Paragoniastrea australensis

PARAGONIASTREA

The Paragoniastrea genus has three known and accepted species, at least at this time. It had previously been listed under Goniastrea and Platygyra and even lumped in under the general term of “brain/maze corsals”but was recently separated in 2014 into a separate genus of Paragoniastrea. There has been much debate as to who or what belongs in this genus but for now, they have landed on species: P. australensis, P. deformis, and P. russeli. Paragoniastrea are typically encrusting species with thick steep walls which often leads to them being called maze corals. The septa are even and regularly spaced and extend over the valley walls into the next septa. They are finely toothed and have paliform lobes (which is what makes up the ridges of the walls.)

Caring for Paragoniastrea corals requires time and patience. These corals can be slow growing and will eventually need a lot of space.  They require low - medium light and flow. An occasional feeding of things such as mysis, calanus, pellets and even phytoplankton have been shown to increase growth rates but is not necessary.

WATER CHEMISTRY

Paragoniastresa corals prefer dirtier waters, making them great for beginner tanks. You will know your Paragoniastrea is happy when they are slightly puffy and colorful. While we have our preferred parameters for Alkalinity, Phosphate, and Nitrate, Paragoniastrea will do far better in your system if you just focus on keeping the water chemistry stable. If your Alkalinity, Phosphate, or Nitrate is out of line, our recommendation is to get it back to your target levels as slowly as possible.

The parameters we aim for are:

We maintain these levels by use of dosing pumps, with Brightwell Aquatics Reef Code A and Reef Code B.

It's important to understand that these are the levels that we aim for in our LPS system. However, that doesn't mean they are the right levels for your system. All aquariums are different and your system may naturally fall on a different balance. You're better off working with the balance your system tends towards than trying to force the same levels that we run.

FLOW

In terms of flow, Paragoniastrea corals tend to like lower-moderate flow. 

Too much flow can agitate the coral, causing them to recede into their skeleton. The perfect flow will have your Paragoniastrea looking slightly puffy and colorful. 

LIGHTING

Paragoniastrea are among the less is more group when it comes to lighting. We always recommend placing them mid - lower on the rockwork where they won’t receive an abundance of light. These corals can bleach when exposed to too much which is why we recommend the lower levels.. There are some exceptions as you are able to “train” your coral to tolerate a higher PAR, but this is an incredibly slow process. We recommend keeping it in its natural state on the dark side.

Too much light can cause Paragoniastrea to bleach and turn white, if this happens lower the coral in your tank or decrease your light intensity. This is a slow process, however, assuming it has good flow and your water chemistry is stable it will regain its colour.