Lighting
50-150 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 6/10
Pectinia Coral
Pectinia spp.
Identify Pectinia Coral by sharp antler-like ridges and thin tissue over skeleton; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Merulina Coral and Chalice Coral.
Compare sharp antler-like ridges, 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: Kinkreet
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 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 Pectinia Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Pectinia 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
- sharp antler-like ridges
- thin tissue over skeleton
- long sweepers possible
Common colors
- Green
- Yellow
- Orange
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Thin tissue over dramatic skeletal ridges means it needs more room than it appears to. For Pectinia Coral, start with sharp antler-like ridges, thin tissue over skeleton, and long sweepers possible before checking color. Compare it with Merulina Coral and Chalice Coral 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 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.
Pectinia Coral thin tissue damage on sharp ridgesOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- recession appears along blade-like folds or points
- Pectinia 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
- sweeper contact, abrasion, direct flow, or handling by tissue
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Pectinia Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Pectinia 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
- leave Pectinia Coral room for both sharp skeleton and nighttime sweepers
- placing Pectinia Coral before confirming sharp antler-like ridges and its spacing needs
- using Pectinia Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Merulina Coral
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Pectinia Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Pectinia 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 Pectinia Coral beginner friendly?
Pectinia Coral is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Pectinia Coral be placed?
Start Pectinia 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 Pectinia Coral?
Pectinia 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 Pectinia Coral touch other corals?
Give Pectinia 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 Pectinia Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Pectinia Coral, recession appears along blade-like folds or points and Pectinia Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Pectinia Coral thin tissue damage on sharp ridges. Likely causes to check include sweeper contact, abrasion, direct flow, or handling by tissue and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Pectinia Coral. Start with these database checks: check Pectinia 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 Pectinia Coral?
For Pectinia 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
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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 sharp antler-like ridges, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
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