Acropora Tenuis

Acropora Tenuis are probably the most popular acropora species in the reefing hobby.  They are a reef building coral and compose much of the world’s reefs.  They grow in a bushy fashion rather than branching, and will also encrust the rockwork at their base.  They come in a wide variety of colours, with green and purple being the most common.  Some of the most highly sought after acropora colour morphs such as Homewrecker and Walt Disney are of the tenuis variety.  Like all SPS corals, they require stable and pristine water parameters and should be added to a mature tank.

In the wild, Acropora Tenuis are found in the Western Pacific and the Rea Sea.  They are considered to be a foundational coral and make up a significant percentage of the world’s reefs.  They are commonly available as both wild collected and aquacultured specimens.    In a home tank they are generally placed on an exposed piece of rockwork in the upper third of the tank where they will receive high levels of both light and flow.  Careful initial placement is key as colonies can grow quite large and they can be stung by more aggressive corals.

Acropora Tenuis, like all species of acropora, love high levels of both light and flow.  One way to tell  whether or not a coral is receiving the right amount of light is to look at its colour.  A coral that is receiving too little light may turn dull or brown and one that is in too much light may begin to turn white.  All acropora do best when exposed to high levels of random, indirect flow.  This encourages polyp extension as well as bringing food to the coral and preventing the build up of detritus.  If the polyps are extended and moving in the current then likely the level of flow is sufficient.

Acropora Tenuis are photosynthetic and are able to meet their energy needs by harnessing the aquarium lighting.  Having said that, they can be spot fed with an SPS specific coral food such as Vitalis SPS Food, which can encourage both a faster growth rate and better polyp extension.

While they are somewhat difficult to keep, Acropora Tenuis are incredibly easy to frag.  All that is required is to carefully cut a piece from a mother colony, glue the frag to a plug and wait for it to heal.  Frags can easily be cut with coral cutters or sometimes even broken off by hand.

For hobbyists with a stable tank who can meet their care requirements, Acropora Tenuis can become the highlight of any reef tank.