Lighting
60-160 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSIntermediateCare score 6/10
Trachyphyllia Coral
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
Trachyphyllia Coral LPS guide for identifying large fleshy open brain shape, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing sand abrasion or folded tissue recession when kept near Brain Coral and Scolymia Coral.
Compare large fleshy open brain shape, 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: RevolverOcelot
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ryan Somma
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 2.0
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
- 2-15 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 Trachyphyllia Coral, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Trachyphyllia 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
- large fleshy open brain shape
- folded valleys
- inflates strongly on sand
Common colors
- Green
- Red
- Rainbow
- Teal
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Trachyphyllia Coral is best separated from Brain Coral and Scolymia Coral by weighing large fleshy open brain shape, folded valleys, and inflates strongly on sand. 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 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.
Trachyphyllia Coral sand abrasion or folded tissue recessionOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- folded fleshy tissue looks pinched or a rim of skeleton becomes visible
- Trachyphyllia 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
- abrasive substrate, being placed on rock, or direct flow over inflated tissue
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Trachyphyllia Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Trachyphyllia 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
- place Trachyphyllia Coral where its folded mantle can inflate without scraping
- placing Trachyphyllia Coral before confirming large fleshy open brain shape and its spacing needs
- using Trachyphyllia Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Brain Coral
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Trachyphyllia Coral looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Trachyphyllia 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 Trachyphyllia Coral beginner friendly?
Trachyphyllia Coral is better treated as intermediate because placement, flow, feeding response, or aggression can vary by specimen.
Where should Trachyphyllia Coral be placed?
Start Trachyphyllia 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 Trachyphyllia Coral?
Trachyphyllia 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 Trachyphyllia Coral touch other corals?
Give Trachyphyllia 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 Trachyphyllia Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Trachyphyllia Coral, folded fleshy tissue looks pinched or a rim of skeleton becomes visible and Trachyphyllia Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Trachyphyllia Coral sand abrasion or folded tissue recession. Likely causes to check include abrasive substrate, being placed on rock, or direct flow over inflated tissue and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Trachyphyllia Coral. Start with these database checks: check Trachyphyllia 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 Trachyphyllia Coral?
For Trachyphyllia 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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Compare large fleshy open brain shape, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
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