Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Coral in Minecraft: Coral Reefs and How to Keep Coral Alive
Coral grows in coral reefs in warm oceans and comes in 5 colors: tube, brain, bubble, fire and horn, each as a block, a plant and a fan. Coral dies and turns gray within a few seconds if no water touches it. You need Silk Touch to collect coral plants and fans, and coral blocks drop only with Silk Touch too, or they drop dead coral.
What kinds of coral are there?
| Type | Comes as |
|---|---|
| Tube (blue) | Block, coral, fan |
| Brain (pink) | Block, coral, fan |
| Bubble (purple) | Block, coral, fan |
| Fire (red) | Block, coral, fan |
| Horn (yellow) | Block, coral, fan |
Each also has a dead gray version, and fans can be placed on the sides of blocks as well as on top.
How do you keep coral alive?
At least one block next to it must be water or waterlogged. Out of water it dies in a few seconds and does not come back. Place coral underwater or waterlog it, and build aquariums around it. Water basics: water.
Can you grow coral?
Yes: use bone meal on sand, gravel, dirt or clay under water in a warm ocean, and coral grows instead of some seagrass. On Bedrock this works in any biome, as long as the block is underwater. Sea pickles also spread on live coral; see sea pickles.
Where are coral reefs?
On the floor of warm oceans, often with sea pickles, tropical fish, dolphins and sometimes shipwrecks or ruins. Ocean types: oceans. Fish and dolphins: turtles and dolphins.
Frequently asked questions
How do you collect coral?
Mine it with a Silk Touch tool.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.