Staghorn Corals
From Microcosm Aquarium Explorer
Specimens sold as A. formosa or A. yongei may be good “first” acroporids. Janine Cairns-Michael
[edit] Overview
Beginning Acropora keepers are well-advised to start with fragments from other aquarists or small, captive-propagated colonies rather than colonies from the wild. "Aquacultured corals" have undergone physiological adaptation to captivity and survive far better than wild-caught individuals.
Family: Acroporidae
Other common name(s):
Native range:
Maximum length: 300 cm (118 in)
Minimum aquarium size: 380 L (100 gal)
Lighting: Bright lighting is essential.
Placement: In full bright light.
Water: Marine 24 °C (297 K, 75 °F) - 28 °C (301 K, 82 °F)
[edit] Feeding
Zooxanthellate; need microplankton or small particulate organic matter for best growth.
[edit] Aquarium Compatibility
Good reef aquarium animals for mature tanks. Will grow too large for small tanks.
[edit] Special Care
Maintain calcium concentrations at or near 450 ppm. Maintain alkalinity at 3.2 to 4.5 meq/L (9 to 12 dKH). Maintain phosphate at undetectable levels. The aquarium system must be "mature" (stable for at least a year).
[edit] Breeding/Propagation
In nature, they propagate by fragmentation, resulting in acres of staghorn thickets that are all clones of one individual. This reproductive mode has facilitated their captive propagation and sale as “aquacultured corals.”
[edit] Notes
Many of these corals will show different growth forms in different aquariums.
| Common name | Staghorn Corals + |
| Family | Acroporidae + |
| Genus | Acropora + |
| Image credit | JCM + |
| Lighting | Bright lighting is essential. + |
| Maximum length | 118 in + |
| Minimum aquarium size | 100 gal + |
| Native range | Indo-Pacific + |
| Placement | In full bright light. + |
| Reference | A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates + |
| Specific name | spp. + |
| Text credit | RLS + |
| Water max temp | 301 K (28 °C, 82 °F) + |
| Water min temp | 297 K (24 °C, 75 °F) + |
| Water type | Marine + |