Colors of Acropora abrotanoides

[myzislow]

seminolecpa- VERY nice tank!!!!

 

[SDguy]

In my experience they both can be difficult to care for

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 disagree, as, apparently, do you from the first part of your statement

I think abros are only suited for dedicated SPS systems, for the advanced keeper. I would dissuade the casual SPS keeper from trying one.

 

[tuberider]

I disagree, as, apparently, do you from the first part of your statement

I think abros are only suited for dedicated SPS systems, for the advanced keeper. I would dissuade the casual SPS keeper from trying one.

+1000, I saw a wild Aussie one the other day that was blood red and metallic, it was kinda sad thinking that it would be dead in short order. I'd imagine it would be like trying to care for A. palmata.

I tried an otherwise healthy abro about a year ago, it browned out (of course ) and never really did much before RTNing several months later.

 

[29reef]

Peter- your taking my words a bit out of context. My personal experience is that I've bought two of the abrotanoides, one was pink tipped and green the other was light blue. The blue one turned green and grew just fine. Every now and again I would see blue in the tips but that was all. The pink one is in my new tank and is just brown right now because it under the shade of a frag rack. It's healthy just brown.

 

[SDguy]

It's healthy just brown.

No context here.... I doubt anyone wants a "brown" acro. Look, I'm just saying.... It's not an easy acro to keep.

 

[Kolognekoral]

Graveyardworm,

your coral was A. digitifera, not A. humilis. The easiest distinguishing mark is the axial corallite. In A. humilis it is twice as large as in your coral. Also, the radials are typically in rows by A. humilis.

All of these corals, plus A. abrotanoides, are from areas of heavy wave action and are often exposed at low tide. They require brutal water movement, especially in comparison to most of the corals we keep, plus a higher O2 content in the water. If good water movement is provided, plus high light, they typically do pretty well.

To aid O2 levels in my water, I have a Tunze close below the surface that sucks air into itself at regular intervals. This has helped many corals, as well as the other creatures in the tank. It mimics (a bit) the wave action effect and tends to keep the water crystal clear, as well. I find the fine bubbles in the water distibute light better into the darker areas. Whatever is actually happeneing, it is a positive effect.

 

[jimroth]

Does this look like A. Abroatanoides? I bought it as a maricultured piece. It had some red-and-green stuff going on on the tips when I got it. It's had a lot of trouble in my tank. It is doing much better since I switched to 400W lights and moved it WAY up in the tank....

At one point it completely bleached on the unlighted side, and started to lose tissue on the base. All recovered now, and starting to grow those little branches.

 

[Kolognekoral]

Jim,

that looks more like A. robusta, but it is a bit young, yet. Typically, A. abrotanoides does have these multiple growths at the apex, but the radials on your coral are all pretty short for the species. Time will tell. They like similar conditions.

 

[mcliffy2]

Lots of pics here, and similar discussion of browning: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1076969

 

[elijaher]

This coral is a high par and flow demanding type?

 

[Ron Popeil]

you cant really tell from my picture, but its pink like....a pink millepora. its the highest coral in the tank and has a good amount of water hitting it. i appreciate everyones discussion on this particular coral, i hope at some point we can figure this variety out...

 

[therman]

I'm supposed to be getting a maricultured piece of this next week and I thought I'd dig up this thread to get a status update on those who've had this coral for a while. Any luck coloring up or getting some growth?

Thanks!
Tim

 

[Ron Popeil]

mine was doing great until i switched from 20k to 10k bulbs suddenly....this was the only coral that experienced any ill effects. it started to lose tissue a week into the change. i lost the entire coral except the base which has not grown in months, but shifts from green to brown periodically.

 

[Rickyrooz1]

I've been looking for a frag for awhile.

 

[dvanacker]

Man....those pics are sweet. This coral comes in looking very nice but it seems that very few people have been successful keeping them that way.

 

[cwegescheide]

I've been looking for a frag for awhile.

DAAAAYYYUUUMMM!!! That is sweet! FWIW the Pier Aquarium in St. Pete has an Abro in their SPS tank that looks pretty nice. Not brown and its pretty big to boot. Come to think about it ALL their corals are HUGE..

 

[kien]

Here is my A. Abrotanoides when I first got it last September as a frag.

Here is what it looked like back in March..

And now here's what it looks like today with much more polyp extension.. so much so that the polyps mask the pink tips.

It sits directly under 250 watt 14K Ushio DE bulbs in what I would consider a moderate flow area.

 

[rigleautomotive]

 

[Ron Popeil]

dan, what are you doing differently to keep your A. abrotanoides looking just like that?

 

[therman]

Yeah those are stunning acros. Gives me some optimism!