Selago Acropora Care Guide
Selago Acropora (Acropora selago) 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
Selago Acropora (Acropora selago) is a SPS coral in the family Acroporidae. Compact thin-branching Acropora frequently displaying tealgreen and purple morphs.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acroporidae
- Genus: Acropora
- Scientific name: Acropora selago
- Common synonyms: Selago
Habitat
In the wild, Acropora selago 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 selago 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 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 selago Propagation Guide
Overview
Acropora selago is a compact, thin-branching stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It grows as a colony of small polyps that share tissue over a calcium carbonate skeleton, with symbiotic Symbiodinium algae generating energy through photosynthesis. Its tightly packed thin branches offer many fragging points typical of branching SPS corals.
Reproductive Mode
Acropora reproduce sexually through gamete release and asexually when broken branches reattach and form new colonies. Aquarium propagation uses the asexual route, as each fragment is a genetic copy of the parent that resumes growth once mounted.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
- Select a healthy, coloured branch tip from a settled colony.
- Cut or snap the thin branch carefully, since slender branches break easily.
- Glue the frag to a plug or rock with cyanoacrylate or epoxy.
- Keep the frag at moderate light and flow until the cut heals, then move it higher.
- Dip and quarantine new frags before they enter the display.
In a healthy reef tank, small finger-sized fragments can develop into much larger colonies over one to two years, so a single compact parent provides a reliable supply of frags.
Conditions for Propagation
Stable water chemistry is essential for healing. Acropora bleach readily when stressed through the loss of their zooxanthellae, so temperature, salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium must be held steady. High light and high flow feed the dense skeletal growth this thin-branched form depends on.
Sexual Reproduction
Wild Acropora take part in annual mass-spawning, broadcasting gametes into the water for external fertilisation. This is rarely reproduced in aquaria, so hobby propagation relies on fragmentation.