Platygyra

Platygyra, the maze brain coral, is one of the hardiest and most recognisable brain corals available. The distinctive meandering valleys create a maze-like pattern that looks stunning under blue actinic lighting. Place them in the mid-section of your tank under moderate PAR (100–200 PAR) with moderate flow. They are more tolerant of varied conditions than many LPS genera, making them excellent choices for intermediate reefers.

Keep water parameters at standard reef levels: alkalinity 7.5–9.0 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, and temperature 25–26 °C. Platygyra feed primarily through photosynthesis but respond well to occasional target feeding — place small meaty foods into the valleys once weekly. They inflate their tissue during the day, and the colour contrast between valleys and ridges is most pronounced under quality LED or T5 lighting.

Platygyra extend sweeper tentacles at night that can reach 5–10 cm, so leave adequate clearance. They are common on the Great Barrier Reef and are among the most abundant corals on Australian reefs, which means locally sourced specimens are well-adapted to our water temperatures. Fragging is possible by cutting between valleys with a band saw. These are long-lived, reliable corals that grow slowly but steadily, eventually forming impressive display colonies.