggerate color, skeleton shape, polyp layout, and expansion pattern are stronger clues than color alone.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 4 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Alveopora reduced flower-like extensionOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- polyps open partially and the colony loses its soft waving outline
- Alveopora shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- recent salinity change, low feeding response, or flow that is either stagnant or too forceful
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Alveopora
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Alveopora alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact
- reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton
- increase spacing and observe the coral under white light and after lights out
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- do not rely only on tentacle count when separating Alveopora from Goniopora
- placing Alveopora before confirming flower-like polyps and its spacing needs
- using Alveopora color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Goniopora
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Alveopora looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Alveopora
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Is Alveopora beginner friendly?
Alveopora is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Alveopora be placed?
Start Alveopora low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 70-160 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Alveopora?
Alveopora may benefit from careful target feeding with fine particulate coral food and phytoplankton blends. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: 1-2 times weekly in small amounts. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Alveopora touch other corals?
Give Alveopora about 4 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Moderate. Use caution near Goniopora, Hammer Coral, and Frogspawn Coral. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Alveopora looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Alveopora, polyps open partially and the colony loses its soft waving outline and Alveopora shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Alveopora reduced flower-like extension. Likely causes to check include recent salinity change, low feeding response, or flow that is either stagnant or too forceful and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Alveopora. Start with these database checks: check Alveopora alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact and reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton.
What stability issue matters most for Alveopora?
For Alveopora, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue. The database lists 5 months as the minimum tank age and 25 gallons as the minimum tank size. For LPS-style care, protect fleshy tissue from repeated moves, direct flow, and abrupt chemistry corrections.
Coral Identifier
Identify Alveopora.
Compare likely matches.
Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare flower-like polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Photo-based coral IDReference photosLikely matches
