Lighting
50-150 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 6/10
Galaxea Coral
Galaxea spp.
Identify Galaxea Coral by star-like polyps and very long sweeper tentacles; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Goniopora and Favia.
Compare star-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
- 50-150 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- High
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Minimum tank age
- 4 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: Stan Shebs
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Samuel Chow
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
Photo: Chaloklum Diving
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
- 2-15 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.1 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Galaxea Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Galaxea 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
- small meaty foods, mysis, LPS pellets
- Frequency
- weekly when feeding response is visible
ID
Identification
Key features
- star-like polyps
- very long sweeper tentacles
- sharp corallites
Common colors
- Green
- Brown
- Cream
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Sharp starry corallites and very long sweepers separate it from flowerpot corals. Galaxea Coral is best separated from Goniopora and Favia by weighing star-like polyps, very long sweeper tentacles, and sharp corallites. Look at corallite walls, polyp shape, tissue inflation, and where recession begins; then compare that structure with where the coral expands, retracts, or shows early recession. Do not rely only on color under blue lighting. 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 6 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.
Galaxea Coral long sweeper damageOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- thin sweepers extend far from the colony and nearby coral tissue recedes
- Galaxea 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
- very aggressive nighttime sweepers, tight aquascape, or flow direction carrying tentacles outward
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Galaxea Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Galaxea 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
- treat Galaxea Coral as high-aggression even when the daytime colony looks compact
- placing Galaxea Coral before confirming star-like polyps and its spacing needs
- using Galaxea Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Goniopora
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Galaxea Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Galaxea 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
Favia
Dipsastraea spp. / Favia spp.
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Aggression
- Moderate
Usually compatible with spacing
Favites
Favites spp.
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Aggression
- Moderate
Usually compatible with spacing
Brain Coral
Trachyphyllia spp. / Lobophyllia spp. / Platygyra spp.
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Aggression
- Moderate
FAQs
FAQs
Is Galaxea Coral beginner friendly?
Galaxea Coral is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Galaxea Coral be placed?
Start Galaxea Coral low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 50-150 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Galaxea Coral?
Galaxea Coral may benefit from careful target feeding with small meaty foods, mysis, and LPS pellets. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: weekly when feeding response is visible. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Galaxea Coral touch other corals?
Give Galaxea Coral about 6 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is High. Use caution near Acan Coral, Blastomussa, and Candy Cane Coral. Avoid close placement with Zoanthids, Mushroom Coral, and Acropora. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Galaxea Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Galaxea Coral, thin sweepers extend far from the colony and nearby coral tissue recedes and Galaxea Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Galaxea Coral long sweeper damage. Likely causes to check include very aggressive nighttime sweepers, tight aquascape, or flow direction carrying tentacles outward and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Galaxea Coral. Start with these database checks: check Galaxea 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 Galaxea Coral?
For Galaxea 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 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 Galaxea Coral.
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Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare star-like polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
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