Flow VS Growth?
- Thread starter MB-84
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tankaddict
New member
I don't really know but my guess is if you prune them often they will grow more cluster like.
Your sps look healthy to me. Different species grow differently as well. Tabling corals will grow in a much thicker group. Many times people see small frags with lots of branches but it takes awhile before a frag takes on its "real" shape. Once again, I believe your sps look healthy and mature. A small cluster of branches cannot compare to what you have going on!
I can most definitely relate to that. I have 2 Bali Green slimers. One branch is on one side of the tank and the other branch is on the other side. The difference: one of the slimers is closer to my mp 40 and has way thicker branches than the slimer on the other side, father away from the vortech.
Thanks.....If you look above my duncans in the middle of the picture my red planet is above them. It seems to grow out more towards the center of the tank more than a table? I dont know why it will not table like others I have seen?
Thanks for the input guys!
chrishayes
New member
what size tank is that? I see only one mp10. is that the case? I doubt it, but that could be whats causing your long branches. Corals wont waste time and more importantly energy on growing more skeleton that cant be covered by polyps if it doesnt need to. It will grow long and skinny to expose more of itself to the light and compete for space.
Me personally, I LOVE the look of your tank! Id take that in a minute. Dont complain, be proud and keep doin what youre doing or give the tank to me! lol
Me personally, I LOVE the look of your tank! Id take that in a minute. Dont complain, be proud and keep doin what youre doing or give the tank to me! lol
chrishayes
New member
Yeah think it look like a flow issue. Probably just not enough.
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dahenley
New member
can you give a close up of the sump. (looks nicely setup)
and Species will grow different. (branches/bunches/bushes/tables)
Flow/light/water will dictate how much and what fluctuation you get.
high flow has to have thicker branches to prevent breaking from the flow. it wont dictate the growth pattern for say. (you can get a slimer to grow like a Valida and what not) but there can be some manipulation.
your red-planet might be stretching for light (since you only have 2 MH's) or getting where it wants to be. if you put a MP-40 in front of it, it may be thicker and more tabling because its what is needed to be stable. if you don't have any flow in the middle, it might be stretching out to expand easier (less thick and talbesome)
so, species has a lot to do with it, and Flow/water/light are how you manipulate it from there.
and Species will grow different. (branches/bunches/bushes/tables)
Flow/light/water will dictate how much and what fluctuation you get.
high flow has to have thicker branches to prevent breaking from the flow. it wont dictate the growth pattern for say. (you can get a slimer to grow like a Valida and what not) but there can be some manipulation.
your red-planet might be stretching for light (since you only have 2 MH's) or getting where it wants to be. if you put a MP-40 in front of it, it may be thicker and more tabling because its what is needed to be stable. if you don't have any flow in the middle, it might be stretching out to expand easier (less thick and talbesome)
so, species has a lot to do with it, and Flow/water/light are how you manipulate it from there.
chrishayes
New member
Well said
dahenley
New member
Do you have any on the back wall pointing to the front glass? I hear it is a nice addition to flow, as well as hiding the sound of the motor.
Also, do you have all of them synchronized? I hear syncing or anti syncing them is nice, but running a different pump non connected helps because it produces randomness outside the synchronized flow of the tank.
Also, do you have all of them synchronized? I hear syncing or anti syncing them is nice, but running a different pump non connected helps because it produces randomness outside the synchronized flow of the tank.
DeathWish302
Clown Hoarder
I don't believe flow completely dictates growth pattern moreso than light or species. I have some M. digitates that grow like tables and some like stags. I have a stag that has completely encrusted a rock and only several 1-2" vertical 'shoots'. I also have a A. Tenuis that you would swear is some weird type of encrusting monti with tiny 0.5-1" branches reaching from the colony rock. My stags, torts and remaining 'branching' montis' are shooting for the moon.
Now I consider my SPS DT to be extreme in every nature of flow and light. I'm pushing nearly 6200-6500gph (w/ return) in a 58gal. That's comprised of 2xK4's, 1 MJ Maxi-Mod SwirlerStein, 600gph return (max allowed by 1" pvc) & 1xMP40W. Minus the SwirlerStein, you'd never know all those PH's are in the tank with my placement. So, a few K4s' can boost your flow and not turn it into an ugly setting. I'm also running a 400W Radium 5hrs/day with 4x39W Blue/Purple+ T5s' 3hr before and after MH. If anything, I've had to move the MH to 24" away from the water surface for fear of bleaching corals.
I don't think your light is the problem, but maybe some more flow by adding some additional hidden phs'. I will suggest you frag more often to shape your corals. Another way I have found to force growth in more than one direction is by turning the rocks the colonies are attached to wrt the light. I have forced growth in various directions by spinning rocks and shading the new growth area and tilting the new growth towards the bottom. I prefer to have all sides of the coral pop with color, so the 'color maintenance' as I call it helps with the constant rotation compared to the light source. It definitely has helped with eliminating those annoying spots that start to stn b/c of low light.
Anyway, hope some of this info helps.
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