Common names: cactus coral, lettuce coral, potato chip coral

Difficulty Level: Pavona is one of the most forgiving SPS corals.

Feeding: Pavona has extremely small polyps and only the ability to capture the smallest items. Feeding is not usually needed in a well lit reef.

Lighting (Level 6 to 10): These corals easily adapt to all medium to high light conditions, and they do it relatively easily. Less acclimation is needed, but care should still be taken.

Water flow: Moderate to strong flow is needed to keep these corals clear of debris. Growth patterns will range from tightly forming vertical chips to mainly encrusting depending on flow patterns with tighter forms thriving in higher flow conditions.

Placement: Pavona is a very peaceful coral and should be placed away from others with more aggressive tendencies. Keep in mind their unique growth forms when placing them.

General: These are slow growing but very unique corals. They are easily cut in to fragments, and their resistance to disease makes them a good choice for the first time SPS propagator.

Pavona species specific information:

• Pavona bipartita
• Pavona cactus
• Pavona clavus
• Pavona danai
• Pavona decussata
• Pavona diffluens
• Pavona duerdeni
• Pavona explanulata
• Pavona frondifera
• Pavona gigantea
• Pavona maldivensis
• Pavona minuta
• Pavona varians
• Pavona venosa