Favites

Favites, commonly known as war corals, are closely related to Favia but distinguished by their shared polyp walls, giving a more angular, geometric appearance. They are among the hardiest LPS corals and excellent for beginners, but their aggressive sweeper tentacles demand respect. Place them in the mid-section of your tank under moderate PAR (100–200 PAR) with moderate flow, and give them generous clearance from all neighbours.

Standard reef parameters suit Favites well: alkalinity 7.5–9.0 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, and temperature 25–26 °C. They are primarily photosynthetic and undemanding regarding feeding, though they will accept target-fed meaty foods. Favites grow by encrusting and mounding, and their growth rate is slow but steady. They display nice fluorescent greens, reds, and multi-colour patterns under blue lighting.

The key challenge with Favites is managing their aggression — their sweeper tentacles can extend 10 cm or more at night and will damage or kill neighbouring corals. Place them with ample buffer zones or on isolated rock islands. They are abundant on the Great Barrier Reef and commonly available from Australian coral retailers. Fragging is possible with a band saw, cutting through the shared walls between polyps. Favites are excellent long-term residents that will slowly form impressive colonies.