Pictured in this week’s AquaNerd Picture of the Week is a rather common, but nonetheless attractive coral, the Pocillopora damicornis. This coral genus is fairly similar to the birdsnest corals, but instead of having sharply tipped and spaced out branches, it grows in a denser form with blunt tips. The Pocillopora is a great SPS coral for those first time hard coral owners because of their hardiness and ability to grow like crazy. Interestingly, this can also be one of the coral’s greatest drawbacks. Over time, hobbyists might find tiny little Pocillipora colonies growing all over the tank. This is due to the fact that this coral proliferates at such a fast pace. While this might seem like a great thing, the problem arises when the little space that’s left for new frags becomes populated by a coral that’s already in so many other places in the tank. Regardless of this fact, the coral is still an attractive piece and is a great candidate for aquaculture.
