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.
Prices change with size and with each shipment. Call to check today's price.
Call (814) 456-9445We keep this species. What's in our tanks changes with every delivery, so call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in. 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
- Wants stable water and a routine you already keep.
- Temperament
- Will chase or nip if it feels crowded.
- Community
- Works in a mixed tank if you pick the tankmates carefully.
- Reef safe
- Usually leaves corals alone, but individuals differ — ask us about the one you want.
- Adult size
- 12"
- Min tank size
- 50 gallons
- Diet
- Eats meat — frozen or live, not flake alone.
- 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 us.
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 Clownfish
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. Clownfish are compatible tankmates for bubble coral.
Banggai Cardinalfish
Fully reef-safe and shows zero interest in sessile invertebrates. Feeds exclusively on planktonic prey in the water column and does not nip at coral tissue. No known conflicts with LPS corals.
Firefish Goby
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. A safe companion for bubble coral.
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.