Rainbow Acan Lord
Add an incredible mix of colour to your reef aquarium with the Rainbow Acan Lord. Featuring large, fleshy polyps with multiple contrasting colours, rings and brightly coloured mouths, every colony develops its own distinctive mosaic-like appearance.
Now scientifically classified as Micromussa lordhowensis, this popular LPS coral remains widely known in the aquarium hobby as an Acan Lord. Its manageable care requirements, compact growth and impressive feeding response make it a rewarding choice for both newer and experienced reef keepers.
Why Choose a Rainbow Acan Lord?
- Vibrant multicolour polyps
- Thick, fleshy and pillowy appearance
- Suitable for established mixed reef aquariums
- Strong feeding response
- Performs well under lower reef lighting
- Slowly develops into an attractive encrusting colony
- Excellent feature coral for the sandbed or lower rockwork
Lighting and Placement
Rainbow Acan Lords prefer low to moderate lighting, with approximately 50–150 PAR recommended.
Place the coral on the sandbed or lower rockwork where it is protected from intense direct lighting. Excessive light can cause reduced polyp extension or fading colouration, so acclimate the coral gradually when moving it into a brighter position.
Water Flow
Provide low to moderate, indirect water flow. The flow should be strong enough to prevent debris from settling between the polyps without causing the fleshy tissue to remain retracted.
Avoid placing the coral directly in front of a powerful wavemaker or return outlet.
Feeding
Although the Rainbow Acan Lord receives much of its energy through photosynthesis, occasional target feeding can encourage fuller polyps, improved growth and a strong feeding response.
Suitable foods include:
- Mysis shrimp
- Small LPS coral pellets
- Finely chopped marine foods
- Enriched brine shrimp
- Powdered or suspended coral foods
Target feed a small amount once or twice per week, ideally when the coral’s feeding tentacles are extended.
Coral Compatibility
Rainbow Acan Lords are not considered highly aggressive, but they can extend short sweeper tentacles and sting nearby corals. Leave several centimetres of space around the colony to allow for growth and prevent direct contact with neighbouring corals.
Care Information
Scientific Name: Micromussa lordhowensis
Common Name: Acan Lord
Coral Type: LPS coral
Care Level: Easy to moderate
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Lighting: Low to moderate
Recommended PAR: 50–150
Water Flow: Low to moderate and indirect
Placement: Sandbed or lower rockwork
Feeding: Target feed once or twice weekly
Calcium: 400–450ppm
Alkalinity: 8–12dKH
Maintain stable temperature, salinity and water chemistry, and avoid sudden changes in lighting or aquarium conditions.
With its vivid colouration, fleshy polyps and relatively straightforward care requirements, the Rainbow Acan Lord is an outstanding choice for adding colour and texture to an established reef aquarium.
As a living coral, individual colouration, pattern and polyp shape may vary from the representative image.
