Walt Disney Acropora Care

A simple care guide for your Walt Disney Acropora tenuis

If you are wondering how to take care of your Acropora coral, this article provides a simple care guide for you. Acropora can be difficult to take care of because of its sensitivity to the chemistry of the water. Even people who are more experienced at taking care of coral have a hard time with Acropora.

Since Walt Disney Acropora is so sensitive to its environment, it is extremely challenging to keep it healthy. It must have near-perfect conditions for it to thrive. Don’t let this challenge stop you from putting this colorful coral in your aquarium.

Lighting

Before you receive your Walt Disney Acropora, you will want to create the ideal environment for it. If you already have your Acropora and you need to change its environment, remember to do it slowly so as not to shock it.

Acropora need a lot of light. You will want to keep it under metal halide rather than high-output fluorescent bulbs for the best results. With the more intense lighting of metal halide, it may take longer for your Acropora to acclimate.

Water flow

Acropora needs a strong water flow. This includes not only the level of flow, but also the motion of the flow. Once you find the right flow level and motion, your corals will give off more slime, eliminate waste more efficiently, take in more nutrients, and protect itself from pests.

Pristine conditions

If you want your Walt Disney Acropora coral to thrive, you must make sure your aquarium is consistently maintained at the proper levels. While this species of coral thrives in the ocean, it is more difficult for it to survive in captivity.

In order to maintain your aquarium, you must do water changes frequently. This is a form of filtration that removes waste and replenishes elements. It is the best way to keep your tank clean and help your coral prosper.

It is important to keep temperature in mind when doing water changes. You do not want to shock your coral. Also, the water you add should have the same salinity as the water in the tank already.

In order to maintain the right conditions for your Acropora, you must measure nitrate levels, calcium levels, and other trace elements in your coral’s environment.

Proper Acclimation

When you are first getting Walt Disney Acropora, it will most likely be stressed from its shipment. This is why you want to properly acclimate your coral so it can thrive.

Do the following process as soon as you receive your coral.

1. Turn off the lights – When it was being shipped, your coral was surrounded by darkness. You will want to turn off the lights so you do not shock your coral and slowly increase the level of lighting.
2. Acclimate your coral in a small plastic tub – Place all your coral in the same tub. Make sure your tub has enough volume to add more water.
3. Add aquarium water in increments – Add water slowly to the tub. Your coral is sensitive to changes in water. You should complete this process in less than a half-hour. You can also use a coral dip at this stage to remove any pests from your coral.
4. Put your coral in your aquarium – You should already have a suitable location for your aquarium. Ensure that your aquarium has lower light so your coral can slowly adjust to more and more light.

Don’t worry if your coral doesn’t look like you hoped. It may still be stressed from shipping. Give it a few weeks to get acclimated to its new environment.

How do I get my coral to be more colorful?

1. Switch LED bulbs for metal halides – This can help brighten the colors of your coral. You don’t necessarily want to expose your coral to as much light as possible. The right level of light exposure for your coral depends on the shallowness of your tank, so you can increase or decrease the level to get better colors.  
2. Use a blue/white-based light – Using a blue light can take away some of your coral’s other shades. Switch to a blue/white light to display all of the colors.
3. Ensure excellent water quality – Once you have the correct levels in your water, keep them as stable as possible. Fluctuating water levels can harm your coral.
4. Provide the right nutrients – To enhance the health, and therefore the color, of your corals, ensure that it is getting enough of the right nutrients.
5. Add certain elements to your tank – Consider adding iron, manganese, or potassium iodine to your tank to increase certain pigments in your corals.
6. Give it time – Do not change the conditions of the tank too often. This can cause stress for your coral, making it take even longer for it to show bright coloration.

Why doesn’t my Walt Disney Acropora look like the picture?

There are a few reasons for this.

1. Your Acropora needs to acclimate to its new environment. Give your coral a few weeks to get used to its new environment. Make any changes slowly so you don’t shock your coral further.
2. Conditions are not perfect. Check the lighting, water flow, and salinity, alkalinity, and nitrate levels. Walt Disney Acropora needs pristine conditions to survive in captivity.
3. The picture you are comparing it to was photoshopped. Don’t get downhearted because your coral is not as bright as the pictures online. Each one is unique and will appear different than the picture advertised.

How long does it take for Walt Disney Acropora to acclimate?

Depending on how much stress it has endured, it could take weeks or even months for your coral to get acclimated. Be patient and give it time. Once your coral has settled into its new environment, with the right conditions, it will start to thrive.

The bright colors of the Walt Disney Acropora make this coral a highly sought-after addition to any tank. As long as it has the right conditions, this coral can thrive in your aquarium. If it doesn’t look like you hoped it would, be patient and give it time. The results are worth it!