LPS Coral
Bubble Coral.
An LPS (large-polyp stony) coral whose grape-like bubbles inflate by day and retract to a sharp skeleton at night. It packs powerful sweeper tentacles, so give it space from neighbors. It wants gentle flow (strong current tears the bubbles) and moderate light in a 50-gallon-plus reef.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Community
- Semi community
- Adult size
- 12"
- Min tank size
- 50 gallons
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Scientific name
- Plerogyra sinuosa
Good tank mates
This is a stinging LPS coral, not a fish, so think in terms of coral neighbors: at night it extends long sweeper tentacles that pack a powerful sting, so give it plenty of open space and keep softer or less aggressive corals well out of reach. It pairs fine with most fish and many invertebrates, but avoid placing it crowded against other corals it can burn. If you are unsure how to lay out your reef around it, ask the staff.
Good to know
Its grape-like bubbles are fluid-filled vesicles that inflate in daylight to catch more light for its symbiotic algae and deflate at night when its hidden stinging tentacles come out to feed.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Ultra Black Ice
Peaceful and reef-safe. Unlike torch or hammer coral, bubble coral is rarely chosen as a hosting target by ocellaris, so the tissue-rubbing aggression seen with Euphyllia is not a meaningful risk here. Multiple dedicated Bubble Coral care guides explicitly list clownfish as compatible tankmates.
Banggai Cardinalfish
Fully reef-safe and documented to show zero interest in sessile invertebrates. Feeds exclusively on planktonic prey in the water column and does not nip at coral tissue. No reported conflicts with LPS corals in the literature.
Firefish Goby
Consistently listed as reef-safe with all coral types including LPS. Hovers in open water feeding on zooplankton and has no history of nipping coral tissue. Shy temperament means it avoids rather than investigates unfamiliar structures.
Royal Gramma
Considered 100% reef-safe with corals, anemones, and all sessile invertebrates. Occupies caves and overhangs in the rockwork — a different vertical zone than bubble coral's typical low sandbed or rubble placement — minimizing any interaction with the coral altogether.
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Reef-safe invertebrate that does not nip coral tissue. The one real-world caveat — it may intercept meaty foods during target-feeding of LPS — is a husbandry management issue, not an incompatibility. The AquariumStoreDepot bubble coral care guide explicitly identifies it as a safe companion.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.