🪸 Acropora tenuis “Black Widow Gold”
Yellow Tenuis with Black Polyps – Malaysian Wild Acropora (Cut-to-Order Frag)
🔹 Quick Stats
Care Level: Advanced
Temperament: Peaceful (requires spacing from neighbouring SPS)
Colour Form: The Black Widow Gold Tenuis features a striking contrast between bright golden-yellow tissue and deep jet-black polyps. Under actinic lighting the yellow base glows intensely while the black polyps create a dramatic spotted pattern across the colony. Under balanced white lighting the coral reveals a rich golden body with dark charcoal to black polyp extension, producing one of the most visually striking contrasts seen in Acropora tenuis.
Water Conditions: 24–26 °C, dKH 7.5–8.5, pH 8.0–8.4, sg 1.024–1.026
Family: Acroporidae
Lighting: High (PAR 250–400)
Water Flow: Strong and turbulent
Placement: Upper rockwork or high-energy reef zones
🧬 Overview
The Acropora tenuis “Black Widow Gold” is a rare and highly desirable Malaysian wild morph known for its unusual combination of golden-yellow tissue and contrasting black polyps. This natural colour pairing creates a dramatic visual texture that becomes even more pronounced when the coral shows full polyp extension.
Tenuis corals are prized among SPS collectors for their vibrant coloration, strong polyp activity and dynamic branching structure. In stable reef systems with strong lighting and turbulent flow, this coral develops dense branching growth and intense colour contrast that makes it a standout piece in any Acropora collection.
Cut-to-Order Frag:
This coral is cut to order from a healthy Malaysian wild mother colony. Each frag maintains the same colour lineage and growth characteristics as the parent colony, though natural variation in branch formation and colour intensity may occur between individual frags.
Each frag is prepared with:
• Fresh cut from established mother colony
• Healthy tissue with active polyp extension
• Securely mounted frag plug or base
• Proven colour potential under modern reef LED lighting
🍽️ Care & Feeding
Like most Acropora tenuis, Black Widow Gold relies mainly on photosynthesis but benefits from a nutrient-balanced reef environment and occasional micro-feeding.
Recommended feeding:
• Fine plankton blends or powdered coral foods
• Amino acid supplements for SPS systems
• Broadcast feeding 1–2× weekly
📈 Optimal Parameters
Parameter | Ideal Range
Alkalinity (dKH) | 7.5–8.5
Calcium (Ca) | 420–450 ppm
Magnesium (Mg) | 1300–1400 ppm
Nitrate (NO₃) | 2–10 ppm
Phosphate (PO₄) | 0.02–0.08 ppm
📍 Placement
Position in the upper aquascape where strong lighting and turbulent water movement are present. Acropora tenuis responds best to stable parameters and consistent nutrient availability.
Allow sufficient spacing between neighbouring SPS colonies to prevent shading and encourage natural branching development.
🕷️ Acropora tenuis “Black Widow Gold”
Glowing golden branches covered in jet-black polyps — a rare Malaysian tenuis with dramatic contrast and serious collector appeal.