Bernardpora sp.

BERNARDPORA

Bernardpora are often referred to as a micro-goniopora or flower pot coral but have recently been delineated to their genus of Bernardpora. They have a skeleton with extending polyps that can recede and extend at their whim. They are considered to be an encrusting species.

It is often confused with Montipora or even Goniopora due to their short and stubby polyps yet they remain in their own separate genus. Their common name is “thorn coral” due to the look of the polyps and some worms that can host them.

WATER CHEMISTRY

Bernardpora are a bit more finicky when it comes to water chemistry. While we have our preferred parameters for Alkalinity, Phosphate, and Nitrate, Bernardpora 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 systems. 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 Bernardpora corals will need to be kept in a low - moderate flow area. Too much flow causes the polyps to stay receded close to the body. In turn, the coral will not get its proper nutrients as its filtration through the polyps will be decreased. Too little flow can cause detritus build up, and no flow to reach the bottom of the colony,potentially leading to tissue death.

LIGHTING

Bernardpora are among our intermediary group when it comes to lighting. They tend to be happiest with moderate lighting but are more concerned with flow than light. As with many of the LPS corals, too much light can cause discoloration and receding polyps. As we’ve mentioned before, these coral can be trained for higher PAR, but if this is your wish we recommend doing it slowly as the potential for bleaching is high.