What Makes the Aussie Highlighter Acropora Special?

The Aussie Highlighter Acropora is a standout SPS coral thanks to its neon yellow-green branches and glowing tips under blue LEDs. It’s a fast grower when happy, but unforgiving if conditions swing. Think of it as a “progress report” on your reef stability—when this coral thrives, your system is usually in a very good place.

Place it high in the rockwork where it gets strong, turbulent flow and intense light. This coral colors best under 250–400 PAR with a heavy blue spectrum. Too little light and it browns out; too much, too fast and it can bleach.

• Lighting: 250–400 PAR, ramp up slowly over 2–3 weeks.
• Flow: Strong, random, never blasting a single side constantly.
• Placement: Upper third of the tank, away from aggressive stingers.

Care Tips for Vibrant Color and Growth

Stability matters more than chasing perfect numbers. Aim for:

• Alkalinity: 8–9 dKH, with swing < 0.3 dKH per day.
• Calcium: 420–450 ppm.
• Magnesium: 1300–1400 ppm.
• Nutrients: Nitrate 5–15 ppm, phosphate 0.03–0.08 ppm.

Feed the coral indirectly by feeding the tank: quality frozen foods, reef roids, and amino acids in moderation. Overfeeding quickly dulls color with excess nutrients, so test weekly.

Tip: If color fades but growth is good, increase blue light intensity slightly and improve nutrient export rather than cutting feeding completely.

Fragging is straightforward once the colony is established. Use coral cutters to take 1–2 inch branches, glue them to clean frag plugs, and place them back in high light and flow. Healthy Aussie Highlighter Acropora will encrust quickly and reward you with multiple new branches.