Goniastrea

Goniastrea, or honeycomb corals, are bomb-proof LPS corals that tolerate conditions many other stony corals would struggle with. Their tightly packed polygonal corallites create a distinctive honeycomb pattern, and they grow in encrusting to mounding forms. Place them in the mid-section of your tank under moderate PAR (100–200 PAR) with moderate flow. They are extremely adaptable and will thrive in most positions.

Standard reef parameters are fine: alkalinity 7.5–9.0 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, and temperature 25–26 °C. Goniastrea are primarily photosynthetic and among the least demanding LPS corals to maintain. They don’t require target feeding but will benefit from occasional broadcast feeding with fine coral foods. Growth is slow and encrusting, gradually forming dense mounding colonies over time.

Goniastrea can extend sweeper tentacles at night, so provide some clearance from neighbours. They are extremely common on the Great Barrier Reef and one of the most abundant corals in Australian waters, making them widely available and well-adapted to local conditions. Fragging requires a band saw due to their dense skeleton. These are the ultimate set-and-forget LPS corals — reliable, colourful, and virtually indestructible under normal reef tank conditions.