Scientific
Name: Alveopora gigas
Classification: LPS
Common Names: Branching Flower Pot Coral, Alveopora Coral
Description:
Forms branching colonies with polyps that always have 12 tentacles.
Similar species Goniopora always has 24 tentacles.
Veron: Colonies are composed of
blunt-ended irregular columns. Corallites have thin highly
perforated walls of interconnected rods and spines. Polyps are up to
100 millimeter long and 20 millimeters diameter when fully extended.
Color: Oral discs and tentacle tips are white, the rest of the
polyps are brown or greenish-brown.
Natural Environment:
Veron: Protected turbid environments.
Care:
Hardiness: Alveopora is fairly
delicate, although survival may be somewhat better than with the related Goniopora.
The 'trick' required to successfully maintain these corals has not
been discovered and success appears to be at least partly luck. May
do best in a fairly nutrient rich lagoon type reef tank.
Lighting: Seems to like moderate, and not intense, lighting.
Water Current: Seem to prefer low to moderate water motion which is
in keeping with their natural habitat conditions.
Temperature: Does well within a range of at least 78º to 82º F
Aggressiveness: Appears to be low.
Feeding: Alveopora is photosynthetic and it is not known if
they will take any offered foods. It may benefit from nutrient rich water, based on its
natural habitat which is counter to most reef tank conditions.
Supplements:
Maintaining correct calcium and alkalinity levels is undoubtedly important for
skeletal development
Tank Positioning:
Best positioning seems to be in a low water flow, moderate light area of the
tank. The specimen to the right was originally kept under 400W MH
lights and wave maker water conditions and seem to decline and bleach over
several months. It was moved to a low current moderate (175W 10K MH)
lighting and has recovered significantly over in the last 8 months.
Coloration has returned, although darker than originally and polyp extension is
slowly improving.
