Millepora acropora (Acropora millepora) care guide

Group
Corals
Other names
Millepora acro, Milli
Family
Acroporidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from the Indian Ocean to the western and central Pacific, on shallow reef flats and upper slopes
Water
saltwater
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12
Care level
expert
Reef safe
yes
Lighting
High; about PAR 250–400 (standard hobby guidance)
Flow
Strong, turbulent

Care

Acropora millepora is a small-polyp stony (SPS) coral that grows as compact, bushy colonies of short, crowded branches covered in tiny scale-like corallites. It is one of the most colourful acros in the hobby, with green, orange, pink, purple, blue and multicoloured forms, and many named captive-grown morphs are traded. Place it in the upper part of the rockwork under strong light. LiveAquaria rates Acropora as difficult and lists high lighting and strong flow, with placement possible throughout the tank once it is acclimatised. Bring frags up to full light gradually to avoid bleaching. Water: LiveAquaria gives dKH 8–12, pH 8.0–8.4 and 22–26 °C, with calcium, magnesium, strontium and trace elements supplemented. Stability matters more than exact numbers; keep alkalinity steady, calcium around 400–450 ppm and magnesium around 1,300 ppm, and test often because a growing SPS tank uses a lot. Growth is fast in a mature, stable system; LiveAquaria describes Acropora as hardy and fast-growing under the right conditions, and much quicker than most other corals. Selling: this is a CITES Appendix II coral. Frags grown in the UK can be sold freely; wild-collected or imported pieces must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/assorted-acropora-coral). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Mainly photosynthetic: the zooxanthellae in its tissue supply most of its energy. LiveAquaria notes that Acropora also benefits from phytoplankton and zooplankton; fine coral foods or reef roe a few times a week help in very clean systems, but strong, stable lighting and water quality matter far more than feeding.

Breeding

Acropora is one of the easiest stony corals to frag. Snip a branch tip 2–3 cm long with bone cutters, glue it to a frag plug or rock with cyanoacrylate gel or reef epoxy, and keep it under similar light and flow to the parent. LiveAquaria notes that new colonies can be grown from living fragments or broken pieces under the right conditions. Nearly all Acropora sold in the UK hobby are captive-grown frags.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful (LiveAquaria lists Acropora as peaceful), but it has short sweeper-like mesenterial filaments and will lose fights with LPS corals, leathers and other aggressive neighbours, so keep stinging corals at least 15 cm away. Watch for Acropora-eating flatworms (AEFW) and red bugs, and dip new frags. Many angelfish and butterflyfish may nip the polyps.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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