Sunspot Psammocora

Psammocora sp

Saltwater Coral Species Group: Psammocora Family: Siderastreidae

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Water parameters

Temp 76-80 F Temperature

Maintaining a stable and appropriate temperature is critical for the survival of aquatic life.

 pH 7.8 - 8.4 potential of Hydrogen

Measuring the acidity or alkalinity of water on a 0–14 scale, where 7 is neutral, 7 is alkaline.

 NO3 1-20 ppm Nitrate

While less toxic than ammonia, high nitrate levels (above 40–80 ppm) are important to monitor because they can cause fish stress, stunted growth, and harmful algae blooms.

 NO2 <0.0001 ppm Nitrite

It is a highly toxic, intermediate compound in the nitrogen cycle produced from broken-down ammonia

 PO4 0.01 - 0.1 ppm Phosphate

It is essential for plant development but must be managed, as excess levels trigger nuisance algae blooms and inhibit coral calcification.

 NH3 <0.1 ppm Ammonia

It is the primary killer of aquarium fish, causing gill damage, stress, and death

 Ca 380 - 450 ppm Calcium

Supporting the growth, skeletal structure, and shell formation of corals, mollusks, crustaceans, and coralline algae

 KH 8 - 12 dKH Alkalinity

It acts as a shield, neutralizing acids to prevent dangerous pH "crashes" that can harm fish, corals, and plants.

 Mg 1200 - 1400 ppm Magnesium

It enables coral growth by supporting skeletal formation, assists in metabolic processes, and ensures that calcium is available for corals, clams, and coralline algae.

 SG 1.023 - 1.026 SG Salinity

Essential for maintaining stable, natural water parameters, proper osmoregulation, and stress-free environments for marine fish and corals

 ORP 250 - 400 mV Oxidation-Reduction Potential

A higher positive mV indicates clean, oxygen-rich water with high water quality, while low readings indicate high pollution.

About Sunspot Psammocora

General information

In general, corals coming from the genus Psammocora are known to initially grow in an encruting form. After they have encrusted much of the surface they are growing on, they will start to grow branches that are usually thick and is spread throughout their entire colony. When their tentacles in the polyps are retracted, they can easily be identified through their grainy appearance that looks like a sandpaper.

For the Sunspot Psammocora, they are predominatly colored red with yellow mouth. This are the water parameters for cultivating Sunspot Psammocora:

  • Calcium: 380 – 430 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 3.2 – 4.8 MEQ/L
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1200 – 1350
  • Strontium: 8 – 10
  • Temperature: 74° – 82° F (23° – 27° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.023 – 1.025

Diet & nutrition

The Sunspot Psammocora gets much of its nutrition from the symbiotic zooxanthellae living within their tissues. However, we still recommend you do supplemental feeding by adding mysis and brine shrimp.

Determining sex

A mature tank is recommended in cultivating Sunspot Psammocora. They are highly adaptive that it can grow and encrust any surface, including the glass component of your tank.

Breeding & spawning

The Sunspot Psammocora requires moderate lighting and low to moderate waterflow. If they are exposed to strong waterflow, their tentacles wiill not go out, which in turn, will deprive them from feeding.

Origination

The Sunspot Psammocora can be found in the waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Cautions

The Sunspot Psammocora has an aggressive behavior. Therefore, proper spacing must be maintained with regards to nearby corals.

Acclimation process

The Sunspot Psammocora are purely marine, therefore, salinity must be maintained thoroughly at 1.023 to 1.025 specific gravity.

All photos

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