SPS Acropora Help - no vertical growth

[reefer1]

Hi Acropora Experts,
My sps coral only seem to be encrusting while any branches are just getting thicker. Not much vertical growth or new branching. See the pictures (oregon tort, sc orange passion in first photo and WWC red shortcake in second photo).
Tank parameters seem solid (alk=8.0, temp 77, salinity 1.026, cal=430, mag=1400, nitrates=2-5). Triton test showed all parameters in green zone.
105 gallon display with 20gal sump, chaeto reactor, skimmer, filter sock, three MP40's at 50-60% reef crest mode (10-20% at night), and LED/T5 combo lighting. Lots of copepods in system.
Just measured lighting with LUX meter. 58,400 lumons peak at water surface. This is about 850-900 par at surface. The oregon tort and SC orange passion are about 5" below surface, WWC red shortcake is 7" below surface.
I recently cut tip of oregon tort and left side of encrusting.

Any ideas on how to get branching and vertical growth?

Thanks!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Sps newbish here.
How long have they been In the tank?

Oddly I get vertical mostly and not encrusting.
Only one so far has encrusted first , the mother never did

32000 lux approx 6in above closest acro.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

You probably have a lot of flow, once they lay the base they will grow branches. Low flow = more branching, high flow = encrusting and nicer looking Colonies overalls IMO

 

[reefer1]

The oregon tort has been in my tank about 1-1/2 years. The WWC red shortcake about 1 year. And, the orange passion about 6 months.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Mine branch first.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hmm.
I wanna know.

#spsexperts
@sabafella @Diesel

 

[Diesel]

SPS are weird corals my friend.
Your # can be perfect but the growth is slow or in your case horizontal encrusting.
It's already mentioned as too much flow or uniform flow.
You can change up your flow by just moving the pumps up or down, left or right.
Not sure what pumps you running but having a random flow every hour or so that the EM vortech pumps can be programmed on can make a huge difference.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

SPS are weird corals my friend.
Your # can be perfect but the growth is slow or in your case horizontal encrusting.
It's already mentioned as too much flow or uniform flow.
You can change up your flow by just moving the pumps up or down, left or right.
Not sure what pumps you running but having a random flow every hour or so that the EM vortech pumps can be programmed on can make a huge difference.

Hello sir !!

Have you noticed a difference in V growth and encrusting with more tubulant flow rather than more direct ?

Or are they just that weird.

I'm experimenting with the same frags in different places. Turbulent.
Laminar etc. mine generally all branch.
I am getting ready to try a few more species to see if there is a difference there.
Currently abut ten kinds.

Only one seems to branch and encrust.

 

[reefer1]

I run three EM vortech MP40s. Here is what the program looks like. Mode = reef crest. Left/right are anti-sync

 

[Diesel]

Hello sir !!

Have you noticed a difference in V growth and encrusting with more tubulant flow rather than more direct ?

Or are they just that weird.

I'm experimenting with the same frags in different places. Turbulent.
Laminar etc. mine generally all branch.
I am getting ready to try a few more species to see if there is a difference there.
Currently abut ten kinds.

Only one seems to branch and encrust.

Good study.
I have done a few in my DT and mainly in fragtanks but with too much of the same flow these are the common habits that can happen to SPS.
I would pay much attention to it as it's part of nature.
I had cheapo SPS not doing what they suppose to be doing (like growing as weeds) but the pricey SPS have always done wonders for me.
But that ain't new news as many know.

 

[Diesel]

I run three EM vortech MP40s. Here is what the program looks like. Mode = reef crest. Left/right are anti-sync

3 vortechs..... can I ask the size of your tank?
Sorry if this is already mentioned but I got a new drug from the Dr that wants me do a millions things in 5 sec :mad:;Doctor;Spiderman;Pompus;Smilie;Writing;Couchpotato;Eggonface.
I had 6 on my 202 tank, random in every mode I could program them even 6 nutrients modes ;Jawdrop

 

[reefer1]

no problem - the display is 105 gallons. Its four feet wide. Two MP40's on the leftside . The return and other MP40 on the right side.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Good study.
I have done a few in my DT and mainly in fragtanks but with too much of the same flow these are the common habits that can happen to SPS.
I would pay much attention to it as it's part of nature.
I had cheapo SPS not doing what they suppose to be doing (like growing as weeds) but the pricey SPS have always done wonders for me.
But that ain't new news as many know.

Thanks professor !
Ive graduated into the acro undergrad program recently.
Time to finally drop the $$$.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

no problem - the display is 105 gallons. Its four feet wide. Two MP40's on the leftside . The return and other MP40 on the right side.

Full tank shot will help.

 

[Diesel]

no problem - the display is 105 gallons. Its four feet wide. Two MP40's on the leftside . The return and other MP40 on the right side.

Awesome!
Don't be like me but move one on the back.
And the lefty move him 5" in and the righty 5" back and 1" down.
Rotate them every week when you clean the wet sides and time will tell.
How much return you think you have?

Note: if I don't reply back in a timely manor blame my phone as it is abou to di

 

[Salty1962]

I have some that encrusted for over a year before I got any vertical growth. I have a Superman Table that has encrusted for over a year and it just recently started going vertical. The nice thing is when they do encrust for a while you get vertical growth across the entire area that's encrusted and they usually do it quick. My Superman encrusted over an area of 2-3" and I have at least 30 vertical growths coming up in the last 2 months. I have a moderate amount of random flow in my tank.

 

[Diesel]

Thanks professor !
Ive graduated into the acro undergrad program recently.
Time to finally drop the $$$.

No professor in all means here.
Just dropping my experience here.
Now you know as well as I do and TONS of other hobbyist, what works for me not necessarily works for all.
Crazy thing is time over time ppl come back weeks or months to thank me as it turned out that their tank is well on their way to look like mine or even better

 

[Flippers4pups]

They are weird animals for sure. I've got some cheapo German blue montipora digitata for instance in two places and one has grown large vertical branches, while the other has plated a huge area and is just now going vertical. Within two inches of each other.

Blue/green acropora near by growing large branches vertical. Red montipora cap plating near by, plated a very large area on it's rock before plating out in the open.

Some I think have the need to get a firm grip on a surface to have the ability to go vertical and others don't.

Weird.

 

[reefer1]

Unfortunately I can't place one on the back as the tank sits too close to a wall.
The return is rated at 780gph minus the effect of the pump height (about 4 ft) and three right angles so maybe 400gph

 

[Diesel]

They are weird animals for sure. I've got some cheapo German blue montipora digitata for instance in two places and one has grown large vertical branches, while the other has plated a huge area and is just now going vertical. Within two inches of each other.

Blue/green acropora near by growing large branches vertical. Red montipora cap plating near by, plated a very large area on it's rock before plating out in the open.

Some I think have the need to get a firm grip on a surface to have the ability to go vertical and others don't.

Weird.

What weird is that they are German corals