How to make your corals grow faster?

[elegant_reefer]

I want to know of everybody's method(s) of how they make their corals grow faster. Anywhere from supplements to lighting or flow, whatever it is let us know!


I personally dose like crazy and have a powerhead breaking the surface so that it replicates the rays of light shooting down into the water like in the ocean (no idea if this works but it sure looks cool!)

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

Depends on whatcha tryna grow lol.

Most need stable Alk(8-10) +Ca (425) + Mg (1300ish) If it is not stable it will cause stress and stun growth. I have noticed a nice calcium reactor does the job.

Lighting also plays a role, can't get too specific unless you have a par meter. ie. a 400w MH under a home made bent reflector vs. 400w MH with LumenMax Reflector will yield different results.

 

[Troylee]

All about keeping the tank stable as Psc mentioned.... Lighting and flow play a role but staying stable is key!!!!

 

[Murfman]

You can help LPS grow by feeding them. I don't feed mine because it is a real deep tank and they are on the sand. My fish steal the food, if I feed during the day so they are pretty much resigned to just eat what is in the water column. I have friends, with the exact same coral, who feed and get 3x the growth.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

in terms of influence on overall coral growth and wellness (presuming reasonable basics met), lighting is a distant third to food and water flow. While most corals are highly adaptable to a wide range of lighting, we just can't skimp on feeding to provide nitrogen for growth...or water flow to bring food to corals and carry waste away.

You can find corals such as Elegant on the reef at depth where radiance is less than 5% of what reaches the surface above it (and shallow occurring clones of the same coral!); the shallow specimens are typically browner, rich with zoox populations while the deep specimens are icy green with little brown color at all (literally an absence of significant zooxanthellae). Yet those corals live and grow nicely by compensating with heavier feeding.

There was a study done some time ago comparing reef building corals kept in three params: high light with no food, no light with heavy food, and moderate light with moderate food. The latter category fared best, unsurprisingly. The high light but unfed corals died rather quickly. And the unlit but heavily fed corals eventually lost their zoox, but they lived for over a year and were still alive and feeding normally at the end of the trial.

Zoox in photosynthetic corals will drive the fundamentals (respiration, etc) but nitrogen will facilitate growth and reproduction. Gotta feed heavily.

Also remember, form follows function: large polyps most always eat large prey. And more tissue requires more food. The wisp of living tissue on an Montipora, eg, versus a Plerogyra (bubble coral) indicate two very different (organismal) feeding needs.

We can't say what to feed "corals" for the hundreds of different types we keep in aquaria, but we can say this: the more fish in the reef tank the better, generally. Fish waste is second only to lagoonal detritus, as a rule, for feeding corals.

 

[KLR]

Like said above stability is the most important,but after that there are some extra tricks depending on the coral.

 

[Brad Syphus]

Thank you Anthony. Do you still believe in very large water changes?

 

[Anthony Calfo]

Actually...no, it really is about feeding. Tissue building. And a rather small amount of minerals is needed even for stonies (dont take my word...test your daily demand for calcium in the system - even with the understanding that much is precipitating as insoluble calcium carbonate - and reckon that against total calcium. Same for other minerals...minute amounts are needed and basic water changes in a tank with sand take care of most of that for most people). Also, the reef world is bigger than just stony corals Soft corals, tunicates, sponges, microcrustacea, etc.

Put another way. A stable environment for most photosynthetic terrestrial plants in good sun grows nothing (no settlement, longevity or growth) without food. But add nitrogen rich fertilizer into the mix and significant growth can be had. The not so miraculous miracle of Miracle Grow (high nitrogen).

Indeed, there are many components to consider, but basic husbandry (normal fishload, normal water change schedule and basic mineral supplementation and/or aragonite sand) puts most reefkeepers soundly in the ballpark for growing corals. Modest lights then with high water flow and heavy feeding will grow corals amazingly fast. Adding brighter lights or leaving your lights on longer will do comparatively less (near nothing) for growth.

 

[Brad Syphus]

Well I have no problem in the fish department. I'm just shocked on your waterchange amount. I remember when you were here in Salt Lake a few years ago you spoke on how important it was to do waterchanges. I guess we all live and learn. When I'm asked about waterchanges, your presentation from back then always comes to my mind. Now I will have to re- think my answer.

 

[Murfman]

Adding brighter lights or leaving your lights on longer will do comparatively less (near nothing) for growth.

Well put. We have a local seller who has his 400 Watt MH on for 2 hours a day. I just bought a Pink Lemonade from him and his 125 is incredible! He does keep actinics on for 12 hours though.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

love and barry white music.

 

[elegant_reefer]

I forgot to mention that I do feed my corals.

I rarely do water changes as well (I know I know I should) and never have any problems.

 

[Reefer<3Addict]

More corals to filter water = less water changes, everything has a symbiotic relationship

 

[Ben Cecchini]

I need help!! Im new to hobby, I have a 125 with 3 leds and 2 wavemakers. My salinity is 1.025 and tds read 0-1. My corals aren’t opending to the mere capabilities.. do I need to do more water changes? Lighting? Reacors? Additives? Thank you!

 

[ZoWhat]

in a nutshell.....raise your pH to 8.3....growth DOUBLES at that rate...but you'll have to research wsys to do that.

I'm not rewriting a book when there are great articles all over R2R



.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Man Postpones Retirement to Save Reefs After He Accidentally Discovers How to Make Coral Grow 40 Times Faster

 

[Gio22]

I forgot to mention that I do feed my corals.

I rarely do water changes as well (I know I know I should) and never have any problems.

HAVE A 220 AND ONLY DO 50 gallon every 4 MONTHS

 

[nano reef]

I am shocked that only one person mentioned ph for faster growth, seems that was all I heard about when I first started which was only 4 months ago lol but now its more alkalinity. I even went and bought a Hannah checker that I never really use for ph, so much to keep it working, wish I woul have saved the money and got an alkalinity checker! Not to hijack this further but my corals dont grow either. Is it because i have a new system and new corals? I dont dose anything. Just feed reef roids. Weekly water changes beacuse I only have 10 gallons so far! New one coming in on Tuesday! YAY. I want to start with amino acids or some kind of supplement too. What about fuel or red sea I think its a two part amino acids and other nutrients. Maybe seachem plankton... . Have no idea. My corals dont really seem to eat the reef roids either or brine! Basically just dirtying up my tank! I have acan, zoas, gorgonian, and fixing to pick up a chalice and a toadstool. All are tiny frags. Like 1 polyp a piece! LOL

 

[I.AM.MR.MIKE]

Man Postpones Retirement to Save Reefs After He Accidentally Discovers How to Make Coral Grow 40 Times Faster

Is this when our FRAG was invented LOL - well since what we are buying is a micro-frag (overpriced) and was likely broken or cut off a colony why does it grown an inch in a year or less? Must not work as well in a reef tank. You sure aren't growing at a rate of car size from a frag in a few years.

 

[bxclent]

I want to know of everybody's method(s) of how they make their corals grow faster. Anywhere from supplements to lighting or flow, whatever it is let us know!


I personally dose like crazy and have a powerhead breaking the surface so that it replicates the rays of light shooting down into the water like in the ocean (no idea if this works but it sure looks cool!)

I have been using All For Reef the past 2 months along with a dosing pump and am happy with the growth I am seeing
Before that, my coral growth was stagnant.