Effusa Acropora Care Guide
Effusa Acropora (Acropora effusa) is a SPS coral. Care covers 250-400 PAR, high flow, reef parameters and feeding; advanced level.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Effusa Acropora (Acropora effusa) is a SPS coral in the family Acroporidae. Spreading Acropora with bushy plate-like growth. Forms large mature colonies.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acroporidae
- Genus: Acropora
- Scientific name: Acropora effusa
- Common synonyms: Effusa
Habitat
In the wild, Acropora effusa is reported from Indo-Pacific, where it occupies shallow reef flats and upper slopes (typically 1-15 m). The species adopts a plating growth form on hard substrate within zooxanthellate reef communities.
Tank requirements
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.025-1.026
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 7.5-9
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Phosphate (max): 0.03 ppm
- Nitrate (max): 5 ppm
- Minimum system age: 1 year
Placement and lighting
- PAR (placement zone): 250-400 PAR
- Water flow: high
Place this SPS coral on the upper rockwork where light is bright and water movement is strong, ideally turbulent rather than laminar. Acclimate gradually to high PAR over 2-3 weeks to avoid bleaching. SPS demand a mature system: stable alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium with phosphate and nitrate kept ultra-low.
Feeding
Acropora effusa hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae and derives most of its energy through photosynthesis. Additional feeding is generally not required when lighting is adequate.
Compatibility
This coral is passive toward neighbours. Reef-safe with most fish and invertebrates.
Care notes
Difficulty level: advanced. Reported skeletal growth in well-tuned reef tanks is approximately 0.4-0.9 cm/month. Propagation by fragmentation is straightforward for plating colonies — separate branches or polyps with a bone cutter, glue to plug, allow 1-2 weeks for healing. Maintain stable alkalinity (avoid swings above ±0.5 dKH per day) to preserve tissue health.
Acropora effusa Propagation Guide
Overview
Acropora effusa is a spreading stony coral in the family Acroporidae with bushy, plate-like growth that forms large mature colonies. Like all Acropora it is a colony of small polyps that share tissue over a calcium carbonate skeleton, with symbiotic Symbiodinium algae producing energy through photosynthesis. Its branch tips and plate margins are fragged in the same way as other SPS corals.
Reproductive Mode
Acropora reproduce sexually by releasing gametes and asexually when broken pieces reattach and form new colonies. Aquarium propagation uses fragmentation because each frag carries the parent's genetics and resumes growth once secured.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
- Choose an actively growing branch tip or plate edge from an established colony.
- Cut or snap the piece with bone cutters or a coral saw, keeping the break clean.
- Glue the frag to a plug or rock with cyanoacrylate or epoxy.
- Place the frag in moderate light and flow until tissue grows over the cut, then raise it.
- Dip and quarantine new frags before adding them to a display.
In a well-maintained reef aquarium, finger-sized fragments can grow into much larger colonies within one to two years, so a single spreading parent supplies many frags over time.
Conditions for Propagation
Fragments need stable conditions to heal and spread. Acropora are especially susceptible to bleaching when stressed through the loss of their zooxanthellae, so temperature, salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium must stay steady. High light and high flow support the dense, spreading growth this form develops.
Sexual Reproduction
Wild Acropora take part in annual mass-spawning, releasing gametes into the water for external fertilisation and larval dispersal. This is rarely reproduced in home systems, so hobby propagation relies on fragmentation.