growth spurts in sps

[snowmansnow]

does anyone else notice growth spurts in their sps corals?

I'll go through weeks of everything looking the same, and then for a week or two I'll see explosive growth all of a sudden.

I guess my homework needs to be tracking down what is happening during this time.

ODDLY the only thing that comes to mind is my lights were down to half day cycles right before I noticed.....

anyone else?

B

 

[CoralShop]

Odd that your lights being on half cycles would induce an increase in growth, seems counterintuitive :unsure:

 

[snowmansnow]

renoeb;909699 wrote: Odd that your lights being on half cycles would induce an increase in growth, seems counterintuitive :unsure:

yup... maybe its a stress reaction? "hey i gotta grow or im gonna die"

 

[CoralShop]

but to answer your question, yes I have noticed some growth spurts in my sps too.

 

[declanisadog]

+1. Don't know why it happens, but it's sweet when it does!

 

[gregoryleonard]

I too see that growth pattern in my SPS, as well as my chalices.

 

[tbub1221]

I'd like to see some of this on all my coral I only see it on a few of my sps but the few that do that seem to explode in growth occasionally , iv never been able to determine any triggers or patterns that i noticed.

 

[camellia]

Currently my SPS are also having a growth spurt, odd but nice.

 

[the curious]

You said that your lights were down to half day cycles right before you noticed...I seem to remember that corals don't grow during the period of light, but rather, they absorb "energy". Then they actually use the stored energy to grow during their dark period.
I didn't double-check myself on this, but it sounds familiar.

I, as well as these others, seem too see the same kinda growth spurts too though, without any changes to the light-cycle. Its an interesting topic, I'll be following along .

 

[ripped tide]

the curious;909824 wrote: You said that your lights were down to half day cycles right before you noticed...I seem to remember that corals don't grow during the period of light, but rather, they absorb "energy". Then they actually use the stored energy to grow during their dark period.
I didn't double-check myself on this, but it sounds familiar.

this, plus many factors play a role.

Think about what is happening right now. As we move into winter the southern hemisphere is moving into summer. All is relevant

 

[seth the wine guy]

I see it all the time in mine. I can actually control/manipulate it. I keep my PO4 between .03-.05. When I want a growth explosion I boost the GFO to get it below .03. But, have to be careful because these growth spurts cause a major Alk drop if not monitored. Mg and Ca will drop as well but it hits the Alk the hardest. I'm in a spurt right now but I don't like the coloration I get if I allow it to go too long.

Some might ask why I don't do what is always preached and keep things at a consistent level all the time. Well, of the ULN tanks I see most of the Acros look washed out. Incredible growth but I think it happens faster than the zoo that populate/color it to keep up. If I don't drop the nutrient levels I get frustrated at the speed of growth. I'll let the large GFO influx whittle out and let things gradually slow down again. All the very light tips of new growth then color back up.

There are a few other factors I use/do but this is the core of it. Best advice I would give though is to frequently check Alk during these "spurts" and you might just find the spurt stopped when the Alk was depleted to around 7-8 dKH. I find monitoring Alk in my tank tells the story of where Ca and Mg are too. Where Alk goes in my tank, the other two follow. Maybe it's how I have my Ca Reactor setup and the media in it so I may be very different for those using other dosing methods or media in their reactor.

 

[snowmansnow]

Seth The Wine Guy;909848 wrote: I see it all the time in mine. I can actually control/manipulate it. I keep my PO4 between .03-.05. When I want a growth explosion I boost the GFO to get it below .03. But, have to be careful because these growth spurts cause a major Alk drop if not monitored. Mg and Ca will drop as well but it hits the Alk the hardest. I'm in a spurt right now but I don't like the coloration I get if I allow it to go too long.

Some might ask why I don't do what is always preached and keep things at a consistent level all the time. Well, of the ULN tanks I see most of the Acros look washed out. Incredible growth but I think it happens faster than the zoo that populate/color it to keep up. If I don't drop the nutrient levels I get frustrated at the speed of growth. I'll let the large GFO influx whittle out and let things gradually slow down again. All the very light tips of new growth then color back up.

There are a few other factors I use/do but this is the core of it. Best advice I would give though is to frequently check Alk during these "spurts" and you might just find the spurt stopped when the Alk was depleted to around 7-8 dKH. I find monitoring Alk in my tank tells the story of where Ca and Mg are too. Where Alk goes in my tank, the other two follow. Maybe it's how I have my Ca Reactor setup and the media in it so I may be very different for those using other dosing methods or media in their reactor.

no .. i agree !

alk monitoring is key for a lot of things. it directly and indirectly affects a LOT