Pulchra Acropora Care Guide
Pulchra Acropora (Acropora pulchra) 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
Pulchra Acropora (Acropora pulchra) is a SPS coral in the family Acroporidae. Bushy Acropora with thin branches and small corallites. Vivid green or purple morphs.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acroporidae
- Genus: Acropora
- Scientific name: Acropora pulchra
- Common synonyms: Bushy Pulchra
Habitat
In the wild, Acropora pulchra is reported from Indo-Pacific, where it occupies shallow reef flats and upper slopes (typically 1-15 m). The species adopts a branching 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 pulchra 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 0.5-1.2 cm/month. Propagation by fragmentation is straightforward for branching 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 pulchra Propagation Guide
Overview
Acropora pulchra is a small-polyp stony coral of the family Acroporidae. Wikipedia describes it as a branching species, sometimes tree-like, with branches up to 12 mm in diameter and up to 18 cm long and widely spaced corallites with elongated lower lips. Its colour varies from blue to shades of brown, often with pale blue tips, and it grows from 1 to 20 metres deep on back-reef fringes, flats and lagoons across the Indo-Pacific.
Reproductive Mode
Wikipedia records that Acropora pulchra reproduces asexually through fragmentation as well as sexually. In aquaria fragmentation is the practical route and preserves the symbiotic zooxanthellae and coloration of the parent. Captive propagation of Acropora is widespread in the reef-keeping community.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Cut or snap a branch tip of about 2-5 cm with bone-cutters and bond it to a frag plug with cyanoacrylate gel or epoxy. The axial corallite at the branch tip leads regrowth, so an intact tip encrusts and elongates fastest. Wikipedia reports finger-sized Acropora fragments can grow into medicine-ball-sized colonies in one to two years under good reef conditions.
Conditions for Propagation
Wikipedia states Acropora requires bright light, stable temperatures, regular calcium and alkalinity dosing, and clean turbulent water. Place pulchra frags under high light and strong flow with stable alkalinity, calcium and magnesium and low nutrients; this fast-growing bushy species encrusts and branches readily.
Sexual Reproduction
Wikipedia states Acropora pulchra synchronises its reproductive activity with the phase of the moon so that all corals in one locality spawn on the same couple of days, releasing buoyant gametes into the water column for external fertilisation. This broadcast mass-spawning is generally not reproduced in home aquaria.