Building an Automatic Coral Farm: Minecraft's Underwater World in Full Color

Minecraft’s underwater world has been shining in vibrant diversity since the “Aquatic Update.” The colorful coral blocks offer countless creative possibilities—from building projects to decorating your underwater bases. However, maintaining and harvesting these blocks can be challenging. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about corals in Minecraft and get a step-by-step guide to building an automatic coral farm.

Discovering Corals in Minecraft: A World of Color and Variety

Where to Find Corals in Minecraft: The Best Biomes and Tips

Just like in our real world, corals can be found in so-called coral reefs. One of the most famous reefs can be found in Australia. In Minecraft, these coral formations are hard to miss as their bright colors are visible even through the seawater.

Coral reefs are only found in warm oceans, and not everywhere within them. So, you first need to find one of these warm areas and then specifically look for a coral reef. Their formations underwater are beautiful to explore, and you should not miss them during your ocean exploration.

How to Use Corals Creatively in Minecraft

First, let’s take a closer look at the three different types of corals. It’s important to know that you need a tool with “Silk Touch” to harvest them; otherwise, the fragile coral will break in your hand.

• Coral Block: A complete block with a specific pattern.
• Coral: A type of small bush that grows underwater.
• Coral Fan: A flat variation of a regular coral that can also be attached to walls.

Additionally, the three coral types come in 5 different colors:

• Tube (blue)
• Brain (pink)
• Bubble (purple)
• Fire (red)
• Horn (yellow)

Unfortunately, corals need water to survive. Either the coral itself must be in water, or at least the block next to it must be completely or partially filled with water. A disadvantage of corals you harvest without Silk Touch or try to grow without water is that they turn gray and die. Even these variations can be good building blocks but are not as versatile as the colorful ones. This limits the use of corals, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be creative!

Moreover, all three types are exclusive; you cannot craft coral blocks from regular corals or coral fans. Blocks cannot be generated automatically; you have to harvest them yourself in the warm ocean. The best equipment for this includes a helmet with the enchantments “Respiration” and “Aqua Affinity,” as well as boots with “Depth Strider,” making it much easier for you. We also have the appropriate article for this (Minecraft Enchantments – Your Ultimate Guide) .

Building an Automatic Coral Farm: Simple Step-by-Step Guide

For the automatic coral farm, we utilize the fact that ground in a coral reef sprinkled with bone meal allows corals to grow alongside regular seagrass. This can easily be turned into a machine that continuously generates new corals for you. You just need to make sure to build the farm in a warm ocean biome, but that’s all you need to know.

Building Materials

• Building blocks
• Glass
• Dirt
• 2 Dispensers + several stacks of bone meal
• 6 Redstone
• 2 Rails + 2 Powered Rails + 2 Detector Rails
• 9 Walls
• 3 Hoppers + Chest
• 6 Pressure Plates
• 2 Water Buckets
• Minecart
• Shovel with Silk Touch (In Bedrock, you can also enchant shears with Silk Touch, but not in Java. Therefore, a shovel is your best option.)

Step-by-Step: How to Build an Automatic Coral Farm in Minecraft

Start the farm with a 6x2 block platform over the warm ocean where corals can grow. Along one row, place a powered rail at each end, then a detector rail, and two regular rails in between. At each end, add a block as a stopper.

Next, build two L-shapes one block behind and below the rails to activate them. Use 3 Redstone dust here, and at the end, build a block with a dispenser on top pointing upwards. When we later ride the minecart back and forth over the rails, the dispensers will activate. Fill the dispensers with bone meal.

Surround the dispensers with a layer of dirt and then with a ring of building blocks. Leave one side open for the collection mechanism. This arrangement is sufficient because corals only grow in a 3x3 area around bone meal.

On the open side, place the double chest and the three hoppers that will funnel the corals into the chest. Build a 3x3 high wall above them. These shouldn’t be full blocks but must be made of Minecraft walls.

Then surround the entire farm with a 3-block high wall—this time with full blocks. At the front with the rails, use pressure plates on the lower row and a building block of your choice above. We’ve chosen glass.

Finally, fill the farm with water. The first level must be completely filled, so place water buckets along two sides to create full water blocks. The second level should be filled with temporary blocks. On the top level, place only 2 water buckets on the opposite side of the walls. This current will cause the harvested corals to float up and then into the hoppers. Remove the intermediate level of temporary blocks.

Your automatic coral farm is now complete! To use it, you need a tool with Silk Touch and a minecart. Place the minecart on the rails, sit in it, and press right or left. This will automatically shuttle you back and forth—simultaneously activating the dispensers to generate corals. Hold down the right mouse button and aim at the rows in front of you. In just a few minutes, you’ll have several stacks of corals!

Conclusion: A Colorful Coral Farm for Your Underwater Worlds

Corals are beautiful and vibrant! You can use them exceptionally well for building projects in combination with water, but even dead corals can complement stone blocks nicely, standing out due to their unique patterns. With the automatic farm, you can collect regular corals and coral fans in all five variations. Bring color to your underwater worlds on your own server. Rent your Minecraft server and create colorful oases!