Favia sp.

Favia is a striking LPS coral, with individual corallites forming a dense, often round or dome-shaped colony. The coloration varies strongly depending on the individual, and multiple colors can appear in the centers and edges of the corallites within the same coral.

The name Favia is still commonly used in the aquarium trade, even though many Indo-Pacific corals previously classified under the genus Favia are now classified under genera such as Dipsastraea. The care requirements for these LPS corals sold under the trade name Favia are very similar.

Features

• LPS coral with large and clearly distinguishable corallites
• Grows as an encrusting and gradually thickening or dome-shaped colony
• Available in numerous different colors and patterns
• Relatively easy to care for in a stable reef aquarium
• Can form long sweeper tentacles and sting nearby corals

Care

Light: Moderate, around 100–150 PAR. Favia can also adapt to stronger lighting, but a new coral should be acclimated to light gradually.

Flow: Moderate and indirect. Water movement should keep the coral surface clean without strong direct flow constantly pressing on the soft tissue.

Placement: Leave sufficient space around it. Favia can use long sweeper tentacles, especially at night, which can harm other corals. A good starting point is at least 8–10 cm distance from other corals, but more space may be needed depending on the individual.

Feeding: Gets a large part of its energy from its photosynthetic symbiotic algae-containing tissues and nutrients in the water. Separate feeding is not essential, but small, protein-rich coral food, mysis, or other suitable zooplankton-mimicking food can support growth.

Recommended Water Parameters

• Temperature: 24–26 °C
• Salinity: 34–35 ppt
• KH: 7–9 dKH
• Calcium: 400–450 mg/l
• Magnesium: 1250–1400 mg/l
• Nitrate: 2–15 mg/l
• Phosphate: 0.03–0.15 mg/l
• pH: 8.0–8.4

More important than precisely achieving a single value is maintaining water parameters as stable as possible.

Additional Information

• Scientific name: Favia sp. / trade name
• Coral type: LPS
• Origin: Indo-Pacific
• Difficulty level: Easy–Moderate
• Light: Moderate, approx. 100–150 PAR
• Flow: Moderate, indirect
• Aggressiveness: High