Branching LPS shading lower branches out?

[animalkingdom]

Hi,
My candy cane colony and my duncan colony are both starting to shade out lower branches. I dont think their is any cross talk or signalling between the heads as they are separated by bone not soft tissue so maybe this is just the way it is with branching LPS. The lower polyps are getting small and turning white. Is this normal? Acropora and other SPS tend to grow in a way where they limit shading of themselves. Is this not true for branching LPS?

 

[Pluedke1]

Anything branching will eventually shade out other spots. I have had blastos grow to shade out itself. That is when you start fragging what might die anyway. Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Azedenkae]

Mhm. In nature the shaded branches just die off, making way for other stuff to colonize it. The top ones eventually grow even taller branches, which will then shade out what used to be the higher branches. And so on and so on.

 

[Tweaked]

Better flow and available food can slow or even prevent this. Remember, the colony shares its nutrients through a tunnel system throughout, and most LPS do fine in lower light if nutrients are available. Just a thought

 

[Reef Bass]

Some of the bottom heads on my volley ball size branching hammer were beginning to look sad so I easily cut them off. They perked right up in direct light. I will likely donate them to the next club raffle.

 

[Wonton Soup]

As long as you're getting new growth on the light facing side then I say let them die. It is the natural order of things.

SPS definitely do this same thing and very quickly in my opinion. The dead stuff hardens and becomes new "rock" or real estate for new coral/sponge.