• Name:

    Pixie Dust Acropora

    (View AKA's)
  • Family: Acroporidae
  • Species: Acropora
  • Scientific Name: Acropora nasuta
More Details

Also Know As:

| Branching Staghorn Coral

General info about Pixie Dust Acropora

In general, species from Acropora may grow either as a plate, slender or broad branching type of reef building corals. Each branch has several colonies that is composed of several corallites. When undisturb, their polyps will extend. But it will retract and hide inside the pores as a response to water movement or threat by nearby predators. They are common in shallow reefs with good visibility and strong water movement. They are noted as a refuge for small fish.

For the Pixie Dust Acropora, they are predominatly colored blue green with with purple circles at the tips and pink polyps. This are the water parameters for cultivating Pixie Dust Acropora:

  • Calcium: 400 - 450 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 3.2 - 4.5 MEQ/L
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1350 - 1500
  • Strontium: 10
  • Temperature: 72° - 78° F (22° - 26° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.024 - 1.025

Pixie Dust Acropora Diet & Nutrition

Feeding the Pixie Dust Acropora in captivity with nano-zooplankton once a week is recommended. Do not feed them with copepods, artemia and other nauplii as they too large for them to ingest. The addition of dissolved organics is also recommended.

Fragging / Propagating Pixie Dust Acropora

A mature tank is highly recommended in propagating Pixie Dust Acropora. They require stable tank condition and that a sudden change could lead to stress and death. They are highly sensitive to temperature, sedimentation, chemical and environmental change.

Flow / Lighting Requirements for Pixie Dust Acropora

Pixie Dust Acropora require moderate to intense lighting and strong water flow. They are known to stress out in low light environment and slow water flow.

Pixie Dust Acropora Origin

Being both a tropical and subtropical species, Pixie Dust Acropora are found in the entire Indo-Pacific region particularly in Fiji, Sulu Sea, Madagascar, Phoenix Island, Marshall Islands and Australia.

Caution Should be Taken with Pixie Dust Acropora

You have to watch out for crabs. Except for the commensal crabs, most decapods and other crustaceans do not do well with Pixie Dust Acropora. Avoid moving them from place to place as this can cause stress and death.

Pixie Dust Acropora do not have stinging tentacles. But they have digestive strands like Acontia and Terpins that could be released if they are set to nearby corals. They are specifically aggressive to zoanthids and soft leather corals.

How to Acclimate Pixie Dust Acropora

Pixie Dust Acropora should be carefully acclimated. They should be placed in their permanent position immediately after acclimation. It takes 6 months for them to regain normal growth. They are purely marine, therefore, salinity must be maintained thoroughly at 1.023 to 1.025 specific gravity.

Relevent Articles

Original Detail

Name Species Family Scientific Name More Detail Added by
Pixie Dust Acropora Acropora Acroporidae Acropora nasuta

In general, species from Acropora may grow either as a plate, slender or broad branching type of reef building corals. Each branch has several colonies that is composed of several corallites. When undisturb, their polyps will extend. But it will retract and hide inside the pores as a response to water movement or threat by nearby predators. They are common in shallow reefs with good visibility and strong water movement. They are noted as a refuge for small fish.

For the Pixie Dust Acropora, they are predominatly colored blue green with with purple circles at the tips and pink polyps. This are the water parameters for cultivating Pixie Dust Acropora:

  • Calcium: 400 - 450 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 3.2 - 4.5 MEQ/L
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1350 - 1500
  • Strontium: 10
  • Temperature: 72° - 78° F (22° - 26° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.024 - 1.025
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