Your “Barometer” SPS

[Pete_the_Puma]

Hello,

I remember over the years hearing some SPS gurus drop pearls of wisdom about certain corals behaving specific ways such as:

(these are just examples, I can’t remember the exact ones, these are likely incorrect)

“Plating Montipora will grow flat if it has enough light, scroll upwards if it needs more light”

“ORA Red Planet will only have red polyps if it has very high light”

or

“Bubblegum Montipora Digitata will only have crazy tip colors of the nitrates are 10ish”

So what are some of your pearls of wisdom about specific corals??

 

[Dcal]

Great thread idea

 

[reefnfun]

I have a green birdnest that is my canary in the coal mine. If it starts looking bad that mean that something is off.

 

[jcates]

I agree great idea for a thread. I've heard of these tattle tale types but I would be nice to see them in one spot

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

Ok so since posting this thread I have been reading a lot. Found one that seems to be generally accepted so here it is:

ORA red planet will be all red in high light, turn green at the base in lower light.

(Had it wrong in original post thought I remembered something about the polyps).

Surely we can come up with more!

 

[BeTreyed]

SPS will turn white when dying... that's All I got sorry

 

[NDIrish]

My red planet growth was red with green base. Turned my lights up, now it's turning pink with green base?

 

[ORReefer]

Duncan corals. I know they ARE NOT SPS but I've really come to rely them as a pretty good canary so hopefully I don't see those white SPS! Also, I have a dragon fruit monti that I can use the vibrancy of it's color as a barometer. When it's color really pops the acros are doing better.