Colors of Acropora abrotanoides

[Ron Popeil]

A month or so ago, I purchased what I believe is a colony of Acropora abrotanoides. I've only ever heard how this beautiful green with pink tipped staghorn always just turns brown. So thinking that placing it directly under 400w would help maintain it's colors I was surprised to have it turn a solid pink. While I don't mind the idea of a pink staghorn, I would like to see some of the contrasting greens.

Anyone have any experience with this particular coral? I've seen a few pop up in peoples tanks over the years but would like to know how they do it...

 

[seminolecpa]

Be glad you got something other then brown. I had one directly under a 400W MH bulb with lots of flow and it was maybe a brick red color at best. It grew very well but the color was balh to say the least.

I got it even though everyone I knew told me that it would look exactly as it did but I figured I would give it a shot. Think it is pretty par for the course. The only place I have seen one that has been around for a while and did not turn red or brownish red has been at a LFS here that had it directly under a 600W? MH

 

[MSHUR]

I have tried twice with no luck I dont know one person who really have good colors with this acro..I had it under 400w Radiums.

 

[SDguy]

Mine always just turn solid green.... before eventually dying.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Most expensive frag I ever paid for was this coral... man I so fell for the charm of the chopshops at the frag shows that were pawning off their wares. Luckily it was a mistake I never made again

Mine went to brown in a hurry, did encrust on some rocks, but it never could grow faster than the surrounding corals and eventually died off

 

[bogg]

+1 with Peter turned solid Green then rtn'd. I currently have another one I received from a friend that is solid brown. I think this is one coral that just doesn't do well in captivity IME but is soo pretty it's hard to not try. I have seen a few rare cases where it partway kept it's color.

 

[Ron Popeil]

i should have bookmarked the thread, but there was a guy who just posted pictures of his tank recently that had this coral with both colors. ill have to do some more investigating. i appreciate all the input!

 

[therman]

I love the look of this coral too, it's on my wishlist but now I'll think twice. Any other really thick stags out there that are comparable?

 

[seminolecpa]

A Humilis is one that comes to mind

 

[dvanacker]

Humilis really isnt a stag....

I had heard once or twice that they were tough to keep color'd up but I bought one about 4 months ago. It has turned plain green with no significant growth.

Wish I read this thread back then.

 

[seminolecpa]

I believe humilis is indeed a stag. It may not be the typically tall branching stag that you may be thinking of but it a stag nonetheless.

 

[fijiblue]

Humilis is definitely not considered nor classified as a stag...

Im with everyone else on this one - mine lost some of the pink, not all - but flow seemed to be an important factor. At the time, everyone was recommending high flow and it seemed to help out a lot. In your case, I think if you can drop it down a little from the light you might start to see some green. Good luck. Or perhaps it is one of those where the pigments mature and you will never see green again, who knows

 

[seminolecpa]

Quick internet seatch yielded this:

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/sm_stony/AcroporaHumilis.php

"The Finger Staghorn Coral Acropora humilis is a cluster shaped coral that sports attractive cherry-reds, purples and purple tips. In each aquarium the growth shape will be slightly different, since each tank has a different water flow. Some names they are known by for color include Purple Acropora, Pink Acropora, and Vivid Evergreen Acropora. Names they are known for by shape include Cluster Acropora, Branching Acropora, Staghorn Coral, and Finger Coral Acropora.

Acropora humilis is a Cluster or Corymbose Acropora. The branches of this coral are thick and taper to a dome shape, looking similar to fingers, hence one of its common names. There will be larger branches mixed in with smaller ones. Radial corallites (the cup formed by a polyp) are found in two sizes, the larger ones in rows but increasing slightly in size towards the base of the branches."

http://www.arkive.org/staghorn-coral/acropora-humilis/info.html

I unfortunately loaned out my Staghorn Corals of the World Book or I would get you something with a little more teeth to it.

 

[Kolognekoral]

Fiji is quite correct, A. humilis is not a staghorn! Just because many refer to ALL Acroporas as staghorns, does not make it a correct designation for all members of the genus. Staghorn is reserved for those species that have this growth form. A corymbose growth form is not staghorn, nor is tabulate, hispidose, or digitate (which suites A. humilis).

It is a pity that this one growth form has been often used to describe the genus. Even Carden Wallace's book is erroneously called 'Staghorn Corals of the World', which doesn't help the matter. She does NOT refer to the genus as stagorn corals in her text, other than to mention the common name given to the genus via the original type species, A. muricata, which has a staghorn growth form. One wonders if the title was a publishing compromise as the secondary title is 'A revision of the genus Acropora', which one would suspect was the original. Doesn't sell as well, though.

I can't blame people for naming them all simply staghorns, but this is not giving the genus its due recognition.

 

[Dizzle63]

Do you have pics of each of the growth forms so we will know what they look like?

 

[myzislow]

I believe memeber rendos has an insanely colored red/pink W/green colony that he shows off sometimes.

 

[maysorum]

I'm pretty sure rigleautomotive has a green and pink tipped Abrotanoides!

BTW, I have a solid magenta Abrotanoides. Seems to be growing really well with good polyp extension. Hopefully, it stays happy.

 

[29reef]

You guys really don't like to talk about the OP when you can debate the subject of coral morphology haha.

Acropora humilis grows thick single branches that I liken to a combination of "table" and "staghorn" it's care is similar to that of Acropora abrotanoides. Im my experience they both can be difficult to care for. I think they should be given a high par placement of 500-600 and heavy surging current. I have see abrotanoides that vary in colors from brown, blue, pink, and green being the most common.

I don't see why so many people have issues with this coral, most are small maricultured single or several short branches that are easily cared for. I think most tanks lack the flow to care for these corals. Because they can be a bit picky in the start it's best to feed them well when you first get them. That has helped me keep the color and health in the past. I've seen a handful of basketball sized corals grown from the maricultured corals. They can grow quite fast almost as much as milliporas.

Fijiblue- you have a lot of imput on keeping sps corals. Can we see your tank?

 

[graveyardworm]

I'd like to see some pics of A. abrotanoids. I have what I believe is a wc A Humilis which has done quite well aside from issues I had over last summer. The middle basically died from HA overgrowth, and I just fragged away the healthy parts to try some different placement in the tank.

Here's how it looked when I got it.

Then it browned and receded over the summer, and here's what I have now just before I fragged it. I broke away the 2 branches on the left to move them a bit higher and in a higher flow area.

 

[seminolecpa]

Here is an old pic of mine (mid July of last year) with the Abro (top middle) Note the fine "reddish brown" color. I did get some pinkish colors on the new growth

And here is my tank now with a blue humilis below and to the right of the setosa. The abro although growing went back to the LFS.