hmmm the flow in my aquarium is very low. It's like the polyps are not moving or bearely moving and mine thrive, all of them. so I would go against the flow here and say, flow is not that important as long as you have some (everybody does). Light and food, plus stability.

IME flow is very important for SPS....most people agree with that statement too.

I've seen two frags from the same mother colony go into a tank with high flow and the other in low flow.

The frag in the high flow tank grew way more heads and was very dense/thick. The frag in the low flow tank was very thin and branchy and looked very fragile. The difference was night/day.

Couldn't agree more, daniella3d your statement is a little misleading.

Telling people flow isn't important could lead to some really bad choices, would you be kind enough to share the flow in your tank (powerheads & returns).

I think that's one of the more important aspects of flow. To get a natural and very solid growth form from the coral, it should have a fair amount of flow energy directed across it. While most SPS will live with minimal flow, the skeleton will be weaker and thinner. IME, anyway.

SPS can be more addictive than drugs. I have so many frags it's disgusting lol.
Since I see you're in the lower mainland I would sugguest you buy from ppl fragging because I've been around to many of us who keep them and for the Value compared to J&L, (no offence, love the place, once in a while you find something really special) You're almost always better off in the end from someone's frag. As long as you have the patience to watch it grow.

maybe there was something else involved. Mine are as dense as they get and I have low flow.

YOu can't just say it was the flow because parameters would have been different, lighting etc...in two different tanks.

I have a 75 gallons Osaka tank 42" long, with only 2 koralia 1050, one on each side facing each other. The flow in my tank is very gentle pretty much everywhere. Misleading? that's what I have in my tank and that's the result I get, so there must be something else involved.

Mine don't grow thin branches at all, they grow huge and very thick...and those that are nearly with no flow are no exception.

Here is a frag I did of the one that is farther from the flow, and receive bearely any flow...I keep fragging it and it keep growing tons of branches and reach the surface.

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/y.../104_2322s.jpg

and the main coral. I don't think any of them look skinny.

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/y.../103_0881s.jpg

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/y...g?t=1353891781

Misleading in the fact that two 1050s is still 28X turn over/ hour and that doesn't account for your return pump (If you have one).

You my dear do not have low flow.

Agreed. 2100gph + any return is not low flow. :)

oh really? no return pump, no sump, just 2 pumps.

There is good flow in the back wall, but not in front, not where those SPS are.

SEe for yourself :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KhfN...yer_detailpage

does that qualify as good flow? Doesn't look like those polyps are being theared from the flow :)

It is really gently all over except in the back and there are no coral there. Everywhere else it is very gentle motion and not much in front. Of course there is some flow, but nothing I would qualify as high flow for sure.