Favia Coral Care Guide (Brain / Moon Coral)
Favia corals — often called moon coral or brain coral, and including the closely related Favites and Dipsastraea — are hardy LPS corals with a maze of jewel-like corallites that light up in stunning greens, reds, and oranges under blue light. They form rounded, encrusting colonies with rich texture and are a rewarding, long-lived choice for reef keepers. Favias are easy to keep with one important caveat: they’re aggressive at night. This guide covers lighting, flow, placement, parameters, feeding, aggression, and acclimation.
Care Level: Beginner-Friendly (Mind the Aggression)
Favia are hardy and forgiving of water quality, making them a solid beginner LPS. The one thing to plan for is their long nighttime sweeper tentacles — give them space and they’re easy.
Quick-Reference Care Parameters
| Coral type | LPS (Large Polyp Stony) |
| Care level | Beginner–Intermediate |
| Lighting | Low–Moderate · PAR 50–120 |
| Flow | Low–Moderate, indirect |
| Placement | Low to mid rock; give sweeper space |
| Temperature | 76–82°F (ideal ~78°F) |
| Salinity | 1.024–1.026 (~35 ppt) |
| Alkalinity | 8–11 dKH |
| Calcium | 400–450 ppm |
| Magnesium | 1250–1350 ppm |
| Nitrate | 2–10 ppm |
| Phosphate | 0.03–0.10 ppm |
| Feeding | Beneficial · meaty foods 1–2× per week at night |
| Aggression | High · long nighttime sweeper tentacles |
Lighting
Favia show their best color under low-to-moderate light (PAR 50–120). Too much light can bleach or brown them; a blue-heavy spectrum makes their contrasting corallite colors pop. Start lower in the tank and increase light gradually if you want to move them up.
Water Flow
Provide low-to-moderate, indirect flow. Enough to keep detritus from settling in the corallite valleys, but not a direct blast. Gentle random flow keeps the tissue clean and healthy.
Placement
Place Favia on low to mid rockwork. The critical rule is spacing: because of their nighttime sweepers (below), keep them several inches away from other corals. They encrust outward slowly, so give the colony room to grow.
Water Parameters
As a calcifying stony coral, Favia want stable alkalinity (8–11 dKH), calcium (400–450 ppm), and magnesium (1250–1350 ppm), with steady temperature and salinity. Stability is key. A modest nutrient level (nitrate 2–10 ppm, phosphate 0.03–0.10 ppm) supports color and tissue.
Feeding
Favia are good feeders. At night they extend feeder tentacles — that’s the time to target-feed small meaty foods (mysis, chopped shrimp, coral food) one to two times a week. Feeding boosts growth and color. Feed in reduced flow so the food stays on the coral.
Aggression: Respect the Nighttime Sweepers
Favia (and Favites) are known for developing long, potent sweeper tentacles after dark that can reach several inches and sting or kill neighboring corals. Give a Favia generous open space on all sides and remember those tentacles extend well beyond the daytime footprint.
Common Problems
- Loss of color / browning: usually too much light or an unstable tank — lower the light and stabilize.
- Recession: a stress signal from parameter swings or a neighbor’s sting. Fix the cause and keep water steady.
- Damaged neighbors: if nearby corals are getting stung at night, a Favia’s sweepers are often the culprit — increase spacing.
How to Acclimate Your New Favia Coral
- Temperature match (15–20 min): Float the sealed bag with lights dimmed to equalize temperature.
- Drip acclimate (30–45 min): Open into a clean container and drip tank water in slowly until the volume roughly doubles.
- Coral dip (5–10 min): Use a reef-safe dip per directions, then rinse in clean saltwater.
- Placement: Set the frag low, in gentle flow and moderate light, well clear of other corals’ sweeper range.
- Let it settle: A new Favia may look flat for the first several days. Keep light on the lower side at first and give it time to open and color in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Favia corals aggressive?
Yes — they extend long stinging sweeper tentacles at night. Give them several inches of clearance from other corals.
Are Favia good for beginners?
Yes. They’re hardy and forgiving; the main thing to manage is spacing because of their nighttime sweepers.
Should I feed my Favia?
Yes — target-feed small meaty foods at night one to two times a week for better growth and color.
What is WYSIWYG coral?
WYSIWYG means “What You See Is What You Get” — the exact coral pictured is the one shipped to you.
Shop WYSIWYG Favia Coral & Care Guides
Browse our live coral for sale for this week’s hand-selected WYSIWYG Favia. See more in our library, including the Acan Care Guide, the Cynarina Care Guide, and the Lobophyllia Care Guide.
