What is Acropora?

Acropora is a genus of small-polyp stony coral (SPS) found across reef systems worldwide. The genus contains roughly 150 described species, of which 30 to 50 enter the aquarium hobby with regularity. They are characterized by branching, table, or staghorn growth forms and dense coloration that ranges from baby blue tenuis to neon green millepora to the bleeding-red Hawkins echinata.

Acropora is also where the named-cultivar economy lives. Below the wild species sits decades of farm-bred and hobbyist-discovered lineages: Pink Lemonade, Walt Disney Tenuis, Strawberry Shortcake, ORA Pearlberry, Tyree Purple Monster, GARF Bonsai, JF Homewrecker. Each is a distinct genetic lineage traced to an originating colony, propagated outward across the hobby through frag trades and limited-edition releases.

Why Acropora is the moat

Most coral retailers struggle to organize their Acropora inventory beyond "blue Acro" and "rainbow Acro." On Fast Aquatics, every named cultivar gets its own page, its own lineage history, and its own vendor offer aggregation. When you search for Pink Lemonade Acropora, you find the Tyree LE original, sub-lineages, current vendor offers, and verified frag photos. That is the catalog depth no other marketplace operates at.

Care fundamentals (parent species level)

For full per-species care details, click into the species page. As a genus, Acropora prefers:

  • Light: 250 to 450 PAR depending on species and origin (deepwater vs reef crest)
  • Flow: medium-high, turbulent, no dead spots
  • Salinity: 1.025 to 1.026 SG, stable
  • Alkalinity: 8 to 9 dKH, stable (alkalinity swings kill Acropora faster than any single parameter)
  • Calcium: 420 to 450 ppm
  • Magnesium: 1300 to 1400 ppm
  • Nitrate: 1 to 5 ppm (not zero - they need light feeding)
  • Phosphate: 0.03 to 0.10 ppm
  • Temperature: 76 to 79F, stable

Wild species in the hobby

Common wild species pages on Fast Aquatics. Click any species to see its named cultivars.

A. millepora A. tenuis A. echinata A. tortuosa A. microclados A. hyacinthus A. spathulata A. valida A. yongei A. formosa A. cervicornis A. palmata

+38 more species pages going live as we onboard founding vendors.

Notable originators

The cultivar economy is shaped by the farms and hobbyists who first introduced each lineage. Fast Aquatics maintains an originator directory with bio, founding year, and complete cultivar list for each.

Featured cultivars

The named lineages defining the hobby.

Each cultivar has its own page with lineage history, distinguishing characteristics, and current vendor offers.

PL

Pink Lemonade

Tyree LE. Pink coloration with bright lemon polyps. One of the foundational LE lineages from Steve Tyree's collection.

A. millepora · Tyree
WD

Walt Disney Tenuis

Mike Biggar / BigRCorals. Multi-color polyp lineage with cult following. The "true Walt Disney" lineage authenticity is community-tracked.

A. tenuis · BigRCorals
PB

ORA Pearlberry

ORA. Aquacultured pearl-on-pink milli with polyp extension. Reliable grower available across many vendors.

A. millepora · ORA
GB

GARF Bonsai

GARF. The original. Foundational hobby Acropora that shaped a generation of reefkeepers. Vibrant green with purple tips.

A. yongei · GARF
PM

Tyree Purple Monster

Tyree. Deep purple body, contrasting polyps. One of the original LE Acropora that built the cultivar economy.

A. spp · Tyree
HE

Hawkins Echinata

Hawkins. The defining echinata. Bleeding red body with neon green polyps. Foundational hobbyist-named lineage.

A. echinata · Hawkins

+1,490 more cultivars indexed across our database, going live as vendors list inventory.

All acropora species in our database (19)

Each species has its own deep care guide with photos, parameters, diet, compatibility, breeding notes, common diseases, and a 4-question FAQ. Vendor listings live alongside the educational content.

Acropora Abrolhosensis Acropora abrolhosensis
Acropora Austera Acropora austera
Acropora Echinata Acropora echinata
Acropora Formosa Acropora formosa
Acropora Gomezi Acropora gomezi
Acropora Granulosa Acropora granulosa
Acropora Hyacinthus Acropora hyacinthus
Acropora Microclados Acropora microclados
Acropora Millepora Acropora millepora
Acropora Nasuta Acropora nasuta
Acropora Plana Acropora plana
Acropora Prostrata Acropora prostrata
Acropora Samoensis Acropora samoensis
Acropora Secale Acropora secale
Acropora Spathulata Acropora spathulata
Acropora Suharsonoi Acropora suharsonoi
Acropora Tenuis Acropora tenuis
Acropora Tortuosa Acropora tortuosa
Acropora Valida Acropora valida
Browse all 424 species in the directory →