Rotating SPS

[zenan81]

Who rotates SPS Small colonies for even Growth due to lighting or flow .Or if u don’t your opinion about doing it

 

[KrisReef]

I've never seen sps rotating on reefs, they tend to stay in one place.

Not sure how you propose to accomplish the "rotation", but the sun does rotate over the reef and some time ago folks would mount their lights (MH) on rails to move over the tank each day like the sun does.

I'm curious to hear what others are doing, if this is a thing?

 

[zenan81]

yes in nature sun rotates and u gat perfect formation in our tanks they will not Grove in a perfect shape so by 1 year of growth rotate them so it Groves even .If possible on glue and glue them again in different position

 

[KrisReef]

I see your point but I would hesitate to do this. After a year in one place they have grown towards the light in an optimal fashion for their captive position. Rotating would likely upset a years worth of growth pattern in the captive environment.

Corals in the environment the break and move can grow but it takes a bit of energy to move the growth tips around to the new optimal location. Corals that move too much don't survive, ime.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I hung a few fragments on string in my tank that spin all day. If I ever get them to grow they should have very tight even growth form. But a frag on a rack I would let stay still and it would probably grow better. Moving it daily might make it stress more than want to grow better I would think.

 

[Waters]

I think it might be easier just to incorporate additional lighting (assuming you have LEDS) like T5s?

 

[ScottB]

In my display, they pretty much are where they are until they get shaded. Then I will remove and put them through a light acclimation process. If I am diligent and slow with that, they come out OK.

In my high energy frag system, the small colonies and frags are constantly being moved, knocked over, blown around. I have oversize tangs in there too that knock stuff over all the time. Purely anecdotal, but I feel like they do get a better uniform flesh tone and polyp coverage in this more dynamic setting.

 

[Lovefish77]

Also if you rotate they might get a different flow than what they liked. It is not all about lighting, there are other factors at play.

 

[flyfisherman]

I do it- sometimes.

When they flood out away from the light- sometimes turning the flood towards the light will get them to pop sprouts.

When they flood toward the light- sometimes rotating the flood away from the light will help the shady side to grow. The flooded side will not be shaded anymore and continue to grow on the old shaded side.

Sometimes they sprout and grow away from the light big time. Rotating that side into light can sometimes encourage exponential growth.


All this said- sometimes i dont move frags especially rare variety because im scared- especially during acclimation phase- which can be 6mos+