Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: AcroporaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 150-250Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Location Indo-Pacific - Acropora are a genus of small polyp stony corals found in reefs throughout the world including the islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. They grow branching colonies that take on a variety of forms ranging from stag horns, elk horns, or even flat tables. Acropora are one of the primary reef building corals and are responsible for a large percentage of a reefs structure. Lighting Most coral on the reef are photosynthetic and have some demand for light. Like many corals, Acropora have a special symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae that live inside its tissue. The dinoflagellates are actually the photosynthetic organism and the coral animal consumes the simple sugars that are byproducts of photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae is usually brown in color and the coral tightly regulates the population living in its flesh. Too little light will cause the coral to turn brown in color. As it seeks more nutrition, the coral allows more zooxanthellae to build up in its body. Too much light and Acropora will expel the zooxanthellae making its overall appearance lighter in color. If a coral is particularly stressed it can expel nearly all its zooxanthellae as a last resort and cause unhealthy bleaching. Hobbyists looking to find that _just right” color play with both lighting intensity and spectrum over their tank. There is a misconception in reef keeping that all corals require high lighting. In fact, very few corals need high intensity lighting and in many cases problems arise when there is too much light not too little. Acropora however are one of the few types of coral that are truly light loving. In our systems Acropora have fared best when given light intensity around 300 PAR however there are plenty of successful systems with lighting intensities higher than 500 PAR. Having said that, I don_t recommend blasting newly added Acropora with a ton of light right away. More damage is caused by overexposure to light intensity than not providing enough light so take a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to lighting conditions in your tank. Water Flow Acropora are found in some of the strongest current areas of the reef and benefit greatly from strong water movement in the home aquarium. Water movement is essential for bringing nutrients to coral and more importantly removing waste away from them. Acropora even grow in patterns to adapt to the flow in a given area. For example, Acropora in very strong flow grow thicker and more dense than in tanks with less flow. Some species of Acropora might even take on a stockier shape with fewer long branches in very high flow areas. The growth of the colony in relation to flow also plays a part in their nutrition. They might be growing in such a way to maximize bacterial growth between the branches. One publication that I found interesting was from Coral Reef in 1989 by Schiller and Herndl. Basically it took a look at the interstitial space around certain SPS. They looked at a few different parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphorous, and bacteria levels between the branches on the interior of the colony compared to the ambient water column. What they found was that there were lower concentrations of dissolved organics in the interstitial space with an associated uptick in the concentration of bacteria. The corals may be feeding on bacteria directly or indirectly attracting microbe-feeding zooplankton that they then trap and consume, but it is interesting that the corals studied grow in a fashion that optimizes flow through the branches to maximize bacteria farming opportunities. When trying to provide adequate flow there are two things over time that dramatically affect the performance. The first is the growth of the colony itself. Successfully growing Acropora quickly comes with the downside of the coral being a victim of its own success. Large colonies cut down flow significantly and over time choke off flow to other nearby colonies or even to the inner parts of itself. As colonies get larger and larger, it is important as hobbyists to pay close attention to changing flow demands and consider adding more flow or pruning the colony. Secondly, you may notice that there isn't quite as much flow as you once had when everything was freshly installed. Other organisms love to grow in and around the aquariums pumps and plumbing. For this reason I recommend taking apart pumps and powerheads regularly for servicing. It does not take very much growth or blockages to greatly limit water flow output. Water Cleanliness As far as water cleanliness goes, two parameters to keep low are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated phosphates can lead to poor coloration and possible algae issues. Nitrate is an indicator of poor water quality and can cause stony corals to crash altogether if not lowered. The natural sea water levels of nitrate are between 5 ppm and 40 ppm. For Acropora, it is best to be on the lower end of that range. Phosphate levels should be much lower (around .01 ppm) but I would caution hobbyists that are looking to keep those two parameters as close to zero as possible. Nitrate and Phosphate are not bad in and of themselves. Elevated levels of them can cause problems, but they are absolutely required for biological processes in coral and cannot be produced through photosynthesis. Feeding We talked earlier of Acropora nutrition when we talked about lighting, but their requirements extend beyond their relationship with zooxanthellae. Although a high percentage of Acropora nutritional requirements are acquired by photosynthesis, they also benefit from regular feeding for both growth and coloration. There are three great sources of food that work well, amino acids, small zooplankton, and simply having fish present. Starting with amino acids, they are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl (COOH) group and an amino group (NH2). To quote every high school biology text book, they are the components of proteins that are the building blocks of the cell. In addition to their role building proteins they are also necessary for other biological functions such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. The amino acids needed vary on a species by species basis but practically speaking it makes little difference in the long run because even if certain amino acids go un-utilized by a certain Acropora they will be taken up quickly by another organism for their biological process.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins

Name: TrachyphylliaTemperature: 24-26C Flow: low-mid PAR: 50-150Water parameters: Nitrate 5-10 mg/l, Phosphate 0,05-0,08 mg/l Feeding: They are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Care level: Easy Lighting Open Brains are photosynthetic corals, meaning they get nutrients from the products of photosynthesis carried out by symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae living in their flesh. Zooxanthellae utilize chlorophyll to absorb light and produce simple sugars that the coral can consume for energy. While some corals are more light loving than others, Trachyphyllia tend to be less demanding. In fact, they probably fare better in less intense lighting conditions. We primarily keep Trachyphyllia in low to medium light intensity here at Tidal Gardens which is around 50 to 100 PAR. If your tank is higher in light, it will take some time for this coral to adjust to its new surroundings. When in doubt, try lower lighting intensities until it is clear that the coral is stable before ramping it up. Water Flow Trachyphyllia appreciate low to medium flow. There are two things that I am looking to accomplish with flow for this coral. The first is to give it enough flow to keep it clean. Detritus build-up can cause the coral to die back where it collects. Providing elevated flow around the coral can prevent this accumulation. Even moderate flow can serve to keep the coral clean as the coral does a good job of slugging off debris that settle on it. You will know if you are overdoing it if the flow is slamming one side of the coral and it is drawn tight to the skeleton all the time. If this sort of flow isn’t adjusted it can cause the coral to die as the tissue will rub against the skeleton causing damage. Providing periodic low flow or even zero flow is beneficial for this coral for the purposes of feeding. Feeding In addition to photosynthesis, these corals are adept feeders that can grab and consume a wide variety of foods ranging from coral-formulated sinking pellets to frozen food such as brine shrimp, mysis, and krill. Trachyphyllia are up there with Scolymia for putting on dramatic feeding displays. By day they are a fluffy pillow of smooth multicolored tissue. But as soon as they detect the faintest hint of food in the water their feeding response is activated turning them into an explosion of hungry tentacles. I have noticed that the more regularly the Trachy is fed, the easier it is to feed it in the future. A well-fed Trachy’s tentacles are out more and the coral as a whole is more responsive to food in the water. It is tempting to dump lots of food on them but it is possible to overfeed. Most of the nutrition Trachyphyllia needs will come from the lighting and they will be absorbing other nutrients from the water. The risk of overfeeding is that it can pollute the water that can be hard to remedy. Aim to feed multiple times a week to allow the coral to expel the waste produced. Target feeding LPS can always be tricky with an aquarium full of hungry fish as they will often steal it directly from the coral once you have fed it. The bigger concern with feeding is that certain fish and inverts such as shrimps and crabs can cause major damage to a coral when they go after the food. I’ve literally lost entire heads of corals the day after a big feeding and it is pretty clear one of my cleanup crew tore the polyp apart. Fish stealing food out of the coral’s grasp is one thing but if you have tank mates that rip a coral apart to get at the food, something more drastic has to be done. There are a few different ways to try and combat this. Firstly – distraction! When it is time to feed your corals try adding a fresh strip of Nori to the other end of the tank. If you keep the fish occupied the coral should have time to digest its meal. If that isn’t successful another option is to create a DIY feeding barrier. A good way to do this is to save an old candy or pretzel container and use it to go over the top of the coral at feeding time (don’t forget to weigh it down though!). You could even go as far as drilling a hole in the top and installing a feeding tube that you can squirt the food directly into. There are a few options and plenty of DIY ideas online to solve this problem. If you want to get even fancier I am sure there are plans on the internet for 3D printed coral cages that would allow for feeding corals.

Lis Plus Moins