Lighting
60-160 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 6/10
Plate Coral
Fungia spp. / Cycloseris spp.
Identify Plate Coral by single free-living disc and radial skeleton ridges; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Scolymia Coral and Brain Coral.
Compare single free-living disc, 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
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: “Jon Zander (Digon3)"
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: M0tty
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
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 Plate Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Plate 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
- single free-living disc
- radial skeleton ridges
- central mouth
Common colors
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
- Red
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
When Plate Coral is confused with Scolymia Coral and Brain Coral, the useful clues are single free-living disc, radial skeleton ridges, and central mouth. 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.
Plate Coral underside abrasion or trapped debrisOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- disc edge recedes, tissue looks scraped, or sand collects against the mouth
- Plate 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
- rough substrate, detritus accumulation, or being wedged against rock
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Plate Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Plate 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
- keep Plate Coral mobile on open sand instead of locking it into rockwork
- placing Plate Coral before confirming single free-living disc and its spacing needs
- using Plate Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Scolymia Coral
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Plate Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Plate 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 Plate Coral beginner friendly?
Plate Coral is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Plate Coral be placed?
Start Plate 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 Plate Coral?
Plate 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 Plate Coral touch other corals?
Give Plate 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 Plate Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Plate Coral, disc edge recedes, tissue looks scraped, or sand collects against the mouth and Plate Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Plate Coral underside abrasion or trapped debris. Likely causes to check include rough substrate, detritus accumulation, or being wedged against rock and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Plate Coral. Start with these database checks: check Plate 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 Plate Coral?
For Plate 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
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