Favia

Favia (now formally reclassified as Dipsastraea for Indo-Pacific species, though the hobby name persists) are among the hardiest LPS corals available and an excellent choice for reefers building confidence with stony corals. Place them in the mid-section of your tank under moderate PAR (100–200 PAR) with moderate flow. They tolerate a surprisingly wide range of conditions, from lower light positions to brighter spots, and adapt gradually to their environment.

Maintain standard reef parameters: alkalinity 7.5–9.0 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, and temperature 25–26 °C. Favia are primarily photosynthetic and do not require target feeding, though they will accept small meaty foods placed on the colony surface. Their rounded polyps are arranged in a distinctive honeycomb pattern and can display attractive fluorescent colours under blue lighting.

Despite their beginner-friendly nature, Favia do extend sweeper tentacles at night that can sting nearby corals. Leave at least 5 cm of clearance from neighbours. Favia are extremely common on the Great Barrier Reef and throughout Indo-Pacific reefs, making them widely available from Australian coral suppliers. They grow by encrusting and forming mounding colonies, and can be fragged by cutting with a band saw. These are set-and-forget corals that will reward patient reefers with steady growth over many years.