Acropora microphthalma

Acropora microphthalma is an Acropora that builds small, dense thickets of thin, straight branches. The species name refers to the many small radial corallites covering the branches. In the wild it is mostly pale gray, cream or light brown. Because it is adapted to turbid water and sandy lagoons, it is considered one of the Acropora that adjust easily to the aquarium; still, it needs a mature and stable aquarium. Trade in stony corals is subject to CITES Appendix II; choose a frag or a farmed colony.

• Light: High light; roughly 200–350 PAR. A new frag should be acclimated to the light over three to four weeks.
• Flow: Strong, random flow; no detritus should remain between the dense branches.
• Placement: The upper part of the rockwork, with room for the bush to grow upward and outward.
• Water parameters: Salinity 1.025–1.026, temperature 25–26.5°C, KH 7–9 dKH (daily swings below 0.5 dKH), calcium 400–450 mg/L, magnesium 1300–1400 mg/L, nitrate 2–10 mg/L, phosphate 0.02–0.08 mg/L.

It is photosynthetic; it gets most of its energy from zooxanthellae algae and the rest from plankton captured by its polyps. Very fine powdered food given once or twice a week can help color and growth.

It is not aggressive, but it is an easy target for LPS and soft corals; leave 10–15 cm of space. Dwarf angelfish may pick at the polyps. Acropora-eating flatworms (AEFW) and red bugs affect this species too; put newly arrived pieces through a coral dip and keep KH stable to guard against rapid tissue necrosis (RTN).