Plate Coral Care Guide (Fungia / Fungiidae)
Plate corals — Fungia and its relatives (Cycloseris, Heliofungia, and others in the Fungiidae family) — are unique among LPS in that they’re free-living: they sit loose on the sandbed rather than attaching to rock, and can even inch themselves around. A single disc-shaped polyp with radiating ridges, plate corals come in vivid greens, oranges, and reds and make a striking sandbed centerpiece. They’re hardy and rewarding as long as you place them correctly. This guide covers lighting, flow, placement, parameters, feeding, handling, and acclimation.
Care Level: Beginner-Friendly
Plate corals are hardy and undemanding, with two keys unique to them: place them on the sandbed (not wedged in rock), and handle them gently because their tissue tears easily on sharp rock.
Quick-Reference Care Parameters
| Coral type | LPS (free-living, solitary) |
| Care level | Beginner–Intermediate |
| Lighting | Low–Moderate · PAR 50–120 |
| Flow | Low–Moderate, gentle |
| Placement | On the sandbed (bottom of the tank) |
| 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× per week to the central mouth |
| Aggression | Low–moderate · can extend sweeper tentacles |
Lighting
Plate corals do well under low-to-moderate light (PAR 50–120). Since they live on the sandbed, they’re naturally in a lower-light position — which suits them. Avoid intense light directly overhead, and acclimate gradually to prevent bleaching.
Water Flow
Provide gentle, low-to-moderate flow. Enough to keep detritus from settling on the disc, but not so much that it flips the coral or tears the tissue. If your plate coral keeps getting blown over, dial the flow back.
Placement: On the Sand
This is the most important rule for plate corals: place them flat on the sandbed, not on or wedged into rockwork. They’re free-living animals that rest on soft substrate in the wild. Sharp rock can puncture or abrade the fleshy underside, leading to infection. Give them open sand and room — some plate corals slowly move themselves, so leave space around neighbors.
Water Parameters
As a stony coral, plate corals want stable alkalinity (8–11 dKH), calcium (400–450 ppm), and magnesium (1250–1350 ppm), with steady temperature and salinity. A modest nutrient level (nitrate 2–10 ppm, phosphate 0.03–0.10 ppm) keeps them plump and colorful.
Feeding
Plate corals have a large central mouth and are good feeders. Target-feed a meaty food (mysis, chopped shrimp, or a coral food) to the mouth about once a week, ideally in the evening when feeder tentacles are out. Regular feeding supports growth and color. Feed in reduced flow so the food isn’t swept away before the coral can take it.
Safe Handling
Handle a plate coral gently and by supporting the whole skeleton from underneath — never by squeezing the fleshy tissue. Because the underside is delicate, keep it off sharp rock. If it inflates with water (they can puff up considerably), don’t press on it.
Common Problems
- Torn or receding tissue on the underside: usually from resting on sharp rock or rough handling. Move it to open sand and let it heal in clean, stable water.
- Not inflating: too much flow, too much light, or new-coral stress. Move it calmer and give it time.
- Brown jelly: if you see a spreading brown film, isolate, dip, and remove affected tissue as with other LPS, and improve stability.
How to Acclimate Your New Plate 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, swirling gently, then rinse in clean saltwater. Handle by supporting the whole coral.
- Placement: Set it flat on open sand in gentle flow and moderate light, away from neighbors.
- Let it settle: A new plate coral may look deflated for a few days — that’s normal. Leave it undisturbed and it will inflate as it recovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I place a plate coral?
Flat on the sandbed, not on rock. They’re free-living corals, and sharp rock can damage their delicate underside.
Can plate corals move?
Yes — some slowly inch themselves across the sand by inflating and deflating, so give them open space around other corals.
Do plate corals need to be fed?
They benefit from weekly target feeding to the central mouth, which improves 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 Plate Coral & Care Guides
Browse our live coral for sale for this week’s hand-selected WYSIWYG plate corals. See more in our library, including the Cynarina Care Guide, the Favia Care Guide, and the Lobophyllia Care Guide.
