Tenuis acropora (Acropora tenuis) care guide

Group
Corals
Other names
Acro tenuis, Tenuis acro
Family
Acroporidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific; common on shallow reef flats and 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 300–450, acclimated gradually
Flow
Strong, turbulent and alternating

Care

Acropora tenuis is a small-polyp stony (SPS) coral that forms neat, bushy to table-like (corymbose) colonies of short branches. Its radial corallites flare outwards like little lips, giving the branches a rough, scaly look. Aquarium colours run from cream and green to purple, blue and pink tips, and Australian aquacultured colonies are often sold under morph names. Place it high in the rockwork in a mature, stable reef. LiveAquaria rates Acropora as difficult, needing high light (T5, strong LED or metal halide) and strong, intermittent flow from a wavemaker and several pumps. Acclimate it slowly to strong light or it can lose colour. Water: LiveAquaria gives dKH 8–12, pH 8.0–8.4, specific gravity 1.023–1.025 and 22–26 °C. Keep calcium around 400–450 ppm, alkalinity steady at dKH 8–12 and magnesium around 1250–1350 ppm, and avoid daily alkalinity swings. LiveAquaria advises calcium, magnesium, strontium and trace-element dosing and keeping nitrate and phosphate low but not zero. Growth is fast when conditions are stable. Aquacultured and maricultured Acropora are widely available and are the better choice over wild colonies. 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 energy. It also takes fine foods, so occasional phytoplankton, zooplankton, rotifers or powdered SPS foods can help colour and growth. Avoid overfeeding, which raises nutrients.

Breeding

Easy to frag once the colony is healthy: snip a 2–3 cm branch tip with bone cutters, glue it to a plug with cyanoacrylate gel, and place it under similar light and flow. Fragments heal within days and encrust the plug before growing new branches. Aquacultured stock is propagated this way.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and easily stung. Keep it well away (at least 15 cm) from LPS with sweeper tentacles, such as hammers, torches and favites, and downstream of leather corals. Watch for Acropora-eating flatworms and red bugs; dip new colonies. Coral-nipping angelfish and butterflyfish are a risk.

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

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