Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora damicornis) care guide

Group
Corals
Other names
Lace coral, Brush coral, Cluster coral, Green pocillopora
Family
Pocilloporidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, from the Red Sea to the Americas; very common on shallow reefs
Water
saltwater
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12
Care level
intermediate
Reef safe
yes
Lighting
Moderate to high; about PAR 200–350 (Top Shelf Aquatics). Acclimatise over 2–3 weeks
Flow
Strong, turbulent and varied, not a direct jet

Care

A small-polyp stony coral that forms compact, bushy colonies of thin, crowded branches. With polyps extended the colony looks fuzzy, which gives the cauliflower name. Hobby forms are usually green, pink or brown; LiveAquaria sells a green form and maricultured pieces. Placement: middle to upper rockwork, with space around it because it grows quickly. Light and flow: high light with strong, turbulent flow is the key requirement. Top Shelf suggests easing new pieces in over two to three weeks to avoid bleaching. Water: LiveAquaria notes it can be tricky to settle but becomes fairly hardy once established. Keep calcium around 400–450 ppm, alkalinity at dKH 8–12 and magnesium around 1250–1350 ppm, and keep them steady; regular dosing of calcium, alkalinity and trace elements (or a calcium reactor in a busy reef) is needed as the coral grows. Swings in alkalinity and very low nutrients cause tissue recession. Growth: fast; it also spreads by releasing polyps and larvae that can settle elsewhere in the tank. Selling: this is a CITES Appendix II coral. Frags grown in the UK can be sold freely; wild-collected or imported pieces must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/green-cauliflower-pocillopora-coral); Top Shelf Aquatics (topshelfaquatics.com/pages/corals/green-pocillopora-coral). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Mainly photosynthetic. LiveAquaria recommends micro-plankton or other fine foods about twice a week; Top Shelf suggests rotifers, copepods, oyster eggs or powdered coral foods one to three times a week.

Breeding

Very easy to frag: snip a branch with bone cutters and glue it to a plug. Frags heal quickly. It also reproduces on its own by brooding larvae and by polyp bail-out, so new colonies may appear on rock and glass.

Compatibility and tank mates

Top Shelf rates it semi-aggressive and suggests 8–15 cm spacing: it can sting nearby corals, shade them and seed stray colonies. Keep it away from strongly stinging LPS. It often hosts small Trapezia guard crabs, which are harmless. Watch for gall crabs, vermetid snails and aeolid nudibranchs.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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