acro growth "spurts"?

[foshizzle]

Kalk reactor isn't keeping up with my alk demand anymore. Alk has dropped from 9 to 6 twice before I realized it. growth slowed significantly.

So... both times when I brought the alk back up, acro growth exploded for a week or two and then leveled off to normal. anyone else noticed this?

 

[tonyscoots84]

im actually pretty shocked u got a growth spurt usually them corals that take so damn long to grow need to get used to all par. to feel comfy then they will grow... but no i have never experienced what has happened to u...

 

[Shawnts106]

Yes I have experience this twice!

My ALK is *CRAP* right now, too low, and when I go and add ALK buffer, or drip Kalk or yadayadayada you get it, my acros and montis just explode!

quite interesting!

 

[Hockeydad]

ALK level

ALK level

are you dripping kalk or using a kalk reactor and are you also running a CA reactor?

 

[Tyreef]

cool

 

[foshizzle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8417212#post8417212 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shawnts106
Yes I have experience this twice!

My ALK is *CRAP* right now, too low, and when I go and add ALK buffer, or drip Kalk or yadayadayada you get it, my acros and montis just explode!

quite interesting!

Does the coral growth slow back to normal again after the initial explosion for you?

Hockeydad, I run all my topoff through DIY "kalk reactor", a RO filter cannister filled with kalk.

 

[Justin74]

Ive noticed spurts as well in my acros and montis sometimes it will do in 2 weeks what normally happens in two months, and for me ya, usually slows down to "normal" I guess youd call it whatever that is , after a few weeks .

-Justin

 

[carman9941]

are you sure its growth? are the tips white and it looks like new growth? I have seen this with low alk

 

[foshizzle]

definitely growth. i.e. corals get bigger

 

[trueblackpercula]

thanks for the info

 

[twon8]

i experience the same thing, i topoff with kalk and if i dont' test for a while alk will tend to lower, but within days of supplementing with two part i have great growth again, with more white tips. i have sort of conditioned my corals to do as much as they can while the alk is up...

 

[chrisd1009]

as corals grow, they need more ca and alk. They are not spurts. You are doing the right thing by testing. As demand goes up, add more... you'll get consistent growth.

 

[foshizzle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8490321#post8490321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisd1009
as corals grow, they need more ca and alk. They are not spurts. You are doing the right thing by testing. As demand goes up, add more... you'll get consistent growth.

you're not understanding me...
The corals grow extremely rapidly for a week or so after I bring alk back up then slow back to normal pace as if I had been maintiaining alk consistently for months.

It's like the corals are saving up energy for explosive growth "spurts" once sufficient alk is available again. Not saying that consistency wouldn't produce overall better results, but I just thought this was an interesting phenomenon.

just like twon8 describes