birdsnest with pointy tips the same thing as stubby tipped one?

[dav1d84]

are they the same with just different water flow or different?

btw, how does waterflow effect how birdsnest look?

 

[jbob]

i've always read that if the tips are "stubby" then you have high nitrates. pointy tip equals low nitrates

 

[klepto]

I think you are referring to two different species of Seriatopora. S. guttatus has bushier polyps and isn't as thin branching as Seriatopora hystrix. So, they are in the same genus, but are different species.
Differences in flow will surely effect the way individuals mature. As Seriatopora colonies become more dense, they require more flow to compensate for the increase in mass. If they don't receive adequate flow then coloration and growth will be affected. With a small frag, moderate flow and lighting (trending towards lower flow for S. guttatus) has worked well for me in numerous situations.