SPS what the heck (why no growth except where fragged)?

[OneReef]

This is an odd issue I have with my SPS. I have many SPS that have not grown at all in almost a year. They have perfect color and have polyp extension, and are healthy, but will not grow even 1/10". Where I have fragged or broken off parts of the SPS, it grows back fast, and grows like crazy where broken off.

For example below, attached is a picture of a pink mille that has been in my tank since October, and has not grown a bit, except where I fragged half of it off. If you look where I circled in the picture, those 2 branches that are circled, both grew out in about 2-3 months of fragging. I broke off half the coral for a friend, and where I broke it off, the two branches grew back extremely fast, but the other half still won't budge. Heck, the two new branches grew out bigger than the other branches in just a couple/few months. This is the same with most of my SPS. Will not grow except it will grow back where I broke it off. In those places, it grows back as fast as a weed. What is going on here? Do I need to just snip the tips off all my SPS branches?

 

[MammothReefer]

I have some pieces that took over a year before they started to really take off while others just kept humming along within a few days of adding them to the tank. What are your phosphates, or your specs in general.

 

[galleon]

I have some pieces that took over a year before they started to really take off while others just kept humming along within a few days of adding them to the tank. What are your phosphates, or your specs in general.

Yup. Seen the same over the years.

 

[wonderz]

From the picture, looks the milli is still trying to grow out its base. And it growing back the fragged area is probably a survival thing to cover up the exposed fragged area.

 

[mc-cro]

sometimes fragging a stunted growth coral will trigger it to start taking off again.

not sure what the reason is, but I have done that many times over the years