SPS growth

[Scubajoe1]

So I am seeing lots of new growth on several of my SPS coral....new white extensions on the tips but I am not seeing these new white tips color up yet. How long does that take?

 

[xdestry]

Growth tips will usually stay white or paler than the other older growth

 

[Wiskey]

That's a good thing IMHO! It means that they are growing well.

Whiskey

 

[Scubajoe1]

shouldn't they color up eventually?

 

[Wiskey]

The growth tip will just get further out, let's say that the growth tip is 1/4", it will stay that way and the branch will get longer.

Whiskey

 

[Scubajoe1]

serious? it grows out from the middle of the branch?

 

[Wiskey]

serious? it grows out from the middle of the branch?

No, the new growth is white at the tip, and the color fills in behind it. So the newest growth (the tip) stays white as the coral continues to grow there.

Whiskey

 

[rt67ghy]

In the white tips you are seeing the coral depositing CaCO3 (calcification) as the skeleton grows at these points. The colour occurs at the same pace as zooaxanthellae grows to cover the new skeleton but it always lags behind. When the coral is growing very fast the white tips will be longer because rate of calcification has increased and zooaxanthellae growth will try to catch up. So it's a continuous process. The shorter/less visible the white tips the slower your acro is growing (No white tips at all in acropora means no growth). A longer white tip is therefore a sign that your acro has adjusted to your tank conditions and is growing fast.
Hope this helps.
Also, the acro stems will be getting gradually thicker to support the increasing weight of the acro as it grows but normally this is harder to notice.

 

[kevin_e]

If it is white in the middle of the branch and it's not a new tip, then it is something else causing STN or the like.

 

[Scubajoe1]

They are at the tips

 

[Scubajoe1]

Here is some of the SPS in my tank.

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/library/?view=recent&page=1

 

[rt67ghy]

They all look very healthy to me.

 

[Scubajoe1]

They are looking better now. When the phosphates were not detectable and I was not feeding as much as I am not they were not faded more. color has been coming back more over the last few weeks. I just took the photo yesterday. Will see if I can find any photo from three weeks ago.