Lighting
60-160 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 6/10
Pagoda Cup Coral
Turbinaria peltata
Pagoda Cup Coral LPS guide for identifying cup or plate growth, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation when kept near Scroll Coral and Montipora Capricornis.
Compare cup or plate growth, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Care score
- 6/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 60-160 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Minimum tank age
- 4 months
- Minimum tank size
- 20 gallons
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: Emőke Dénes
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Josuevg
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ryan McMinds
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 3.0
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 Pagoda Cup Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Pagoda Cup 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 or when feeder tentacles are extended
ID
Identification
Key features
- cup or plate growth
- large spaced polyps
- scrolling rim
Common colors
- Yellow
- Green
- Brown
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
When Pagoda Cup Coral is confused with Scroll Coral and Montipora Capricornis, the useful clues are cup or plate growth, large spaced polyps, and scrolling rim. Color is secondary; structure, expansion pattern, and the first place tissue irritation appears are more reliable. 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.
Pagoda Cup Coral fleshy tissue recession or weak inflationOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- polyps inflate less, exposed skeleton appears, or feeding response weakens
- Pagoda Cup 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
- alkalinity swings, direct flow, stinging contact, or abrasion
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Pagoda Cup Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Pagoda Cup 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
- protect fleshy LPS tissue from direct flow and sharp rock
- placing Pagoda Cup Coral before confirming cup or plate growth and its spacing needs
- using Pagoda Cup Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Scroll Coral
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Pagoda Cup Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Pagoda Cup 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
Acan Coral
Micromussa lordhowensis
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Moderate
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 Pagoda Cup Coral beginner friendly?
Pagoda Cup Coral is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Pagoda Cup Coral be placed?
Start Pagoda Cup Coral low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 60-160 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Pagoda Cup Coral?
Pagoda Cup Coral may benefit from careful target feeding with mysis, small meaty foods, and LPS pellets. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: weekly or when feeder tentacles are extended. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Pagoda Cup Coral touch other corals?
Give Pagoda Cup 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 Pagoda Cup Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Pagoda Cup Coral, polyps inflate less, exposed skeleton appears, or feeding response weakens and Pagoda Cup Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Pagoda Cup Coral fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation. Likely causes to check include alkalinity swings, direct flow, stinging contact, or abrasion and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Pagoda Cup Coral. Start with these database checks: check Pagoda Cup 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 Pagoda Cup Coral?
For Pagoda Cup 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 Pagoda Cup 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 cup or plate growth, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Photo-based coral IDReference photosLikely matches
