SPS polyp extension = growth?

[ReefPharmer]

Hey guys, I have a bunch of frags that are supposed to be "growing" out.

I want to get an understanding of what polyp extension really means. If corals show good PE, I assume they are happy. Can I assume they are growing and I just cant see it in my day to day observation?

I have seen other tanks transform in 1 years time from frags to semi colonies. This tank has been set up for 6 months, so its not a super long time but at the same time, I am not noticing significant growth either. PE is there however.

(yep i know nothing good happens overnight)

 

[Saltydrip]

I'm just starting my first SPS frags and I'm wondering the same thing. What type of growth rates should be expected if corect parameters are maintained and lighting is good.

 

[Palting]

Yep, polyp extension generally means the SPS frags are happy. Very hard to see the growth, but you can sort of know they are growing by looking doing two things. First, look at the tips, or ends of the branches. Growing tips are usually lighter in color, almost white, and they fluoresce a little more than the rest of the coral under pure actinic light. Second, take pics about 3 months apart. The absolute proof would be to compare the two.

All corals have differing growth rates, SPS are not an exception. Time lapse pictures are best to see the growth. Example, here's a millepora.

Freshly planted:

6 months, battling it out with the purple acro above left. Eventually transplanted the purple acro to a bigger area:

2 years, with several frags harvested already, and check out the whitish growing tips:

Here's a monti cap:

Fresh and new:

6 months:

2 years, with the millepora mentioned earlier up front:

 

[ReefPharmer]

nice pics but i can tell that difference without needing to take pics. Thats a HUGE difference. I would think mine grew an inch or so MAYBE in 6 months

 

[Palting]

What SPS do you have? Maybe they just are the slow growing type. How are your parameters, lights, flow? Maybe they need some tweaking to favor SPS growth?

 

[NYCBOB]

1 inch in 6 months isn't much.

 

[mess7777]

Stability seems to be the key to growth...as well as the type of SPS. Some, like monti caps and birdsnest, grow very quickly...you can see the different week over week when parameters are in checks. Others seem to not grow at all. I have a cat's paw that's been there over a year and looks exactly the same....in someone else's tank the think might grow quickly....you just never know for sure.

Pretty much everyone agrees that pink birdsnest is an extremely fast grower, so if you want to try out a fast grower, why not track down a frag and see how it goes compared to your other pieces.

 

[rrasco]

Pink birdsnest is in fact a quick grower. I know in a few weeks I had about 30-40 new sprouts.

When first starting with new frags, look for them to encrust their plug or whatever you put them on. They need a strong base, then they will start growing out/up.

I always have good growth but not much PE except out of my birdsnests. I attribute this to a flame angel I removed this weekend, so we will see if they improve PE or if something else is out of whack. Nothing I can quantify though.

 

[Bladez]

Funny - I was just thinking the same thing about my cat's paw.

3 years of pink cat's paw

Feb 2013

Early 2012

April 2010

I have a cat's paw that's been there over a year and looks exactly the same....

 

[PAnanoguy]

rrasco, any polyp extension with the Flame angel gone?

 

[PAnanoguy]

just wanted to update... my tanks been setup for about a year and a half now. Im starting to see some really good polyp extension on my sps and I still have the flame angel so Im checking him off the list of culprits