Table acropora (Acropora hyacinthus) care guide
- Group
- Corals
- Other names
- Table coral, Plate acropora
- Family
- Acroporidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific, on shallow upper reef 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), acclimatised gradually
- Flow
- Strong, intermittent
Care
Acropora hyacinthus is the classic table coral: in the wild it grows into wide, flat plates made of very fine, upturned branchlets. In aquariums colonies are usually brown, green or blue, sometimes with coloured tips, and the table shape develops as the colony grows. LiveAquaria does not sell this species by name; the care below is from its general Acropora listing (Acropora sp.). Placement: high in the rockwork, ideally on a ledge where the table can spread outwards with clear space above and below. It shades corals growing underneath, so plan for its final width. It needs high light, introduced gradually, and strong, alternating flow across the plate to keep detritus off. Water: very stable chemistry in an established reef: alkalinity dKH 8–12, pH 8.0–8.4, low nitrate and phosphate, and regular calcium, magnesium, strontium and trace element dosing. Once settled it grows quickly and can become large. 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
Photosynthetic: zooxanthellae supply most of its nutrition. Broadcast fine foods (phytoplankton, zooplankton, SPS foods) to help growth.
Breeding
Frag by snapping or cutting a piece from the edge of the plate with bone cutters and gluing it flat onto a plug or rock with gel superglue or epoxy. Fragments grow into new colonies in good light and flow.
Compatibility and tank mates
Peaceful, with tiny polyps, but it is vulnerable to the sweeper tentacles of LPS corals and to chemical warfare from leathers. The spreading plate will shade and outcompete corals below it. Watch for Acropora pests and for angelfish and butterflyfish that nip polyps.
Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.