: Tri-Color Acropora

Scientific Name: Acropora Valida

Tank Size: Recommended 20 gallons or larger

Lighting:

Prefers intense lighting. Can be kept under very intense PC or VHO but my loose color and grow slowly if at all. This coral will give best results under 10,000K-20,000K Halides.

Suitability:

This coral is not recommended for beginners and should only be attempted by experienced Reefers.

Feeding:

Zooxanthellate, but will do best with regular feeding of Zoo-Plankton and to a lesser extent Phyto-Plankton in the reef tank.

Size: Colonies can reach up to 10’ plus.

Summary:

A very striking Acropora species that will be Peach-Brown in base color with tips that go from base color to White or Cream to Purple tips. This particular Acropora is classified as a “Bushy” coral and will grow in a cluster shape of branches. Highly diverse and adaptable this coral can be a dominate species on a coral reef. It generally will be found in the Indo-Pacific regions. Color will vary a bit from one specimen to the next.

As with all Acropora Species, this coral is very sensitive to water quality, water flow, filtration and lighting. The use of a Protein Skimmer on reef tanks is most highly recommended as such! Captive propagated specimens are far more hardier than wild caught imports and as such will better adjust to conditions in the typical reef tank. Maintaining stabile water chemistry will be essential to this coral thriving. PH will need to be 8.3-8.4 and stable. Calcium levels should be maintained at levels of 420-480 pip. Alkalinity should be maintained at 9-12 dKH. Water Temp should never be allowed to go beyond 82 degrees otherwise a “Beaching” event may occur and subsequent loss or coral will more than likely result.

This species of coral will derive a vast majority of its nutritional needs though photosynthesis and DOC’s in the tanks water. However periodic dosing pof the tank with Zoo-Plankton will greatly benefit the coral. It will require 10-14 hours of lighting per a day. This coral will have a tendency to “color up” better under 20,000K halides however better growth and good color can be best obtained by using 10,000K halide lighting.

This coral as with all Acropora are subject to a number of disease and parasites in the aquarium. RTN is a somewhat common occurrence and is believed to be a viral infection. This will cause a rapid loss of Tissue from the corals exo-skeleton. In such cases the coral can rarely be saved. Red Acro Bugs are another malady that plagues Acropora and QT of all new additions is not only wise but a prudent move until you’re absolutely sure your coral is free of this pest.

Personal Experience:

An exceptional coral for those up for the challenge of SPS corals. If you can master the care of this coral then the sky is the limit. It’s easily fragged and propagated by the reefer. This merely involves breaking, not cutting, off a branch and placing on a suitable surface and allow it to do its thing. I personally prefer to glue them in place but have used both methods with success. I have found that gluing it horizontally vice vertical results in a faster growing coral with more branching out occurring. Strong but erratic water flow in the tank is preferred and will result in faster and thicker branch growth. In order to maintain Calcium levels, stabilize PH and Alkalinity, dripping Kalkwasser has proven a reliable method for me in my tanks. Additional observations are that this coral will do poorly in tanks with refugiums containing Caulerpa Marco-Algae’s due to the growth inhibiting compounds created by the algae. This coral generally will not fare well in a tank with many soft corals such as the various Leather corals due to the chemical warfare these corals will conduct in the tank as a method of self preservation. In such tanks the use of activated carbon is all but mandatory.

Once again you have out did yourself!

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