Lobo coral, also known by the names Lobophyllia or Lobed brain coral, make beautiful choices of coral for saltwater tanks. They have amazing color patterns and shapes that fit well in tanks. They are very unique looking which makes them a popular choice for saltwater tank enthusiasts.
This post will help you learn how to care for your Lobo coral.
Lobo Coral Care
Like all living creatures, Lobo coral requires a specific set of parameters to stay healthy and thrive in a tank.
Proper Placement
When choosing a spot in your saltwater tank for your Lobo coral, pick a place where the coral can contract and expand without touching any other coral or rocks.
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Stable Alkalinity
Lobo coral does well in an environment with a stable alkalinity. In order for them to stay really colorful, they prefer an alkalinity in the tank of about 8-10dKH.
If the alkalinity fluctuates too much, they may lose their color or start to decline.
Temperature
Your Lobo coral will prefer a temperature of about 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature fluctuates outside of that, the Lobo coral is likely to fade in color.
Feeding
You should feed your Lobo coral a few times a week. Lobo corals enjoy things like finely minced seafood, Mysis and Oyster eggs.
You can feed them by squirting food in the direction of their mouth, but not squirting it directly into the coral. The Lobo coral will then feed at its own pace.
Water Flow
Lobo corals prefer low to moderate water movement in their environment.
To achieve this, you may want to place your Lobo coral on the bottom of the tank, on a sandy bed. The water movement at the bottom will be low to moderate and ideal for the Lobo.
Lighting
The Lobo coral requires moderate lighting for success and hardy growth.
These types of coral seem to do well with LED lights that provide a lot of blue light.
Where are Lobo corals naturally found?
Lobo corals are found naturally in the Pacific Ocean, in tropical waters.
Most Lobo corals that you can buy today originated from the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia.
Many people note that Lobo corals coming from Australia do better on average than the Lobos they have bought that were sourced from Indonesia.
How to buy Lobo coral?
If you are looking to buy Lobo coral for your tank, it is worth it to note that Lobo coral also go by the following names:
- Open Brain coral
- Carpet coral
- Lobed coral
- Modern coral
- Meat Coral
Depending on where you are buying the coral, you may see it called by a variety of different names.
Most people buy their Lobo coral online from saltwater fish and aquarium retailers and have it shipped to them.
Are Lobo corals easy to keep?
As long as Lobo corals are kept in their preferred conditions, they will usually do quite well in a tank.
If your Lobo coral is not doing well, check that the tank temperature and alkalinity are correct, and that your Lobo coral is placed well in the tank.
Many people find that their Lobo coral does not do well shortly after putting it into the tank, but usually this can be attributed to the stress of shipping.
Like any living creature, coral can become stressed when moved from place to place and can sometimes have bruising or bacterial infections due to this stress.
Most times, given time and the right conditions, the Lobo coral will recover and make a great addition to your tank.
Which fish can you keep with Lobo coral?
For the most part, you will be adding Lobo coral to a saltwater reef tank that has some fish or other creatures.
Most saltwater aquarium fish will do well with Lobo coral and you will not have any issue. There are many varieties of saltwater fish that people keep in saltwater reef tanks that do very well.
It is worth it to make sure that you are getting fish that will either actively help coral by removing pests, or otherwise will not bother or harm coral in any way.
Tank raised clownfish
Nothing goes together better than clownfish and a saltwater reef tank! Clownfish do well with corals, and they are hardy and safe choice for your tank.
Banggai Cardinalfish
Another great choice is the Banggai Cardinalfish. They are peaceful and do well with most other fish species as well as coral.
Royal Gramma
The strikingly beautiful Royal Gramma makes a great addition to your tank. They can be aggressive with other fish of similar body sizes but will never both a coral.
Firefish
Firefish are very hardy and while they can be timid and can often be harassed by tank mates, they make a great choice as tank mates for coral and invertebrates.
Six Line Wrasse
Six Line Wrasse are very active and can be aggressive with other fish. But, adding them to your saltwater reef tank can be a good idea because they do a great job of removing pests from corals.
They remove pests from the corals without harming them in any way, which keeps the corals safe and the fish happy!
Final Thoughts
Lobo coral can make a great choice for your saltwater reef tank. When cared for properly they have absolutely amazing colors that look beautiful.
Like all living things, they can experience a lot of stress when they are being shipped. If your coral has some bruising or looks a bit weak when it arrives to you, just give it some time to heal before you get too worried about its health.
When the Lobo coral is adjusting, make sure that you monitor the tank parameters and environment and ensure that the Lobo coral is in its preferred temperature and placement.
If you take proper care of your Lobo coral, you will be rewarded with an absolutely amazing looking coral which shows off tons of different colors!