Description

This is a tricolor Acropora Valida with a green base, purple branches and yellow tips. The coral grows in a spherical bush like shape and can grow easy and well. The coral was acquired from Garret’s acropolis around 2012 and has been a great grower in all our systems.

Acropora corals can be one of the more challenging corals due to the fact chemistry levels need to be stable in order for this coral to do well. Regular testing of alkalinity and calcium are required. Flow needs to be alternating and strong. The colors will look great with good lighting, flow and certain nutrient levels.

Lighting: medium high – strong lighting 250-450 PAR. 

Flow: medium – high

Care Level: intermediate- advanced 

Original Location Range: Indonesia, Coral Triangle, South Pacific

Grown in our California coral farm where we provide zero impact corals

Water chemistry Calcium 400-450, Magnesium 1350, KH 7-9.5, pH 8.1-8.4, Nitrates .01-10, Phosphates .01-.1 salinity 1.026

Temperature Range: 74- 81 Fahrenheit 

Dosing: Doc highly recommends automated dosing of Ca, Kh and other elements to provide ultimate stable water chemistry throughout the day. It is important there are no large fluctuation swings especially with Kh/alkalinity. For more information on dosing and products click here. 

Placement recommendations: Acropora coral will do best in the upper 1/3 of the aquarium where light and flow is high. Best to have alternating flow in a back and forth motion. 

Attachment: Use disposable gloves, a small flathead sculpting tool, coral glue and coral clippers. In many of our custom aquarium builds we like to use coral glue. It is recommended to try and break off as much of the disk safe enough not to damage the skeletal branch or underside of the coral. We do this by using coral bone cutters. Add a good amount of coral glue to the underside of the coral branch. Prime the reef area you wish to place the coral by smearing the glue onto the rock.  Press the coral disk onto the desired location. It does help to slightly twist, tilt back and forth the coral to help cure the glue. Press it down firmly and use your favorite sculpting tool to clean up and smooth out the excess glue. Be sure the coral is fully secure, the coral should never fall off the reef. Most frags will grow quite large so be a little generous with the glue to withstand the weight of the future coral colony growth. We find it helps using only the extra thick reef glue gel. Be sure to rub a little reef glue onto the reef section and there is enough reef glue on the coral plug to set it securely.

Click here for our favorite epoxy and reef glues. 

Trouble shooting: Acros can and will brown out easy especially went first addedto a new environment. Do not be surprised if your colorful Acropora fragment browns out for a while. They will also brown out from any unstable levels and keep consistent water parameters is best for the coral. Pests like acropora eating flatworms aka aefw will cause the coral to brown out and even die. Keep an eye out for slow tissue necrosis and rapid tissue necrosis.