• Home
• Forum
• Fish Guide
• Coral Guide
• Aquarium Guide
• Contact Us



Hard Coral


Button Coral Bird's Nest Blue Coral Brain Coral Brain Coral, Favites Bubble Coral Cactus Coral Candy Cane Coral Cat's Paw Coral Cauliflower Coral Daisy/Flowerpot Coral Doughnut Coral Elegance Coral Elephant Nose Coral Flower Pot Coral Frogspawn Coral Galaxy Coral Goniastrea Brain Coral Hammer Coral Horn Coral Jeweled Finger Coral Lettuce/Cabbage Coral Lobophyllia Brain Coral Nemenzophyllia Fox Coral Pearl Bubble Coral Pineapple Coral Pipe Organ Coral Plate Coral LT Plate/Disk Coral Platygyra Brain Coral Slipper/Tongue Coral Spiny Cup/Lettuce Coral Staghorn Coral Torch Coral Tube Coral Turbinaria Coral Velvet Coral


Soft Coral


Sea fan Cabbage Leather Coral Tree Coral Christmas Tree Coral Clove / Glove Polyp Colt Coral Corky Sea Fingers Devil's Hand Coral Finger Leather (Cladiella) Finger Leather (Sinularia) Flexible Leather Coral Kenya Tree Coral Mushroom / Leather Coral Pipe Organ Coral Pulse Coral Purple Sea Blade Rough Sea Plume Sea Rod / Red Tree Star Polyp Strawberry / Pink Cauliflower Tree Coral - Yellow Tree Coral - Paralemnalia Waving Hand Coral Yellow Sea Blade


Mushrooms


Actinodiscus Mushroom Coral Bullseye Mushroom Coral Elephant Ear Mushroom Coral Giant Cup Mushroom Coral Hairy Mushroom Coral Ricordea Mushroom Coral


Zoanthids


Elegant Moon Polyp Palythoa Button Polyp Stick / Tree Polyp Zoanthus Button Polyp

Cactus Coral

The Pavona Cactus Coral is a small polyp stony (SPS) coral, and also referred to as the Potato Chip Coral, or Lettuce Coral. Its common name "cactus," comes from its appearance which resembles that of a cactus with thin plates; the polyps extend from both sides of the plates. Its color varies from shades of light and dark brown to green with cream or white margins. Although it has short tentacles, it can harm other invertebrates touching it.

Pavona cactus

Quick Stats: Cactus Coral
Family: Agariciidae Polyp Size: SPS - Small polyp stony Range: Red Sea, Indian Ocean to Eastern Pacific Color Form: Brown, Green, Tan Ideal Supplements: Calcium, Strontium, Trace elements Reef Compatible: Yes Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4 Water Flow: Strong Light: High Dominance: Semi-aggressive Placement: All levels Care Level: Difficult

Usually SPS corals tend to be more difficult to care for compared to LPS corals. Once established, though, the Cactus Coral is fairly hardy but requires a high light level and strong random currents within the aquarium. Calcium, strontium, and other trace elements should be added to the water for its continued good health.

It will benefit from additional food in the form of micro-plankton or brine shrimp fed in the evening when its tentacles are visible.

© 2009 saltwateradvice.com