Red Planet Acropora Care Guide – Vibrant Growth, Intense Color
The Red Planet Acro is a classic collector’s Acropora, famous for its ruby-red branches with a bright green base and polyps. Under strong lighting and flow, this coral develops incredible contrast and becomes a showpiece in any SPS-dominant reef.
Care Highlights:
💡 Lighting: High PAR (300–450) – needs intense LED, T5, or halide to maintain red color and green base contrast
🌊 Flow: Strong, random flow to prevent tissue recession and promote polyp extension
📍 Placement: Upper to mid rockwork with strong light and open space
🍽️ Feeding: Primarily photosynthetic, but can benefit from amino acids or light SPS-targeted broadcast feeding
🧪 Parameters (keep stable):
Temp: 75–78°F
Salinity: 1.025
dKH: 8–9
Calcium: 420–460 ppm
Magnesium: 1300–1400 ppm
Nitrate: 1–5 ppm
Phosphate: 0.01–0.05 ppm
Pro Tips:
Red fades without strong light; keep PAR levels high
Too low nutrients can dull both red and green — keep nitrates/phosphates detectable
Great candidate for fragging and farming in SPS systems
Care Level: Advanced – Needs high light, high flow, and stable water to thrive
