The Tyree Icefire Echinata is a definite looker with its bright blue tips and creamy white branches. I typically fall for solid, brightly colored corals but the Icefire is certainly an eye catcher with its vivid contrasting color combo. A classic SPS coral, this piece was highly sought after when it first came out many years ago but it is still a must have Acropora today for many SPS collectors. It does best in the top-half of a tank under medium to high lighting and a good amount of flow
Echinatas can be on the delicate side so I would only recommend adding it to an established tank with other SPS that are doing well. Caution also needs to be taken when dipping this coral for pests
Description: The Australian Blue Ice Acropora echinata is substantially different from an Indonesia parentage A. echinata we have been growing for many years. The Aussie Blue Ice Echinata has a bottlebrush shaped colony that have a blueish white colr to the interior of the branches and the tips are a delicately colored blue-purple color. The Australian Blue Ice Acropora Echinata is 100% tank-raised.
Difficulty Moderate
Aggressiveness Peaceful
Water-flow This coral requires moderate to high water flow
Lighting Prefers a moderate to high light level. T5's, Metal Halides, or LED's can all grow sps when the proper levels are provided. Alter its position in the aquarium depending on the lighting, and provide at least 3 watts per gallon. We recommend a 14-20K color spectrum for best coloration.
Placement Can be placed in close proximity to other similar peaceful corals in the reef aquarium. Remember this coral can grow big over time so give it room to grow and branch out.
Diet and Feeding All your SPS corals will be happier when they are fed. The mouth sizes for each polyp is relative to the body size of the polyp and this size will more or less determine the particle size a coral can eat. We have found that even the smallest of SPS polyps, even Anacropora will accept food. There are several coral foods available to the aquarium hobbyist and we generally mix up a few with varying particle sizes and target feed this to all of our corals. We've had success feeding all our corals and find our Echinophyllia (chalice corals) Montiporas, Acroporas especially A. millepora among others respond well to feeding. When you are feeding your corals you will want to turn off the flow in your tank and gently target each coral. We like to feed our corals at the end of the day when the lights are still on their daytime light setting. You can even try broadcasting some food in the tank before you target feed as a "dinner bell" for your corals, or try polyp lab reef booster as a way to prepare your corals to feed. We recommend feeding your corals several times per week. After a few days of feeding your corals should be responding quicker to your dinner bell and looking all and all more vibrant. Some of the benefits we have noticed after 2-3 week included more polyp extension, puffier body tissue, more colourful, increased growth (compared to unfed corals). Excellent SPS Cora food include Phyto Feast, Oyster Feast, Roti Feast, Phyto Plankton, Zoo Plankton, Marine Snow, Coral Frenzy, Cyclops. We also always recommend target feeding since it gets the corals fed using less food while keeping your nitrates and phosphates lower.
Water Chemistry It is important that the proper calcium (420-440 ppm), alkalinity (8-9.5 dkh - run it 7-8 if you are carbon dosing) , and magnesium levels (1260-1350 ppm) are all maintained. Raising magnesium levels gradually up to 1400-1600 ppm is a great help in combating algae outbreaks, just keep Calcium and alkalinity levels where they should be as you raise the Magnesium level. Try to keep Nitrate levels below 10 ppm, Phosphate levels below .10 ppm. We recommend doing frequent water changes to keep Nitrate levels below 10 ppm. If Phosphate numbers are above the .10 ppm level, change your phosphate control media. To make the most efficient use of your phosphate media, we recommend the use of a media reactor.