Tricolor Valida Acropora

Tricolor Valida is one of those Acropora that rewards patience with a color combo that feels painted by a meticulous reef wizard. You get a tan or greenish base, purple branches, and bright neon green polyps that look like tiny lanterns.

Lighting

Moderate to high light works best, usually around 250 to 350 PAR. Too little light and the purple fades. Too much and the base can wash out. Stable lighting matters more than chasing max intensity.

Flow

High, random flow is the sweet spot. The coral prefers a constant mix of directions so each branch gets cleaned and oxygenated. Direct, one-way blasting can cause tissue recession at the base over time.

Placement

Mid to high in the rock structure. Give it room to branch outward because Valida forms neat, upright clusters. Avoid placing it under fast-shading species like staghorns or big plating montis.

Water parameters

Valida behaves like a classic SPS that rewards consistency.

Calcium around 420.
Alkalinity around 8 to 8.5.
Magnesium about 1350.
Nitrate 5 to 15.
Phosphate 0.04 to 0.1.

The green polyps stay brightest when nutrients aren’t bottomed out. ULNS strips color from this coral quickly.

Feeding

It gets most of its energy from light. Occasional amino acids help with polyp glow, but nothing heavy is needed. Just keep nutrients predictable.

Growth behavior

Tricolor Valida grows as neat vertical branches that thicken with age. It doesn’t table or plate. Because of its upright structure, it ships and frags well and holds color better than many acros once established.

Sensitivities

Red bugs and AEFW are the usual suspects. Dip all incoming Acropora. Valida shows stress through polyp withdrawal first, then paling at branch tips if chemistry is unstable.

Ideal system type

Perfect for SPS-dominant or mixed reefs with stable parameters. It fills vertical space nicely and adds that three-tone contrast that’s rare in acros.