Coral of the Week: Acanthastrea hillae

[revhtree]

Acanthastrea hillae is a rare species found far less frequently - both in the ocean and in the aquarium trade - than the more common A. echinata and A. lordhowensis . Acanthastrea is a fast-growing large polyp stony coral similar to Blastomussa corals. It is an easy species to keep in an aquarium and grows best under moderate lighting. Acanthastrea is often intensely colored, with mixtures of blue, red, green, orange, purple, and more. The soft tissue tends to be heavy with mottled coloring. Australian colonies are especially prized for their color. This coral relies heavily on photosynthesis for growth but will readily accept meaty foods such as mysis shrimp, baby brine shrimp and other similar items. The more often it is fed, the faster it will grow.

Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Moderate
Lighting: Low to Moderate
Waterflow: Medium
Placement: Bottom to Middle
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.0-8.4, sg 1.021-1.025
Supplements: Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, Trace Elements
Color: Variety of colors

R2R member SniperSPS

R2R Member: butts182

 

[revhtree]

Please share your acan hillae photos and experience!

 

[revsgirl]

Gorgeous coral!!

 

[Acanholic]

Oh my lord!!!! Envy is a sin right? Forgive me lord

 

[Acanholic]

I never had a hillae. They are kind of weird. Not very colorful I have seen online the bleeding Apple and severas reddish. I guess the care is the same as it is for most acans. I would love to get one polyp of that rainbow beauty. The best acan I Ever saw

 

[jonbar1]

Do these send out the "threads of death" like echinatas or just regular tentacles like lords? I like these and bowerbankis but definitely don't need another coral with the attitude and sweeping range of echinata.

 

[Acanholic]

Id you see the picture I think Those are like the lord tentacles I get rid of echinata because of that

 

[Railcar79]

I just got this new Hillae from a coral shop In IA. 1 main head 8 heads sprouting.

In the store tank

 

[Railcar79]

in my home tank the next day (still a bit upset from transporting 5 hours)

 

[nonstopfish]

in my home tank the next day (still a bit upset from transporting 5 hours)

This is not a Hillae. People have been labeling these a subechinata. They very very rarely come in and are infrequently seen. I currently own one and it has some nasty long stingers. I have had it for over 2 years and it has never made a single new polyp, just maintaining the 7 polyps I started with despite excellent looking health wise and eating vigorously.

Here is a bad pic of mine taken with a flashlight at night.

One of my hillae's fresh into the tank. Has settled in nicely now.

And my Bleeding Apple Hillae...

 

[Railcar79]

Polyp size is all wrong for subenchinata. that one main polyp is nearly 2 inches across (that is 4 frag tiles under the one piece) It was sold to me as a Hillae from a reputable coral farmer and dealer, but myself I think it looks more like a maxima

 

[Davesgt]

I want one now lol

 

[Sicklid]

Me too!!!

 

[nonstopfish]

Polyp size is all wrong for subenchinata. that one main polyp is nearly 2 inches across (that is 4 frag tiles under the one piece) It was sold to me as a Hillae from a reputable coral farmer and dealer, but myself I think it looks more like a maxima

You are right that the polyps don't seem like subechinata, but even DD labeled them that. Well a day after labeling them as Scolymia Australis. So they don't know what they are either. The 2nd one being much smaller based on their size listing. Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Scolymia australisDrs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Acanthastrea subechinata
I saw somewhere else them referred to as subechinata as well, can't remember where. Cherry Corals and I believe AquaSD have gotten these in. Previous to this influx I had not seen one in over a year.

My polyps are very large as well and came from a vendor on this site which was sold as a bowerbanki. I was skeptical from the beginning on that being the case. I always thought maxima too, but it seems like people shoot down the idea that there are any maxima's in the hobby cause they only come from one area and can't be harvested?(sorry forgot where offhand).

 

[Railcar79]

Reguardless, I only spent $90 on this beauty, and I plan on insurance fragging in a month or so

 

[Railcar79]

Same coral 4 months ago
I didn't buy it till last week, it had been in a back tank for over a year

 

[knightnsd]

ditto on the pic above that is not a hillae.. looks like echinata here is my hillae and the deia that they are not colorful above I would guess they are not looking at true hillae acans or they have been poorly kept. Some are calling this hillae others call it a bowerbanki but it kills most any other acan I have ever seen . mine is slowly growing out and the colors continue to amaze and the care is similar to acan lords and echinatas but can handle more flow in my tank. No threads of of death to jonbar, my pectinas send them far out but have not seen a single trailer out of this 3 eyed frag

 

[Mgex]

You are right that the polyps don't seem like subechinata, but even DD labeled them that. Well a day after labeling them as Scolymia Australis. So they don't know what they are either. The 2nd one being much smaller based on their size listing. Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Scolymia australisDrs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Acanthastrea subechinata
I saw somewhere else them referred to as subechinata as well, can't remember where. Cherry Corals and I believe AquaSD have gotten these in. Previous to this influx I had not seen one in over a year.

My polyps are very large as well and came from a vendor on this site which was sold as a bowerbanki. I was skeptical from the beginning on that being the case. I always thought maxima too, but it seems like people shoot down the idea that there are any maxima's in the hobby cause they only come from one area and can't be harvested?(sorry forgot where offhand).

i bought my sparkling hillae from aquasd