Lettuce Cactus care guide
Lettuce Cactus (Pavona cactus) — reef coral, 24-26 °C, PAR 150-250, salinity 1.025-1.026.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pavona cactus is a foliose SPS that forms tightly twisted vertical leaves. The colony is commonly bright metallic green and is one of the faster-growing SPS, making it accessible to intermediate-level reefkeepers.
Taxonomy
- Family: Agariciidae
- Genus: Pavona
- Scientific name: Pavona cactus
- Common synonyms: Cactus Coral, Pavona Cactus
Habitat
Widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific. Wild colonies form dense leafy stands on protected slopes at moderate depth.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Salinity (SG): 1.025-1.026
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 7.5-9
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Phosphate (max): 0.05 ppm
- Nitrate (max): 10 ppm
Placement and lighting
- Lighting (PAR): 150-250 PAR
- Flow: medium-high
- Recommended tank age: 3 months
- Growth rate: 0.5-1 cm/mo
Mount on rockwork in the middle to upper aquarium with medium to high flow and medium-high light. Spacing is important because the foliose leaves grow outward and can shade nearby corals.
Feeding
Primarily photosynthetic. Amino-acid supplementation supports growth and colour; direct spot-feeding is generally not necessary.
Compatibility
Passive and non-stinging. Compatible with most reef corals provided there is adequate space. Reef-safe with shrimp and fish.
Care notes
Stable alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are essential for healthy SPS skeletal growth. Maintain low nutrients (nitrate below about 10 ppm, phosphate below 0.05 ppm) for vivid colour.
Pavona cactus (Lettuce Cactus Coral) Propagation Guide
Overview
Pavona cactus is a foliose stony coral of the family Agariciidae. Its colonies have vertical, irregular, two-sided fronds about 5 cm tall and can spread into supercolonies extending meters across the seabed. It is a zooxanthellate species, with symbiotic microscopic algae living in its tissues that convert sunlight into carbohydrates, supplying the coral with surplus nutrients.
Reproductive Mode
Pavona cactus reproduces both sexually and asexually. Gametes are released into the sea where fertilisation takes place; the egg hatches into a free-swimming planula larva that settles on the seabed and buds into a colony. Asexually, a bit of coral that has broken off a parent colony and become wedged in a suitable position can continue to grow and reproduce by budding to form a new colony.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
The thin upright fronds make this one of the easier Pavona to frag. Cut a frond or section of plate from the colony, then mount it on a frag plug or rock. Dry the base of the cutting and the plug, add a couple of dabs of cyanoacrylate glue, secure the piece upright, and return it to low flow to cure. The frag heals and resumes producing new fronds.
Conditions for Propagation
A cactus frag needs stable reef chemistry, moderate to high light, and good flow around its fronds to keep detritus from collecting between the plates. Because the species relies heavily on its symbiotic algae, ample light drives the fast recovery and growth typical of this Pavona.
Common Challenges
Detritus and algae can lodge in the contorted fronds of a fresh frag, so maintain turbulent flow and inspect the plates. Pavona cactus is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with collection for the aquarium trade among its threats, which makes captive fragging a useful way to reduce pressure on wild colonies.