Micromussa Coral Care Guide

Micromussa typically thrives at 50-100 PAR, with some hobbyists reporting more success with even lower PAR in the 25-75 range. Frags should be positioned near tank bottoms or in shaded areas. Micromussa is extremely sensitive to high lighting and commonly struggles when reef keepers provide excessive PAR levels that cause color morphing, bleaching, or tissue damage.

Micromussa placement should be in the lower third of the aquarium or under overhangs where lighting intensity is reduced. New Micromussa frags should start at 30-50 PAR and acclimate slowly over 3-4 weeks if moving toward brighter positions, as sudden light increases cause rapid color changes and potential tissue recession.

Micromussa benefits significantly from target feeding 2-3 times per week with small meaty foods like mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, or coral-specific pellets sized appropriately for the polyp mouth opening. Micromussa obtains nutrition from symbiotic zooxanthellae but shows enhanced growth, improved coloration, and fuller polyp inflation when regularly fed.

Micromussa extends feeding tentacles around polyp mouths at night, making evening hours a great feeding time. Reef keepers should reduce water flow during feeding sessions and use a turkey baster to deliver food directly to individual polyps, allowing Micromussa to capture meals before currents disperse the food.

Micromussa produces mesenterial filaments rather than true sweeper tentacles, meaning this coral extrudes digestive tissue to attack neighboring corals that encroach within reach rather than stinging with extended tentacles. Micromussa aggression can damage or kill nearby corals positioned within 2-4 inches of the colony perimeter.

Micromussa placement requires adequate spacing of at least 3-4 inches from neighboring corals to prevent them from making a neighboring frag a snack. Reef keepers should monitor Micromussa colonies as they grow and expand, relocating nearby corals if spacing becomes tight over time.

Micromussa exhibits dramatic color morphing in response to lighting conditions, with specimens capable of shifting coloration or losing multicolor rainbow patterns within days when moved to different PAR levels. Micromussa color changes occur because this species is extremely light-responsive compared to other LPS corals.

Reef keepers hoping to maintain specific Micromussa color morphs should provide stable low to medium light conditions - typically around 50-100 PAR to minimize color shifting.

Micromussa tissue recession is a sign of stress. Typical causes are excessive lighting, high water flow causing tissue tears, or large water parameter fluctuations - such as alkalinity. Additionally, pest organisms could be present. If your Micromussa was recently added, consider dipping it to remove potential pests. Micromussa showing deflated polyps or exposed skeleton requires immediate investigation of environmental conditions.

Micromussa troubleshooting should begin with measuring your water parameters, ensuring the flow is gentle enough for full polyp inflation, and inspecting the coral at night with a flashlight for pests. If your coral is in direct light, you can try moving it to a location with less intense lighting. If possible, verifying PAR levels - though this is not always an available option.

In the reef hobby, "acans" usually means what's sold as "Acan Lords," but taxonomically those are Micromussa lordhowensis. In 2016, Arrigoni et al. moved Acanthastrea lordhowensis into Micromussa using DNA and skeletal morphology, because the old "Acanthastrea" grouping didn't reflect true relationships.

The practical difference is mostly a naming and taxonomy thing: "Acan Lords" are Micromussa lordhowensis (often called "micro lords"), while "true acans" that people mean when they say "echinata" are Acanthastrea echinata-type corals (commonly labeled "echinata" in the trade).