Acropora plana

Acropora plana is a tabling, corymbose species whose branches spread and fuse into a broad plate, one of the classic table Acropora shapes. In aquaculture it is usually green with blue tips, the edge of the table showing the strongest colour as it grows outward. Growth is moderate, and a healthy colony widens with real presence over time.

Care

An advanced species for a mature, stable SPS system. Alkalinity stability is the foundation of success — avoid swings, and keep calcium and magnesium consistent in support. It needs high light, around PAR 250–400, introduced gradually to new pieces, and strong random flow moving across the top of the table and underneath its edge, rather than a constant jet aimed at one spot. Tables are efficient at shading themselves, so flow and light reaching the centre matter. An encrusting base and polyp extension right out to the growing rim are the signs of a colony in good shape.

Placement and growth

Give it a top placement and genuinely wide room — tables need lateral space far beyond the size of the starting frag. Keep at least 2 in of clearance from neighbours at minimum, and considerably more in the direction of spread, and plan for the shade the finished table will cast on corals below. Mount it level, secure it well, and choose the spot for the colony it will become.