TNT Anacropora are one of the rarer anacropora colour morphs. They are a bright red colour with red polyps. Like all anacropora they grow in a branching pattern similar to Acropora, but their growth tends to be more “shrub-like”, resembling a briar patch. This has led to them also being referred to as “briar corals”. They tend to be easier to keep than acropora, but are generally regarded as less forgiving than montipora. Anacropora tend to be less commonly available than other types of SPS corals but are becoming more popular.
Anacropora are native to the Indo-Pacific region, like many other corals in the reefing hobby. However, as they become more popular they are also being aquacultured in the United States and Indonesia and this has helped to increase the available supply in recent years. They are usually found on shallow reefs, but they can also be found on reef slopes at depths of up to 80 feet. In a home tank they do best when placed on an exposed piece of rockwork where they will receive appropriate levels of light and flow. Because they are fairly fast growing, it is important to choose their initial placement carefully to ensure that they have room to grow. They have no sting but can be stung by more aggressive corals.
TNT Anacropora love both light and flow. They are not quite as light demanding as acropora but prefer moderate to high levels of light. A coral that is receiving too much light may begin to turn white and a coral that is not receiving enough light may begin to turn brown. In terms of flow, anacropora prefer strong, indirect flow. Sufficient levels of flow will also encourage the polyps to extend.
Anacropora are photosynthetic and are able to meet their energy needs from aquarium lighting. If desired, they can be fed an SPS specific coral food such as Vitalis SPS food. Fragging anacropora is very straightforward. A branch can be carefully cut with coral cutters and glued to a frag plug.
Like all SPS corals, anacropora require a mature tank and stable water parameters. Since they build their skeleton from sodium carbonate it is important to monitor alkalinity and calcium levels and dose as needed.