Toxic Splatter Goniastrea

The Toxic Splatter Goniastrea is a striking coral celebrated for its vibrant colors and unique splatter patterns that create an eye-catching display in any reef aquarium. Its base features rich green tones, accented with bold splashes of yellow and orange, making it a centerpiece. This hardy coral thrives in moderate light and flow, making it suitable for both novice and experienced aquarists. The Toxic Splatter Goniastrea not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your underwater landscape but also provides a habitat for small fish and invertebrates, contributing to the overall biodiversity of your tank. Its appearance and resilience make it an excellent addition to any coral collection.

Care Guide
This coral is a hardy large polyp stony (LPS) species with a distinctive folded, brain-like surface. It thrives under low to moderate lighting and gentle to moderate flow, and its coloration intensifies with regular feeding of meaty foods.

Placement: Open sandbed, away from direct flow — tissue inflates and can be damaged by strong current or contact.

CARE INFORMATION

Lighting	Low–Medium — PAR 50–150
Flow	Low–Moderate
Feeding	High — meaty foods 2–3× weekly
Placement	Sandbed or lower rockwork
Care level	Beginner–Intermediate
Water parameters	Salinity 1.025–1.026 · Temp 76–78°F · Alk 8–9 dKH · Ca 420–440 · Mg 1300–1400

What to expect when it arrives

Brain corals arrive with tissue pulled tight against the skeleton and the corallite structure showing clearly. Float the sealed bag 15 minutes, drip acclimate 30 to 45 minutes, and place the coral low in moderate light and moderate flow. Tissue inflation returns over one to three days.

Placement, and the aggression nobody plans for

These are among the most aggressive corals in a mixed reef and almost nobody accounts for it when placing them. Favia, Favites, Platygyra and their relatives send out sweeper tentacles at night that reach several inches past the daytime footprint and will chemically burn whatever they touch. Judge spacing by what the coral does after lights out, not by how it looks at noon. Four to six inches of clear space in every direction is a sensible minimum.

Feeding and growth

Brains take small meaty food readily and thicken visibly for it. Feed two or three times a week after lights out when the feeder tentacles are already extended and the coral will take food without a fight. Growth is steady rather than fast — expect the colony to encrust outward across its base over months.

Common trouble

A bare patch or dark stripe spreading across the dome is usually mechanical damage from a neighbor rather than disease. Check sweeper range before treating for anything. Skeleton showing between corallites with no obvious cause generally means light that is too strong for where the coral sits.

Compatibility

Excellent for a beginner on husbandry, difficult for a beginner on placement. They will win almost any exchange, so the risk is to the neighbors rather than to the brain itself.