How fast is fast in growth for SPS?

[mitchelljared]

Just curious when people say "oh, this grows really fast"....how fast is normal? Specifically for birdsnest/digitata and misc acropora varieties...under let's say 2X250 10K MH and 4X54Watt T5 (2 10K and 2 03 actinic bulbs) in a 135 gallon tank (standard dimensions)? Water parameters are ideal. What kind of growth should one get in a certain timespan? If people could give me ideas, like pics/details of growth and how long, that'd be great!

[mitchelljared]

Also...one more question: When you put a new piece in your tank, is there like a "getting used to the new environment" period before any growth starts? I'd assume so...as they need to acclimate. About how long should that take? My assumption is that the new coral will take some time before it wants to grow, then the growth takes off "fast."

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by mitchelljared

Also...one more question: When you put a new piece in your tank, is there like a "getting used to the new environment" period before any growth starts? I'd assume so...as they need to acclimate. About how long should that take? My assumption is that the new coral will take some time before it wants to grow, then the growth takes off "fast."

With some of my pieces it takes them a month to even establish a good base (I usually buy frags) then there is others that I get 0.5 - 0.7" a month out of them. My 1 birdnest and 1 acropora I got from Doug grow the fastest but my 3 monti caps put on some serious growth every week as well. Man I love these sticks... never though I would say that.

[marie]

According to popular opinion I seem to have fast growth
A. convexa pic taken feb


Pic taken aug (7 months growth)


Montipora, Superman digitata ( I was told this is a slow grower)
pic taken in March


Pic taken in june (3 months growth)

[marie]

As far as when a new coral starts growing, it depends on where it came from. Corals I get from Snappy (even with 2 day shipping) seem to start growing right away...others can take up to a month before there is visible signs of growth

[shrimpchips]

Holy jeebus Marie, what steroids are your tanks on? I need me some of those!

In my nano, I get about .5" growth in some of my millies in a month or so, but most are a lot slower. Sometimes corals are really quick to encrust (I have had new frags encrust a frag plug in like 2 weeks), but many are a lot slower to start growing upwards/outwards.

[Murminator]

For me bout an inch a year

[mitchelljared]

Thanks for everyone's input so far, it's very helpful.

Marie....wow...what type of lighting do you have? Tank size? The growth is so awesome. I have maybe a silly question, as I know the answer I'm sure...but the white tips on sps in your pics is for new growth, right? That is the process...they put down the skeleton, then it colors up, then polyps? I just have never heard anyone confirm this... Also, who's this "Snappy?" He ships too? Might be good to see if he has frags for sale.


It's too bad we don't have a pocket-sized reef scientists to ask anything at anytime!

Murminator...I hope I don't have that slow of growth.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by marie

As far as when a new coral starts growing, it depends on where it came from. Corals I get from Snappy (even with 2 day shipping) seem to start growing right away...others can take up to a month before there is visible signs of growth

Once they know they are going to Maries house I think they start growing in the bag on the way.

I measured the growth of a birdsnest for an online course I took through reefs.org. I had 2" of growth on it in 12 weeks, which I thought was pretty darn good. That was just a single branch though, the rest of it was also filling in. Thats about the fastest growing coral I've ever had. Slowest was a pink stylophora. They're pretty dense corals so they're putting down a lot of calcium during growth.


+1 for Snappy (CoralMaster) great frags and great service. Theres a link to him in the vendor forum

[don.ald]

can coral growth be helped along by pinching the tips or trimming?