Pocillopora Coral Care Guide

Pocillopora is widely considered one of the best SPS corals for beginners due to its remarkable adaptability and forgiving nature. Pocillopora tolerates a wider range of lighting and flow conditions than demanding species like Acropora and recovers more readily from minor parameter fluctuations.

Pocillopora makes an excellent first SPS coral alongside Montipora and Birdsnest corals. Reef keepers transitioning from LPS to SPS should ensure their tank has stable alkalinity (8-9.5 dKH), adequate lighting (150+ PAR), and strong water flow before adding Pocillopora. Success with Pocillopora builds confidence and experience for keeping more sensitive SPS species.

Pocillopora is one of the fastest-growing SPS corals, capable of adding up to one inch of new growth per month under optimal conditions. Pocillopora forms compact, tree-like structures with dense branching that fills in quickly compared to slower-growing species like Acropora.

Growth rate depends heavily on stable water chemistry, adequate lighting (150-300 PAR), and strong water flow. Pocillopora colonies in well-maintained reef tanks can double in size within 6-12 months. Regular target feeding with micro-plankton or reef foods twice weekly can enhance growth and coloration, though Pocillopora obtains most nutrition through photosynthesis.

Pocillopora spreads throughout aquariums through a process called polyp bailout, where stressed polyps detach from the skeleton, drift through the water column, and reattach to form new colonies in distant locations. This is a natural survival mechanism that allows Pocillopora to escape unfavorable conditions and colonize new areas.

Polyp bailout can be triggered by heat stress, sudden salinity changes, low pH, or physical disturbance. While some reef keepers appreciate the free propagation, others find uncontrolled spreading problematic. Managing Pocillopora spread requires regular tank inspections to remove unwanted settlements before they establish, maintaining stable parameters to reduce stress-induced bailout, and strategic placement away from areas where new colonies would be unwelcome.

Pocillopora thrives at 150-300 PAR for most common varieties, though demanding color morphs like rainbow or neon Pocillopora perform better at 300-450 PAR. Standard pink, green, and purple Pocillopora varieties do well at the lower end of this range around 100-200 PAR.

Pocillopora adapts to various lighting intensities more readily than most SPS corals, making exact PAR less critical than stability. New specimens should be acclimated gradually over 1-2 weeks, starting in lower-light areas and moving upward to prevent bleaching. A color spectrum of 14-20K brings out the best coloration in most Pocillopora varieties.

Pocillopora exhibits moderate aggression and can release a mucus-like substance to deter neighboring corals that encroach on its space. Pocillopora requires several inches of clearance from other species to prevent chemical warfare and allow room for its rapid branching growth.

Pocillopora placement should avoid proximity to aggressive LPS corals like Acanthastrea, Lobophyllia, and Galaxea, which have powerful sweeper tentacles. Chalice corals and some zoanthids may also conflict with Pocillopora through chemical competition. Other SPS corals typically coexist peacefully if given adequate spacing to prevent physical contact as colonies expand.

Pocillopora tissue loss commonly results from rapid tissue necrosis (RTN), slow tissue necrosis (STN), or environmental stress. RTN appears as rapid flesh peeling that can kill a colony within days, while STN progresses more slowly over weeks with a visible line between living tissue and exposed skeleton.

Research associates RTN with Vibrio bacteria that become more abundant on stressed corals. Common stress triggers include unstable alkalinity, temperature swings above 80°F, excessive or insufficient lighting, and poor water flow allowing debris accumulation. Reef keepers should first verify stable parameters, then consider improving flow and reducing lighting if problems persist. Removing affected branches and coral dips may help contain STN before it spreads to healthy tissue.

Pocillopora obtains most of its nutrition through photosynthesis from symbiotic zooxanthellae algae and does not require feeding to survive in a well-lit reef aquarium. Pocillopora has extremely small polyps that capture minimal food from the water column compared to larger-polyped corals.

Target feeding with micro-plankton, phytoplankton, or amino acid supplements twice weekly can enhance Pocillopora growth and coloration, though the difference is less dramatic than with LPS corals. Reef keepers who broadcast feed their tanks or maintain refugiums provide adequate supplemental nutrition for Pocillopora without specific target feeding.