Tubastraea

Tubastraea, the sun coral, is a visually spectacular NPS (non-photosynthetic) LPS with vivid orange, yellow, or dramatic black polyps. Like Dendrophyllia, they contain no zooxanthellae and depend entirely on target feeding. Place them in a shaded overhang or cave-like environment with low light and gentle flow. In the wild, they colonise shaded reef walls and pier pilings, so replicate this in your tank by mounting them on vertical surfaces or under ledges.

Maintain stable reef parameters: alkalinity 7.5–9.0 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, and temperature 25–26 °C. The feeding schedule is the make-or-break factor — target feed at least three to five times per week with mysis, brine shrimp, cyclops, or finely chopped seafood. Many keepers train their sun corals to open during daytime by feeding at consistent times each day. A feeding dome or syringe helps direct food to the polyps efficiently.

Tubastraea are peaceful corals that won’t harm neighbours. They can be fragged by separating branches, and frags recover well with consistent feeding. The black sun coral (Tubastraea micranthus) is particularly striking but tends to be more demanding. Aussie reefers should be prepared for the commitment — these corals reward dedicated keepers with one of the most dramatic displays in the hobby, but they will slowly starve if feeding lapses.