Favia / Favites sp.
Also known as: Favia Brain Coral, Christmas Favia. “War Coral” is the trade name for brightly-colored Favia and Favites brain corals — the same corals covered here.
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Lighting | Low to moderate |
| Water Flow | Low to moderate |
| Placement | Low to mid rock |
| Aggression | Aggressive — strong sweeper tentacles |
| Coloration | Fiery red, green, and orange rainbow "war" patterns |
Color Variations
War Coral is available in several designer color morphs. The coloration is purely cosmetic — every one takes the same care described above.
Overview
The War Coral is a favorite trade name for brightly colored Favites brain corals — colonies whose tightly packed polyps blaze with clashing reds, greens, and oranges, like a battlefield map (hence “war” coral). It is very closely related to Favia, cared for identically, and prized for those intense rainbow morphs. See also our Favia Brain Coral page for the closely related type.
Care & Placement
Give low-to-moderate light and low-to-moderate flow. Place low-to-mid on rock with several inches of clearance from other corals, because War/Favites corals extend long, aggressive sweeper tentacles at night. Colors are richest under blue-heavy reef lighting.
Feeding
Photosynthetic and responds well to feeding — target-feed meaty foods (mysis, chopped seafood) once or twice a week in the evening, when the feeder tentacles emerge, to boost growth and intensify the colors.
Propagation
Frag by cutting through the skeleton between polyp groups with a band saw or bone cutter, similar to Favia.
Full step-by-step: How to Frag Acans, Favia and Other Rock-Skeleton LPS
Cautions
AGGRESSIVE — long sweeper tentacles can sting and kill neighboring corals overnight; give it plenty of room. Otherwise hardy and long-lived. Do not confuse the “war coral” trade name for a distinct species — it is simply a colorful Favites/Favia brain coral.