Why is my Acan Lord not opening?

A retracted Acan is usually reacting to excessive water flow, lighting that is too intense, or unstable water parameters (particularly alkalinity spikes). Pests or fish nipping at them can also cause them to stay closed.

Can different Acan Lords touch each other?

Yes, colonies of the same species (Micromussa lordhowensis) generally will not sting each other. Aquarists often place multiple colour morphs touching one another to create stunning 'Acan gardens'.

How often should I feed my Acan Lord?

While not strictly necessary if you have good lighting and fish waste, target feeding them 1 to 2 times a week with mysis shrimp or LPS pellets is ideal. It significantly boosts their growth rate and polyp plumpness.

Where is the best place to put an Acan Lord in the tank?

They thrive in the bottom to lower-mid level of the tank, ideally on the sandbed or a low rock ledge. They require low to moderate flow and moderate lighting; too much flow will tear their fleshy tissue.

Why did my Acan Lord change colour?

Acans are highly responsive to lighting spectrum, intensity, and nutrient levels. Under very high light, they may 'bake out' and turn a uniform orange or red, losing their complex contrasting rings. Adjusting lighting or lowering nutrients often restores their colours.

MarineCoralsIntermediate

Acan Lord

Micromussa lordhowensis

A vibrant, fleshy large polyp stony (LPS) coral that boasts an incredible array of colours and is exceptionally popular in the reef hobby.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 27 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Hardness: 8 – 12 dGH
Salinity: 1.024 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 5 – 20 cm
Nano reef minimum: 30 litres+
Lifespan: 10 – 50 years
Diet: Carnivore / Photosynthetic
Water flow: Low to moderate
Preferred setup: Stable reef environment with mature biological filtration.

About the Acan Lord

The Acan Lord (Micromussa lordhowensis), formerly famous as Acanthastrea lordhowensis, is a stunning LPS coral highly prized for its brilliant, contrasting colour morphs. With densely packed, fleshy corallites that resemble miniature cushions, it is a staple for both novice and seasoned reef keepers alike. They form encrusting or hemispherical colonies that bring a splash of rainbow colour to the lower regions of the aquarium.

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Is it right for your tank?

Check Acan Lord against a habitat you already keep. We compare water type, temperature, pH, adult size, group needs and everything living there.

Where Acan Lord comes from

Native range

Indo-Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea

Countries / regions

Australia, Indonesia, Solomon Islands

Habitat

Shallow, slightly turbid reef environments, lagoons, and rocky slopes with moderate turbulence and plankton-rich currents.

Primarily harvested from Australian waters where highly regulated collection yields the brightest colour morphs.

Similar species

Amakusensis Coral
Micromussa amakusensis
Bowerbanki Coral
Homophyllia bowerbanki
Echinata Coral
Acanthastrea echinata
Blastomussa Coral
Blastomussa wellsi

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Ocellaris Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Peaceful, stays mostly in the middle to upper water column, and completely ignores LPS corals.
Great
Firefish
Nemateleotris magnifica
A gentle, reef-safe dither fish that will not bother fleshy coral polyps.
Great
Banded Trochus Snail
Trochus sp.
An excellent cleaner that will consume algae around the coral's base without damaging the fleshy tissue.
Great
Emerald Crab
Mithraculus sculptus
Generally reef-safe, but opportunistic; if underfed, they may pinch or pick at plump, fleshy LPS polyps.
Compatible with caution
Peppermint Shrimp
Lysmata wurdemanni
While useful for Aiptasia control, they are notorious for occasionally deciding that Acans and other fleshy LPS corals are food.
Compatible with caution
Copperband Butterflyfish
Chelmon rostratus
Butterflyfish are highly prone to eating fleshy coral polyps and tube worms; Acans are extremely vulnerable to them.
Not recommended
Emperor Angelfish
Pomacanthus imperator
Large angelfish naturally graze on sponges and corals; they will quickly decimate an Acan Lord colony.
Not recommended

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