TIA Midnight Acropora: Purple Monster Structure With a Wider Color Range
The TIA Midnight Acropora mother colony — the coral your frag is cut from — under Actinic Radion Mobius lighting. Colors shift under different lighting; each piece is cut to order.
What is TIA Midnight Acropora?
TIA Midnight Acropora closely resembles the classic Solomon Islands Purple Monster in both its smooth branch structure and deep purple-blue coloration — but carries a broader, more complex color range: bright yellow-green corallites, pink-to-magenta growth tips, and subtle turquoise highlights across the branches.
Purple Monster vs Midnight — what's different
The Purple Monster comparison is the fastest way to understand this coral. Both share the smooth branch structure and rich purple-blue base. Where Midnight differs is everything layered on top: yellow-green corallites, magenta growth tips, and turquoise highlights that the classic Purple Monster look doesn't carry. It is an excellent choice for collectors who appreciate the classic Solomon Islands Purple Monster look but want a more colorful, visually detailed Acropora.
Care requirements
| Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
| Lighting (PAR) | Moderate to high, 250–400; strong blue-spectrum light enhances the purple-blue body, yellow-green corallites, and pink growth tips |
| Flow | Moderate to strong, turbulent, randomized |
| Placement | Upper half of a mature reef aquarium |
| Temperature | 76–79 °F |
| Salinity | 1.025–1.026 |
| Alkalinity | 8–9 dKH |
| Calcium | 400–450 ppm |
| Magnesium | 1300–1400 ppm |
Reef safe. Recommended for aquarists experienced with SPS husbandry.
Buying a Midnight frag
Every piece is cut to order from the mother colony. After we cut your frag, we send you a video of it, and we recommend allowing about 14 days of heal time before expecting full recovery. Every order is covered by TIA's 3-day live-arrival guarantee, and TIA has grown and named collector corals since 2008.
→ See the current Midnight release Related in the TIA Acropora collection: All TIA Signature Acropora →
Frequently asked questions
How is TIA Midnight different from a Purple Monster? It shares the Purple Monster's smooth branch structure and deep purple-blue base, but adds bright yellow-green corallites, pink-to-magenta growth tips, and subtle turquoise highlights — a broader color range than the classic look.
Who is this coral for? Collectors who appreciate the classic Solomon Islands Purple Monster style but want a more colorful, visually detailed Acropora.
What lighting does it want? Moderate-to-high light around 250–400 PAR; strong blue-spectrum reef lighting enhances the purple-blue body, yellow-green corallites, and pink growth tips.
Do I receive the exact colony in the photo? No — the photo shows the mother colony, and each piece is cut to order from it. After the cut TIA sends a video of your frag, with about 14 days of heal time recommended.