Huge difference in tanks per coral

[Kirino]

So I´ve been wondering for a while now: how come the coral frags of the same species look so different in my new tank, compared to my old one.
The new:

Now the same coral in my old tank:

To me it seems like the color is browner in the old tank and the polyps are fewer but fatter. I don´t know which one is the healthy normal state. If I didn´t know they both looked the same before, I would think it´s a different coral lol.

 

[griss]

Just one of those mysteries in our hobby. Could be various things like slightly different lighting, water parameters, flow, etc.

 

[shred5]

Yea like Griss said.
Light for example: Sometime less light a coral will expand to increase its surface area to collect more light. Higher light it will shrink up to not take in so much light.
Fleshy corals will shrink up in higher flow to prevent damage to them.

 

[Timfish]

Like Griss and shred5 said it could be a number if variables. To their list I would add the reef systems the various microbiomes and food webs. And FWIW, we really do not have any way to determine a healthy coral. We've had to rely on coloration and growth but unfortunatly both bright colors and good growth can be indicators there's a problem.

 

[Kirino]

Thx for the replies. It's a pretty new tank started with dry rock earlier this year versus one that was moved here last year with live rock. The variables are huge. Curious what it will give over the long run.