ECC Thunderstruck Psammocora

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Encrusting Psammocora; Sandpaper Coral

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific

Habitat

Shallow reef flats and lagoons with moderate to high water movement, encrusting rock and rubble substrates

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Moderate

Coral type

LPS

Temperament

Peaceful

Growth form

Encrusting

Adult size

0.8 – 6 in (1.9 – 15 cm)

Spread

12 in (30 cm)

Growth rate

Fast

Placement

Middle, High

Water

Temperature

75 – 78 °F (24 – 26 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 9 dKH

Salinity

1.024 – 1.026 SG

PAR

100 – 200 PAR

Flow

Moderate

Light

Medium

Reef care

Nutrient preference

Medium

Alk/Ca uptake

Medium

Target feeding

Beneficial

Give it room

3 in (7.6 cm)

Colors

Green, Purple, Orange

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Photosynthetic

Foods

Coral food, Zooplankton, Phytoplankton

Propagation

Fragging

Something wrong or missing? Submit a correction

Care guide

Overview

Grows as a low, fuzzy-textured mat with deep purple centers fading to green edges, encrusting rock and rubble at a fast pace compared to most stony corals. It tolerates a range of light and flow once acclimated but will overgrow or clash with anything it contacts directly, so open space is essential. Best kept under medium light and moderate flow with gradual acclimation to avoid bleaching.

Care

Psammocora is one of the more forgiving stony corals available in the trade, tolerating a fairly wide range of light and flow once acclimated. It spreads by encrusting over rock and rubble, so give it open space since it will overgrow or fight neighboring corals it contacts directly. New colonies should be introduced under moderate light and flow first, then adjusted gradually since sudden changes in intensity can cause bleaching.

Placement & acclimation

Acclimate gradually to target light levels over one to two weeks to avoid bleaching, starting dimmer than the eventual placement. Mount frags on open rockwork with clearance on all sides so the colony has room to encrust outward without contacting other corals.

Feeding

Most of its nutrition comes from the photosynthetic algae housed in its tissue, so strong lighting alone will sustain a colony long term. Despite having small polyps, it responds well to supplemental feeding with amino acids and fine coral foods, which can improve growth rate and coloration. Broadcast or target feeding a few times a week is a reasonable supplement rather than a requirement.

Neighbors

Give this coral generous clearance from neighboring corals on the rockwork, since it lacks long sweeper tentacles but will still out-compete or be out-competed by anything it physically touches as it encrusts outward. It pairs well with other hardy SPS and LPS species kept under similar medium-light, moderate-flow conditions. Avoid placing faster growing branching corals directly above it, as shading can slow its spread.

Fragging

Colonies are fragged by cutting or snapping off encrusted sections of rock or by cutting through the skeleton with a coral saw or bone cutters, then securing the piece to a plug or rubble rock with glue or epoxy until it re-encrusts.

Pests & problems

Bleaching is the most common problem and is usually traced to light that is too intense or was increased too quickly after introduction to a new tank. Keep alkalinity and calcium stable since fluctuations can stress the calcareous skeleton and slow growth. Watch for pests such as flatworms or nudibranchs on the encrusting mat, which can be hard to spot given the coral's fine surface texture.

Sources

1. ECC Thunderstruck Psammocora - Bulk Reef Supply
2. Tidal Gardens - Psammocora Coral Care
3. Oceans Garden Aquaculture ECC Thunderstruck Psammocora

Varieties in the catalog

ECC Golden Charm Psammocora