Pineapple Brain Care Guide
Pineapple Brain (Dipsastraea speciosa) is a LPS coral. Care covers 75-175 PAR, medium flow, reef parameters and feeding; beginner level.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pineapple Brain (Dipsastraea speciosa) is a LPS coral in the family Merulinidae. Hardy boulder LPS (formerly Favia) with raised individual corallites. Reliable beginner brain coral.
Taxonomy
- Family: Merulinidae
- Genus: Dipsastraea
- Scientific name: Dipsastraea speciosa
- Common synonyms: Dipsastraea speciosa, Pineapple Coral
Habitat
In the wild, Dipsastraea speciosa is reported from Indo-Pacific, where it occupies mid to lower reef slopes and lagoons (typically 5-30 m). The species adopts a massive growth form on hard substrate within zooxanthellate reef communities.
Tank requirements
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.024-1.026
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Phosphate (max): 0.03 ppm
- Nitrate (max): 5 ppm
- Minimum system age: 3 months
Placement and lighting
- PAR (placement zone): 75-175 PAR
- Water flow: medium
Mount this LPS coral on the lower or mid rockwork or on the sand bed (for free-living forms) where light is moderate. Strong direct flow can damage the fleshy tissue; aim for indirect, varied movement.
Feeding
Dipsastraea speciosa hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae and derives most of its energy through photosynthesis. Supplemental target feeding accelerates growth and supports colouration; commonly accepted items include mysis, reef-roids. Feed once or twice per week after lights-out, when polyps are extended.
Compatibility
This coral is moderately aggressive toward neighbours. It extends sweeper tentacles capable of stinging adjacent corals, so leave generous spacing (10-20 cm) between colonies. Reef-safe with most fish and invertebrates.
Care notes
Difficulty level: beginner. Reported skeletal growth in well-tuned reef tanks is approximately 0.15-0.4 cm/month. Propagation by fragmentation is straightforward for massive colonies — separate branches or polyps with a bone cutter, glue to plug, allow 1-2 weeks for healing. Maintain stable alkalinity (avoid swings above ±0.5 dKH per day) to preserve tissue health.
Favia speciosa (Pineapple Brain) Propagation Guide
Overview
Dipsastraea speciosa, long known as Favia speciosa, is a massive boulder coral in the family Merulinidae. Its corallites are plocoid, meaning each polyp has its own raised wall, giving the colony a pineapple-like surface. Favia colonies are massive or thickly encrusting, dome-shaped or flat, on a single connected skeleton, so propagation is done by dividing that skeleton.
Reproductive Mode
The colony grows asexually as polyps bud and the separate-walled corallites multiply across the skeleton, all sharing one genotype. Reef-building Merulinidae also reproduce sexually by releasing gametes for external fertilisation. Aquarium propagation uses the asexual route by mechanical division.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
- Choose a healthy colony; because corallites have separate walls, cut between corallites to avoid splitting individual polyps.
- Saw through the massive skeleton with a band saw, keeping several whole corallites per frag.
- Rinse skeletal debris and mount each frag cut-side down on a plug or rock.
- Recover in moderate flow under reduced light until the edge tissues over.
Conditions for Propagation
- Stable alkalinity, calcium and magnesium for skeletal repair.
- Moderate, clean flow over the cut.
- Softened light during early recovery.
- Low nutrients to keep exposed skeleton algae-free.
Sexual Reproduction
In nature these brain corals release gametes into the water column during synchronised spawning, with external fertilisation and larval settlement founding new colonies. This is not a routine aquarium propagation method.
Common Challenges
Favia are reliable in captivity, but a fresh cut exposes skeleton that algae can colonise and that may recede if water quality lapses. Cut between corallites rather than through them, and keep handling brief.