Lighting
50-150 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 5/10
Brain Coral
Trachyphyllia spp. / Lobophyllia spp. / Platygyra spp.
Brain Coral LPS guide focused on maze or folded brain-like ridges, lookalike separation from Favia and Favites, and early checks for maze valley recession before changing light or flow.
Compare maze or folded brain-like ridges, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Care score
- 5/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 50-150 PAR
- Flow
- Low
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Minimum tank age
- 4 months
- Minimum tank size
- 20 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: RevolverOcelot
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Emőke Dénes
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Emőke Dénes
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 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
- 400-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 2-20 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.12 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
low indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Brain Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Brain Coral 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
- mysis, small meaty foods, LPS pellets
- Frequency
- weekly when feeder tentacles are visible
ID
Identification
Key features
- maze or folded brain-like ridges
- large fleshy tissue
- single or multiple mouths
Common colors
- Green
- Red
- Orange
- Purple
- Teal
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Brain coral is a broad hobby label; compare ridge structure, mouths, and whether the coral is free-living or encrusting. For Brain Coral, start with maze or folded brain-like ridges, large fleshy tissue, and single or multiple mouths before checking color. Compare it with Favia and Favites by looking at corallite walls, polyp shape, tissue inflation, and where recession begins, especially after polyps or tissue are fully extended. 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.
Brain Coral maze valley recessionOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- valley tissue thins or ridges show pale exposed skeleton
- Brain Coral 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
- abrasion, alkalinity change, or contact along long ridges
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Brain Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Brain Coral 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
- avoid publishing Brain Coral ID as exact species without skeletal confirmation
- placing Brain Coral before confirming maze or folded brain-like ridges and its spacing needs
- using Brain Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Favia
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Brain Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Brain Coral
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
Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Acan Coral
Micromussa lordhowensis
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Moderate
Usually compatible with spacing
Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Is Brain Coral beginner friendly?
Brain Coral is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Brain Coral be placed?
Start Brain Coral low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 50-150 PAR and low flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Brain Coral?
Brain Coral may benefit from careful target feeding with mysis, small meaty foods, and LPS pellets. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: weekly when feeder tentacles are visible. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Brain Coral touch other corals?
Give Brain Coral about 4 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Moderate. Use caution near Favia, Favites, and Chalice 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 Brain Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Brain Coral, valley tissue thins or ridges show pale exposed skeleton and Brain Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Brain Coral maze valley recession. Likely causes to check include abrasion, alkalinity change, or contact along long ridges and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Brain Coral. Start with these database checks: check Brain Coral alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact and reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton.
What stability issue matters most for Brain Coral?
For Brain Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue. The database lists 4 months as the minimum tank age and 20 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 Brain Coral.
Compare likely matches.
Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare maze or folded brain-like ridges, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Photo-based coral IDReference photosLikely matches
