Why do my SPS grow at the bottom, not the top

[undbulsu]

I have various SPS corals in a mixed reef tank. Mostly easy to keep SPS along with LPS. Pocillopora, Seriatapora, and a few Acros.

But the growth pattern is for them to spread along the live rock I have them attatched to rather than branching and growing taller.

Is it light? Flow? Combination?

 

[fitofansami]

if the problem is the direction they growing then its a flow issue.

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[xanthurum]

That's what they do. They grow a strong base so they can support themselves as they grow. Just like a house, you need a strong foundation.

 

[nmotz]

Yeah they will encrust onto the rock for a while before they start growing vertically. Acros in particular seem to want to encrust over everything before they branch out.

 

[phenom5]

High flow seems to encourage acro to encrust heavily, but for that matter some acros just lay down more of a base than others. I have a pink millie that has created a huge base, and then all of a sudden started sending up branches all over.