Acro - getting thick and encrusting but no vertical growth

[dwhanc00]

So I am having issues with my acros. I have acros that continue to crust and have gotten really thick, so I know they are growing but they are not branching out. I am still having some issues with the bubbling but they continue to grow thicker. I have a 140 gallon with 4 mp40's running at various speeds throughout the day, hitting probably 70% at peak during the middle of the day. Nutrients are on the high side at NO3 ~ 15-20 and PO4 around .15. Alk- 8-8.5; Calcium 400-430; Mag 1350 - 1420. Last three ICPs have had two maybe three elements slightly off but no major concerns from my maintenance guy. I do weekly water changes around 15-20%. I am using the aquaforest probiotic method so heavy import and export and part of the reason my nutrients are on the high side. Also dabbling with the "concoction" that has pushed some of my growing corals to grow faster.

 

[KrisReef]

Corals growth pattern is likely a response to conditions in the place where they have "settled." Thick bases and branches suggest that the coral is trying to anchor and hold in a high current velocity situation to prevent it from being broken or dislodged. I would suggest lowering the turbulent flow and see if they don't start growing up?

 

[dwhanc00]

Thank you. I reduced my flow and will see if that helps over the next two weeks. 4 MP 40's in a 140 - 4ft might be a bit much even with my positioning and ability to adjust flow patterns.

 

[Uncle99]

This 1” loom below, encrusted about 6” of rock for a year,before adding any branches, then poof, both branch and encrusting, now 2 years old.

 

[Peanut]

what about lighting?....I had acros doing what you described. I switched lights and they exploded

 

[billyocean]

If it's basing out a lot you can stab/cut it with something sharp. Sometimes it will encourage it to start growing branches in those spots. I use bone cusher pliers

 

[Necrodaemus]

what about lighting?....I had acros doing what you described. I switched lights and they exploded

Interesting observation. What lights did you switch to and from?

 

[MoshJosh]

Mine pretty consistently encrust their entire 2" X 2" tile before even THINKING about growing up/adding new branch. . . though there are always exceptions. . .

 

[Necrodaemus]

So I am having issues with my acros. I have acros that continue to crust and have gotten really thick, so I know they are growing but they are not branching out. I am still having some issues with the bubbling but they continue to grow thicker. I have a 140 gallon with 4 mp40's running at various speeds throughout the day, hitting probably 70% at peak during the middle of the day. Nutrients are on the high side at NO3 ~ 15-20 and PO4 around .15. Alk- 8-8.5; Calcium 400-430; Mag 1350 - 1420. Last three ICPs have had two maybe three elements slightly off but no major concerns from my maintenance guy. I do weekly water changes around 15-20%. I am using the aquaforest probiotic method so heavy import and export and part of the reason my nutrients are on the high side. Also dabbling with the "concoction" that has pushed some of my growing corals to grow faster.

I revived this thread because I'm seeing the same with several of my acros as well. I'm thinking heavy flow is also the cause.

 

[VintageReefer]

This is normal. They will encrust to make a secure base then grow upwards

 

[bobnicaragua]

Acros like strong random flow, don’t reduce it. Puddling is a good thing.

This rainbow loom encrusted rock is the size of a softball and it’s just starting to throw out a few nubs.

 

[KrisReef]

Acros like strong random flow, don’t reduce it. Puddling is a good thing.

This rainbow loom encrusted rock is the size of a softball and it’s just starting to throw out a few nubs.

Don’t throw it out! I would be happy to have that:cool:

 

[Necrodaemus]

Acros like strong random flow, don’t reduce it. Puddling is a good thing.

This rainbow loom encrusted rock is the size of a softball and it’s just starting to throw out a few nubs.

Very similar to what my PC Rainbow is doing. It started throwing branches before I moved it to a bigger tank, and those branches stopped going up but thickened as a new base. It's now encrusted about 5".

 

[Merge_595]

If it's basing out a lot you can stab/cut it with something sharp. Sometimes it will encourage it to start growing branches in those spots. I use bone cusher pliers

This worked for me in the past.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Don’t throw it out! I would be happy to have that:cool:

I’m looking to get rid of it , PM me.

 

[KrisReef]

Very similar to what my PC Rainbow is doing. It started throwing branches before I moved it to a bigger tank, and those branches stopped going up but thickened as a new base. It's now encrusted about 5".

The coral, I believe, is programmed to encrust (attach a secure base) and then start branching after a branch gets knocked off. The act of moving this to a new tank signaled to the coral that it wasn't securely attached, so it began growing more base to prevent it from moving.

This is why folks should not keep moving corals around if they want them to grow more than a base. The corals know when they are moving, and they are made to attach and grow in one place.

 

[Red_Beard]

Very similar to what my PC Rainbow is doing. It started throwing branches before I moved it to a bigger tank, and those branches stopped going up but thickened as a new base. It's now encrusted about 5".

Acros like strong random flow, don’t reduce it. Puddling is a good thing.

This rainbow loom encrusted rock is the size of a softball and it’s just starting to throw out a few nubs.

Nice! I have the exact oposite problem. I could pop my softball size colonies off the rocks as they never encrusted past the plug edges.

 

[Necrodaemus]

Nice! I have the exact oposite problem. I could pop my softball size colonies off the rocks as they never encrusted past the plug edges.

Most likely a wide difference in lighting and flow, would be my guess.

 

[Necrodaemus]

The coral, I believe, is programmed to encrust (attach a secure base) and then start branching after a branch gets knocked off. The act of moving this to a new tank signaled to the coral that it wasn't securely attached, so it began growing more base to prevent it from moving.

This is why folks should not keep moving corals around if they want them to grow more than a base. The corals know when they are moving, and they are made to attach and grow in one place.

I'm considering snipping a few nubs off of the top to see if it starts branching

 

[bobnicaragua]

Most likely a wide difference in lighting and flow, would be my guess.

For what it’s worth, I’m running 6 power heads on a 6’ tank and my canopy is stuffed with T5, metal halide, and LEDs.

I don’t know if that = more encrusting. That rock was under a big rainbow loom colony. Here’s a shot from a couple of months ago before I chopped it up.