Whenever speaking about stoney corals, Acropora and Montipora seem to always be in the spotlight. And with good reason given the amazing colors nature has created in these magnificent animals. But if you will indulge me for a moment, I would like to visit the other...
Every coral reef enthusiast starts somewhere when a reef aquarium begins. Many start with soft corals and easier fleshy stoney corals with great success. However I have found a trend in long term reef aquarists with many focusing on Acropora species as they advance...
The tabling Acroporas have that special allure. One that comes to mind is the ability to appear as if they defy gravity as they table outward. The negative space visible under the colony and the brightly colored pigments on the plane that is exposed to strong light...
If there ever was a unforgettable Acropora, an Acropora that stole the hearts of stoney coral enthusiasts with just a glimpse, an Acropora that can only be had by growing a seed fragment of the original colony, this would be the Pink Lemonade Acropora. Wild or...
Every reef aquarium has one, a canary. An excellent example of this is when a mixed coral reef aquarium exhibits a single coral or species with poor health while the other animals thrive and grow normally. A less obvious example may be the lightening of pigments or...
Rarity is not always a prerequisite for amazing beauty, but in the case of the TDF Acropora, they are as one. This Acropora was a Wet Thumb lineage Australian import with very sparse distribution. The mini colony in the image was grown from a seed fragment from the...
This Acropora recieves a 5 to 10 minute exposure to air on a weekly basis. I have been experimenting with exposing the tops of one of my reefs to air during the weekly water change duty. This is done on purpose and can easily be achieved without exposing the reef...
The amazing beauty of this Montipora capricornis can not be denied. It was grown from a tiny seed fragment into this small colony in approximately one year. This species and genus of stoney coral is a rapidly growing animal and adds mass quite quickly provided...
Pigment grafting has interested me since the first time my mind processed the concept. The theory basically involves the transfer of a pigment from one coral to another of the same species. The image above is a Echinophyllia aspera that was growing in close proximity...
Acropora nasuta has to be one of the most colorful reef building corals in the sea. This Acropora nasuta was grown over a four year period into this nicely shaped colony from a seed fragment with lineage from Atlantis Aquarium. The rasberry axial and radial...