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Acropora austera
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What You See Is What You Get
The Acropora Family
The jewel of the SPS world. No other genus has the number of species like Acropora, and when aquarists talk about the requirements to maintain an SPS system, they usually specifically refer to the care requirements of Acropora.
That being said, Acropora is one of the most challenging corals to keep. They are highly sensitive to changes in water chemistry and require the utmost in terms of flow and light. Many experienced aquarists have struggled to keep Acropora long-term, but that's part of the allure of this coral. Lastly, Acropora greatly benefits from a well-established aquarium, preferably one that has been set up for at least 1 year.
See below for additional care tips for Acropora.
Location
Indo-Pacific - Acropora is found in the Indo-Pacific islands, including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.
Lighting
Intense lighting is best for maintaining this species. Acropora can be kept under high-output fluorescent lamps (T5) or high-power LEDs. It will likely change its coloration depending on the provided lighting. Acropora may require a longer acclimation period to intense lighting, such as metal halides. Acropora are notorious for dramatic color changes depending on tank conditions, especially lighting. It's possible for some colors in Acropora to change completely, for example, red sections to green.
Low light |
Low light is between 30 - 50 PAR per unit area |
Medium light |
Medium light is between 50 - 150 PAR per unit area |
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Intense light |
Intense light is above 150 PAR per unit area |
Water Flow
We recommend keeping Acroporas in high and non-directional flow. Acropora polyps may dislike overly directional water flow, thus preferring constant flow but alternating its direction.
Feeding
Like most corals, Acropora primarily depend on their zooxanthellae, however, they also enjoy direct feeding. There is a variety of foods that are excellent meals for Acropora. A mix of meaty foods based on rotifers with additives of vitamins and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) is a good example.
The size of the food should be small enough for the polyp to fully ingest it.
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