Acan Corals

83 acan corals for sale, including Micromussa, acan lords and rainbow morphs

Shop aquacultured acan corals for sale, from classic acan lords to saturated rainbow and echinata morphs. Most acans sold today are Micromussa lordhowensis, a fleshy LPS that packs tightly ringed polyps into low, spreading colonies. They thrive on modest li... Read more Show less

Shop aquacultured acan corals for sale, from classic acan lords to saturated rainbow and echinata morphs. Most acans sold today are Micromussa lordhowensis, a fleshy LPS that packs tightly ringed polyps into low, spreading colonies. They thrive on modest light, gentle flow, and regular feeding, which makes them rewarding LPS corals for intermediate reefers and approachable enough for a careful beginner. Every acan frag here is grown in our own systems and ships with a live arrival guarantee.

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Popular live coral picks

Compare Top Acan Corals

Compare our most popular live corals by care level, lighting, flow, growth, placement, and temperament — from beginner-friendly softies to advanced SPS.

Bright Eye Micromussa Acan Coral

Starting at $24.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Moderate Indirect
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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TSA Toxic Apple Micromussa Acan Coral

Starting at $49.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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F2M Holy Grail Micromussa Acan Coral

Starting at $199.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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TSA Flash Freeze Micromussa Acan Coral

Starting at $59.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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Mardi Gras Acan Coral

Starting at $224.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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TSA Dipped in Fire Micromussa Acan Coral

Starting at $199.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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TSA Doom Deepwater Acan Coral

Starting at $79.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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TSA Freak Show Micromussa Acan Coral

Starting at $129.99

Care Level: Moderate
Flow: Low–Moderate
Lighting: Low–Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Low–Mid
Temperament: Semi-aggressive

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Answers

Acan Coral Care FAQ

Are acan corals hard to keep?

Acans are among the more forgiving large polyp stony corals once a tank is stable. They want low to moderate light, gentle flow, and steady alkalinity rather than any exotic condition. The most common mistakes are blasting them with too much light or current, which keeps the flesh retracted, and placing them within reach of a more aggressive neighbor. Give an acan a calm spot and food and it will usually reward you with fast, colorful growth.

Where should I place acan corals in a reef tank?

Low light and low flow suit acans best, so the sand bed or the lower third of the rockwork is the usual home. Aim for indirect current strong enough to keep detritus from settling in the polyps but gentle enough that the flesh stays fully inflated. Because they extend feeding tentacles at night and can sting, allow three to four inches between an acan and any neighboring coral, and keep them clear of species with long sweepers such as chalices and torches.

How often should I feed acan corals?

Acans are photosynthetic but respond dramatically to feeding, and most keepers target feed once or twice a week. Wait until the feeding tentacles emerge, which usually happens after lights out or a few minutes after a small amount of food enters the water, then spot feed mysis, small pellets, or a prepared LPS food. Feeding drives both growth rate and color intensity, but keep portions small and stay on top of water changes so nutrients do not climb.

What is the difference between Acanthastrea and Micromussa?

Most corals sold as acan lords were reclassified from Acanthastrea lordhowensis to Micromussa lordhowensis in 2016, so the acans you buy today are usually Micromussa even when the label says acan. True Acanthastrea is still in the hobby, most often as Acanthastrea echinata, which grows larger, more separated polyps with a rougher skeleton. Care is effectively the same across both, so the distinction matters more for naming than for husbandry.

How fast do acan corals grow?

In stable conditions with regular feeding an acan colony adds new polyps steadily around its perimeter, and a healthy frag can double its footprint over several months. Growth is driven far more by feeding and consistent alkalinity than by intense lighting. If an acan stalls, look first at flow that is too strong, a neighbor stinging it at night, or swings in alkalinity rather than assuming it needs more light.

Live coral buying guide

What are acan corals?

Acan corals are fleshy large polyp stony corals that grow as low, spreading mats of tightly packed polyps, each ringed with concentric bands of color. Nearly every coral sold as an acan lord today is Micromussa lordhowensis, reclassified from Acanthastrea lordhowensis in 2016. They are among the most collectible LPS corals because a single colony can carry several contrasting colors in one polyp.

Acan coral care: light, flow, and feeding

Acans want less of almost everything than new reefers expect. Low to moderate light suits them, and gentle, indirect flow keeps the tissue fully inflated without stripping it back. Check your reef lighting before placing a frag high in the tank, and keep alkalinity and calcium steady with dependable water testing equipment. The single biggest lever on growth and color is food: target feed once or twice a week after the tentacles emerge, and keep portions small enough that nothing settles uneaten.

Acan lords, echinatas, and rainbow morphs

Collectors sort acans mostly by color pattern rather than species:

Micromussa lordhowensis — the classic acan lord, with round, tightly packed polyps and banded centers. Rainbow, bleeding apple, and master morphs all come from this group.
Acanthastrea echinata — larger, more widely spaced polyps on a heavier skeleton. Often sold simply as echinata, and slightly more forgiving of stronger light.
Rainbow and multicolor morphs — named lineages selected for three or more distinct colors in a single polyp. These carry a premium and generally hold color best under moderate, stable lighting rather than maximum intensity.

Placement and aggression in a mixed reef

Acans are peaceful by day and considerably less so at night, when they push out feeding tentacles that can burn a neighboring coral. Leave three to four inches of open space around each colony, and be especially careful downstream of chalices, torches, and other species with long sweepers, which easily out-reach an acan. Because they prefer the calmer, dimmer parts of the tank, the sand bed and lower rock shelves are usually the right home, and that placement also keeps them clear of high-light SPS.

Building an acan garden

Acans look best massed together, where contrasting morphs read as a single mosaic. Start with two or three frags on the same shelf and let them grow into each other rather than scattering them around the tank. Browse the full range of live corals for sale, pair them with forgiving tankmates from our beginner corals selection, or compare value options under fifty dollars in corals under $50.