Fire Coral for the Tropical Marine Aquarium
Corals from the Genus Millepora are Hardy and Beautiful
Fire corals from the genus Millepora are generally yellow to brown in color and have no visible polyps. Some members of the genus, such as Millepora alcicornis, have extremities that are lighter or even white. In general, fire coral is a very hardy coral in both the wild and in the aquarium. In fact, Millepora alcicornis is often one of the first corals to colonize a new area and one of the last to die when a reef is in trouble.
Not “True” Corals
Fire corals from the genus Millepora are not “true” corals. They are a type of hydrocoral, which means they are calcifying hydrozans. In other words, fire coral, like the “true” stony corals, has a hard skeleton, but it does not belong to the same class of animals as the more common aquarium corals. While not as common in tropical marine aquaria, hydrocorals are the third largest reef-building corals in the world and very common in nature.
Specialized Feeding
Unlike most reef-building corals, the polyps of fire coral are contained within canals inside the animal’s skeleton. This is called a cyclosystem. When fire coral feeds, it extends its polyps to capture food and then retracts them completely within its skeleton. The retracted polyps then deliver food to the rest of the animal through an internal canal network. Fire corals appreciate target feedings with a filter-feeding invertebrate food once or twice a week.
Water Flow
Keeping fire coral in a tropical marine aquarium is not difficult so long as you provide some basic environmental conditions. Water flow is perhaps the most important factor for most corals—not light as many people mistakenly assume. Water flow determines the growth form of fire coral (usually branching or encrusting), and water flow provides food to the animal’s polyps. Most fire corals do best with strong intermittent flow.
Lighting
Many fire corals are shallow water species and host symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae. For this reason, fire corals, like all photosynthetic corals, need light. Fire coral does not require high intensity lighting (e.g. metal halide bulbs), but be sure it has at least moderate lighting. Be careful not to photoshock a new fire coral specimen by exposing it to high intensity lighting. Initially place it low in the aquarium and allow it to acclimate before moving it to its final location.
Handling and Placing Fire Coral
One of the biggest challenges with keeping fire coral is its placement in the aquarium. First off, this coral packs a very nasty and painful sting, so the aquarist must be sure to protect him-or herself by using appropriate gloves when handling. Once in the aquarium and established, fire coral is considered an aggressive coral. Be sure to give it a wide berth where it will not come into contact with any of your other sessile invertebrates. Be especially careful if your tank contains gorgonians, as fire coral can chemically sense theses animals and will attempt to encrust them. Once fire coral has encrusted live rock, it is can be quite difficult to stop its growth.
Complimentary Animals
Some aquarium animals will use the powerful sting of the fire coral to seek refuge. For example, fishes like hawkfishes whose pectoral fins are not covered with tissue can perch on fire coral without being injured. Perching on fire coral’s branches, these small fishes are protected from potential predators.
Predators and Other Threats
In terms of predators, most aquarium animals will give fire coral a healthy margin, but some nudibranches and filefishes are known predators. Fire coral is not usually susceptible to parasites or diseases, but it will bleach relatively easily if stressed.
Conclusion
Fire coral, so long as its powerful sting is respected, makes a great aquarium coral. While not a “true” stony coral, it is both attractive and hardy.
Fire Coral in the Wild
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Aquarium Fire Coral (Millepora alcicornis)
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