Acanthastrea Echinata care guide
Acanthastrea Echinata (Acanthastrea echinata) — reef coral, 24-26 °C, PAR 75-175, salinity 1.024-1.026.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Acanthastrea echinata is an encrusting LPS in the family Lobophylliidae with raised individual corallites. The species is hardy, adaptive and shows a wide colour range; bright neon morphs are highly sought after by reefkeepers.
Taxonomy
- Family: Lobophylliidae
- Genus: Acanthastrea
- Scientific name: Acanthastrea echinata
- Common synonyms: Acan Echinata
Habitat
Widespread across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to the central Pacific. Wild colonies are typical of reef flats, slopes and rubble zones at moderate depth.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Salinity (SG): 1.024-1.026
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Phosphate (max): 0.03 ppm
- Nitrate (max): 5 ppm
Placement and lighting
- Lighting (PAR): 75-175 PAR
- Flow: medium
- Recommended tank age: 3 months
- Growth rate: 0.2-0.5 cm/mo
Position on rockwork in the middle of the aquarium at moderate light. Medium flow keeps tissue clean and prevents detritus accumulation between corallites; avoid direct strong jet flow that can damage the polyps.
Feeding
Photosynthetic but feeds enthusiastically on mysis or reef-roids one to two times per week. The mouths inflate as feeding tentacles extend, especially in the evening.
Compatibility
Moderately aggressive — corallites can produce short sweeper tentacles. Allow a small buffer of a few centimetres from neighbouring corals. Reef-safe with fish and shrimp.
Care notes
A robust species suitable for cycling-aged tanks. Periodic feeding accelerates colour development and encrusting growth across the mounting rock.
Acanthastrea echinata Propagation Guide
Overview
Acanthastrea echinata is a large-polyp stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae and is the type species of the genus Acanthastrea. Colonies are massive and usually flat, with corallites that are either circular or angular; the polyps are extended mainly at night. Unlike the solitary plate corals, it is a true colony of many corallites, which makes it straightforward to fragment.
Reproductive Mode
Being colonial, the coral grows by adding corallites, each housing an individual polyp. This modular structure is the basis of asexual propagation: a colony can be cut into pieces that each carry one or more complete polyps.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Most LPS corals are fragged using a band saw, and acans are cut around the polyps so that a typical frag is about two to four polyps. The underside is then cut flat, and the frag is glued onto a frag plug, where it heals and encrusts. Care is taken to cut thick enough that the blade does not slice into the living polyp tissue.
Conditions for Propagation
Freshly cut acan frags recover best in a mature system with stable parameters, moderate flow, and moderate light. Targeted feeding accelerates tissue growth over the cut edge and onto the plug, and clean water reduces the risk of infection at the wound.
Common Challenges
Cutting into living tissue, leaving frags too thin, or poor water quality after cutting can cause tissue recession or brown jelly infection. Allowing frags to settle in low flow until the wound seals reduces these risks.
Rainbow Acanthastrea Propagation Guide
Overview
The Rainbow Acan is a vividly multicoloured aquarium morph of Acanthastrea echinata, a large-polyp stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae. Like all Acanthastrea it forms massive, usually flat colonies of circular or angular corallites with polyps extended mainly at night. Its colonial structure means propagation follows the standard acan-fragging approach.
Reproductive Mode
As a colonial coral, the Rainbow Acan grows by adding corallites, each holding a complete polyp. A desirable colour morph is propagated asexually so that the resulting frags are genetic clones that keep the same colouration.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
LPS corals such as acans are cut with a band saw around the polyps, with a typical frag being about two to four polyps. The base is cut flat and the piece is glued onto a frag plug to heal and encrust, taking care not to cut into living polyp tissue. Each frag preserves the parent colony's rainbow colouration.
Conditions for Propagation
Stable parameters, moderate flow and moderate light help freshly cut frags recover, and bright colour morphs are usually grown under controlled lighting to maintain pigmentation. Supplemental feeding speeds encrusting onto the plug and clean water limits infection at the cut.
Common Challenges
Beyond the usual risks of cutting into tissue and post-cut infection, intense colour morphs can lose pigment if lighting or nutrients shift sharply. Keeping conditions stable during recovery protects both the tissue and the colour.