FUNGIA PLATE CORAL CARE OVERVIEW

• LIGHT: MODERATE (150-200 par) is what we find best. It's important to keep in mind that it is far easier to damage coral with too much lighting so in our opinion when it comes to lighting, less is often more for LPS corals. You can learn more about Lighting and it's overall impact on your reef tank in our article Lighting and your Reef Tank

• FOOD: We don't feel that Fungia corals require any special feeding regimen although they are sure to benefit from occasional spot feeding. They will catch and consume most food particles in the water column. Like most corals they capture nutrients from the water and will do best when supplied a healthy amount of food. Our method is high import, high export. You can learn more about Feeding and Filtration in our article Feeding, Filtration and your Reef Tank.

• FLOW: LOW-MODERATE. Fungia Plate corals are not intended to be glued down rockwork. They are actually able to move themselves by inflating and deflating although it's not quite the same as an anemone. They perefer to be down on the sand bed, but also struggle if debris are allowed to cover them (such as sand). So they need flow, but on the sand bed it can be hard to give it to them. It can also be difficult to give them the PAR they require at the bottom of the tank. Too much flow, especially direct flow, can cause damage to the corals tissue or an inability to capture food. You can read more about Flow and its overall impact on your reef tank in our article Flow and your Reef Tank

• DIFFICULTY: ADVANCED. Fungia plate corals tend not to do the best long term in captivity. They are difficult to keep happy over time and so we recommend them only for advanced reef keepers. Like with all corals, specimens have been seen to do well in captivity when the right combination of Food/Light/Flow and Filtration are achieved. 

• PRICE: MODERATE. Fungia plate corals tend to be expensive if they are of any special color variety or tone. The more common varieties tend to be found cheaper (green, purple). They are never really aquacultured and that should tell you about its long term prospects in captivity. As always, the specific coloration and size of the specimen will ultimately dictate the price.

• COLLECTION ZONE: Indo-Pacific

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Fungia is a genus of corals in the family Fungiidae. It is monotypic with the single species Fungia fungites, which is found growing on reefs in the Indo-Pacific
  

• AGGRESSION: AGGRESSIVE. Fungia corals can be very aggressive. They also release a white slime when preyed upon (or dying). This white slime is very toxic to other corals. We recommend at least 3-4" away from other species, potentially more. You should monitor it.

• NATURAL TEMPERATURE: 82 °F / 28 °C  although most corals can adapt and survive in temps as low as 77 degrees and as high as 84 degrees. You can read more about temperature and how it affects your reef tank in our article Temperature and your Reef Tank.

• PH: Recommend 8.0-8.4, we tend to run around 8.2-8.3 over 24 hours. You can read more about pH in our article pH and your Reef Tank

• NITRATE: 5-10, try to keep stable. You can read more about nitrate and our approach to maintaining it in our article Nutrients and your Reef Tank

• PHOSPHATE: 0.05-0.1, try to keep stable. You can read more about Phosphate and our approach to maintaining it in our article Nutrients and your Reef Tank

• ALKALINITY: Recommend 8-9 dKh. You can read more about how we maintain our alkalinity in our article Alkalinity, Calcium and your Reef Tank

• CALCIUM: Recommend 400-450. You can read more about how we maintain our calcium in our article Alkalinity, Calcium and your Reef Tank
  
  

More About Fungia Corals

Fungia is a genus of corals in the family Fungiidae. Fungia corals are mostly solitary, with some species growing up to 12 inches in diameter. Fungia Plate corals can be found in the "short tentacle" or the "long tentacle" varieties. Plate corals are large polyp stony (lps) corals. They exist in a variety of colors like green, orange, pink, purple, red, and blue. With so many color options and the relatively low care requirements, it's easy to see why a lot of Reef Chasers choose the Fungia Plate coral.

Fungia Plate corals require moderate lighting combined with low to medium water movement. We recommend 150-250 PAR. Plate corals are typically found living in the rubble around the reef. They will be happiest laying on the bottom of your reef in the substrate. Try to choose an area where sand doesn't blow on them as it irritates them. Fungia Plates have the ability to inflate themselves to remove sand and to increase their exposure to light, but it's best to put them in an area where they don't have to expend so much effort. 

Through their symbiotic relationship with a photosynthetic algae, known as zooxanthellae, they receive many of their nutrients. They also filter-feed on the nutrients in the water column. It is a good idea to provide them with additional foods like microplankton or other foods designed for filter-feeding invertebrates. Your Fungia Plate coral can benefit from regular targeted feedings of zooplankton, Mysis shrimp, or brine shrimp.

Fungia Plate corals are solitary and semi-aggressive. When they inflate, they can double their size. They can damage other corals with their tentacles and they can emit tissue-damaging mucus to slime their foes. These are important things to keep in mind when picking the "perfect home" for your Fungia Plate. Be sure to give them ample room to grow and thrive. Extra care should be taken when handling your Fungia Plate coral to prevent tissue damage and to keep from getting yourself slimed.