🪸 Acropora horrida “Ghost Orchid”
Pink & Grey Long-Polyp Indonesian Acropora – Cut-to-Order SPS Frag
🔹 Quick Stats
Care Level: Advanced
Temperament: Peaceful (requires space from neighbouring SPS colonies)
Colour Form: The Ghost Orchid Horrida features a unique blend of soft pink tones layered over a cool grey to silvery base, combined with exceptionally long flowing polyps. Under actinic lighting the coral develops glowing pink highlights while the grey skeletal structure takes on a smoky, metallic appearance. Under balanced white lighting the colony reveals subtle gradients of dusty rose, pale pink and cool ash-grey branches, creating an elegant and slightly mysterious colour palette rarely seen in Acropora.
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 horrida “Ghost Orchid” is a distinctive Indonesian SPS coral known for its long flowing polyps and unusual pink-grey colour combination. A. horrida is particularly prized among SPS enthusiasts for its dramatic polyp extension, which gives the coral a soft, almost feathery movement in strong reef flow.
When fully extended, the long polyps create a wild, almost shaggy texture across the colony, giving the coral a very natural reef appearance. Combined with its subtle pink and grey tones, this coral develops a sophisticated and unique visual presence within SPS-dominated aquariums.
As the colony grows, the branches develop thick tips and dense polyp coverage, adding both structure and movement to the aquascape.
Cut-to-Order Frag:
This coral is cut to order from a healthy, established Indonesian mother colony. Each frag maintains the same colour lineage and long-polyp 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 strong long-polyp extension
• Securely mounted frag plug or base
• Proven colour stability under reef LED lighting
🍽️ Care & Feeding
Like most Acropora, Ghost Orchid Horrida relies primarily on photosynthesis but benefits from nutrient-balanced reef environments and occasional coral 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 horrida thrives in high-flow environments that allow its long polyps to move freely and remain fully extended.
Ensure adequate space around the coral to prevent contact with neighbouring SPS colonies and allow natural branch development.
🌸 Acropora horrida “Ghost Orchid”
Soft pink hues over smoky grey branches with long flowing polyps — an elegant and mysterious SPS that brings movement, texture and rare coloration to advanced reef systems.