Bubble Corals make a beautiful and unique addition to a home reef tank. While they are distantly related to euyphilla, such as hammer corals, they are a distinct species and should not be kept in close proximity to other euphyllia. When inflated, the tentacles of this coral will cover the entire skeleton in what appears to be small bubbles, hence its name. The tentacles can be found in many colours, with green and yellow being most common and blue and purple being more difficult to find. Bubble Corals do not branch like many other LPS corals, but rather grow as a single skeletal structure, much like a wall hammer. Like other LPS corals, they construct their hard skeleton out of calcium carbonate.
Bubble Corals are found on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region and there is also an emerging aquaculture industry. They are found at a wide variety of depths between 3 and 30 meters, but are generally found in protected areas of the reef with gentler water movement. In a home aquarium they are generally placed on the substrate in a low flow area of the tank. Like many other LPS corals, Bubble Corals have long sweeper tentacles and can damage nearby corals so it is important to give them space in the tank.
Bubble Corals prefer moderate levels of light. This can usually be achieved by placing them on the sandbed in an unshaded area. In a deeper tank, it might be advisable to place them more towards the centre, but that will depend on the intensity of the lighting used. In terms of flow, they require low levels of flow to prevent their delicate tentacles from being damaged.
Like the vast majority of LPS corals, Bubble Corals are photosynthetic and are able to use the aquarium lighting to meet their energy needs. However, supplemental feeding can increase their growth rate and may benefit the overall health of the coral. They can be spot fed mysis or brine shrimp or an LPS specific coral food, such as Vitalis LPS Pellets.
Fragging Bubble Corals is more complicated than propagating branching LPS corals but it is possible with the right equipment. However, it is generally beyond the skill of most hobbyists and is not recommended.
