Love Hearts Alveopora [113]

Love Hearts Alveopora

Type: LPS

Scientific Name: Alveopora sp.

PAR: 75?150

Flow: Moderate, varied flow

Placement: Low Third to Mid Third

Description

Love Hearts Alveopora is a beautiful Alveopora with contrasting red centres surrounded by softer pale green to blue tones. When fully extended, the colony produces a mass of delicate flower-like polyps that sway together in the flow, with the warm centres standing out against the cooler surrounding colour.

Alveopora are closely related in appearance to Goniopora, but there's a neat way to tell them apart: each Alveopora polyp has 12 tentacles, while Goniopora have 24. It's a small detail that becomes surprisingly obvious once you know to look for it.

Why We Like It

The colour combination on this one is gorgeous. The red centres look like tiny hearts sitting inside the paler green-blue polyps, which is where the Love Hearts name comes from. Add the soft movement of a fully extended Alveopora and you've got a coral that's interesting both from across the tank and close up.

Care Notes

Alveopora appreciate stable reef conditions, moderate lighting and varied flow that gently moves the extended polyps. They are photosynthetic but can also benefit from fine particulate and plankton-sized foods. Regular access to suitable suspended nutrition can support healthy growth and polyp extension.