Tricolor acropora
Acropora valida
Also known as Valida Acropora, Tricolor Valida, Acropora variabilis, Acro
SaltwaterCoral
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 9.8 in
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 gal
- 150 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Acroporidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific
Overview
The tricolor acropora is a branching small polyp stony coral, regarded as one of the hardier, more adaptable Acropora. It is a coral for experienced keepers.
Did you know
The tricolor acropora was one of the first Acropora farmed commercially at scale. Aquacultured lines of it have circulated continuously since the early days of coral aquaculture.
Caring for the tricolor acropora
Give a tricolor acropora strong light, around 200 to 400 PAR, and strong, varied flow. Place it in the upper half of the rockwork.
Keep it in a stable, mature reef of at least 40 gal (150 L). Run the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Steady alkalinity, calcium and magnesium matter more than any single number.
It is peaceful, so leave it growth room away from stinging neighbors. Acclimate new frags to the light gradually rather than placing them high straight away.
Good to know
Acropora valida was described by Dana in 1846 and sits in the family Acroporidae, the largest group of reef building corals. Older literature, especially from the Red Sea, often used the junior synonym Acropora variabilis for the same species. The classic aquarium look pairs purple branch tips with a green to cream body, which is where the tricolor name comes from.
In the wild
Acropora valida has one of the widest ranges of any Acropora, from the Red Sea across the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific. It grows as compact corymbose cushions of short upright branches on reef flats and upper slopes. There it lives in strong light and steady water motion.
Symbiotic relationships
Clown gobies and their Acropora
Clown gobies spend their lives wedged in the branches of Acropora corals, eating the coral's mucus and the small animals that live on it. Their skin carries a toxin that puts off predators, so the coral becomes a safe house. The coral is paid back in a way nobody expected: when a toxic seaweed touches an Acropora, the coral releases a chemical signal within minutes, and the gobies swim out and trim the seaweed back. Corals with gobies lose far less tissue to seaweed than corals without them.
A clown goby wants a branching coral to sit in, and Acropora is the natural choice, though it will settle for other branching stony corals. It is tiny, peaceful and needs small food several times a day. The one caution is the coral itself: a pair may nip a patch of Acropora or Montipora bare to lay eggs on the skeleton, and a small colony can lose a branch that way. Keep one, or a pair, per tank; two males fight.
Common questions
What size tank does a tricolor acropora need?
A tricolor acropora needs at least 40 gal (150 L).
What temperature and pH does a tricolor acropora need?
A tricolor acropora is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
How big does a tricolor acropora get?
An adult tricolor acropora reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
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