Do corals grow faster the bigger they get?

Miami Reef

Reef Chem Enthusiast
View Badges
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Messages
17,251
Reaction score
29,663
Location
Miami
What state or country do you live in
Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a green star polyp and I have a question, do they (and other corals in general) grow faster the more bigger they get. The GSP doubled in size in a few month. Is it going to grow even faster now that it’s bigger?
 
Assuming consistent resources (minerals, growing conditions such as light and flow, empty space, etc.), then the coral's growth rate should remain consistent. But since it's growing, it's giving more of a base. Since yours is doubling, that means 1" becomes 2", 2" becomes 4", 4" becomes 8", etc. So the growth rate is constant, but the resulting volume from that growth increases.

Note that the most of the time, the coral will run into less-than-ideal environmental conditions (too much/not enough light and/or flow, lowered nutrients, competition with other corals, etc.) and that will stunt it's growth.
 
Yeah they will, for example a birdsnest coral. When it starts out, it might have 3 growth tips. Over time, it gets more growth tips which in turn makes it grow faster.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT MOST EARNS A REEFING BUSINESS YOUR "BEST OF THE BEST" NOMINATION?

  • Excellent livestock or product quality

    Votes: 22 29.7%
  • Honest listings and accurate expectations

    Votes: 8 10.8%
  • Helpful, knowledgeable customer service

    Votes: 6 8.1%
  • Standing behind a product when something goes wrong

    Votes: 16 21.6%
  • Fair prices and good value

    Votes: 9 12.2%
  • A unique selection or innovative products

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Supporting the reefing community or sustainability

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Consistent quality over time

    Votes: 12 16.2%
  • Other (Post in the comments)

    Votes: 1 1.4%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new