AquaTDV
Member
At what point do tabling Acros particularly Milles block the light so much that they begin to die underneath causing the health of the colony to decline?
I've grown several large Mille colonies from frags over the years, and when they hit the 20" in diameter mark the colony begins to decline. I've experienced this with all sorts of lighting. From LEDs to 400 watt MHs in a 12 year span of keeping SPS. I know that stony corals don't live forever otherwise the ocean wouldn't have a reef structure to build on. I believe it was Eric Borneman who said the average SPS colony lifespan was from 4 to 11 years on Pacific acros they studied. I know there are a lot of variables involved but is the natural live cycle of a colony if not fragged, to eventually die and continue to build a reef in our tanks. If so what is the size we should expect before it dies this is also where light tracks with swiveling heads would be effective, because this would allow light to hit the coral from different angles like the sun moving across the sky. Not just from directly above the coral casting a shadow on everything that lies beneath.
Has anyone else experienced this, and if so what size do you try and keep your colonies at?
I've grown several large Mille colonies from frags over the years, and when they hit the 20" in diameter mark the colony begins to decline. I've experienced this with all sorts of lighting. From LEDs to 400 watt MHs in a 12 year span of keeping SPS. I know that stony corals don't live forever otherwise the ocean wouldn't have a reef structure to build on. I believe it was Eric Borneman who said the average SPS colony lifespan was from 4 to 11 years on Pacific acros they studied. I know there are a lot of variables involved but is the natural live cycle of a colony if not fragged, to eventually die and continue to build a reef in our tanks. If so what is the size we should expect before it dies this is also where light tracks with swiveling heads would be effective, because this would allow light to hit the coral from different angles like the sun moving across the sky. Not just from directly above the coral casting a shadow on everything that lies beneath.
Has anyone else experienced this, and if so what size do you try and keep your colonies at?
Last edited: