A. Caroliniana help..no growth

MikeTR · Jun 5, 2014

I've had this piece for a year now and really no growth to speak of. It's colored up and encrusted the plug, but maybe 1/8" if that. It's the highlighter green one next to the setosa. What gives? You can see the 1/2" growth tips on everything else.

Pete polyp · Jun 5, 2014

Have you tried a place in the tank with lower lighting? They're a deepwater acro. Other than that I wouldn't know because everything else in that tank seems to grow well.

Tahoe61 · Jun 5, 2014

Snip off the tip. Nice tank.

Isoprene · Jun 5, 2014

I have the same coral, took me 3 months to get it to color if I remember correctly then another 3 to get it to start growing. It has encrusted and wont grow unless I cut it. I second the snip it advice ^^

Pete polyp · Jun 5, 2014

Tahoe61 said:
Snip off the tip. Nice tank.

Can you elaborate?

Tahoe61 · Jun 6, 2014

It's an old trick. You know how you hear people say that their piece of Red Planet only encrust (well I hear that a lot), for some reason snipping off the tips stimulates something in the coral that causes the coral to grow vertical. You could think of it like pruning a tree. It's not an infallible method, although I have had good success with the method.

Pete polyp · Jun 6, 2014

Cool! I haven't heard of this before. Maybe I need to go at my purple bonsai

MikeTR · Jun 6, 2014

I have tried to scratch the tip before, but haven't broken it. I did do that to the frag just to the left of it which hasn't really seen much growth either. Par is around 200-250 for both of these.

Isoprene · Jun 6, 2014

Pete, even tho im slacking on getting an update on your coral in the 40 gallon, the snipping the bonsai is EXACTLY what I did with mine. A whole year....zero growth...zero color even. I cut all the branches off, ALL of them in desperation to try and find a spot in my tank it would color. Behold, the brilliant purple my bonsai turned a month after, it now grows at a medium rate with all nice purple with green polyps. I havent any idea why but im a firm believer in snipping a coral that wont budge, now that's only if its healthy enough to do so.

Tahoe61 · Jun 6, 2014

It's known to be a slow grower. Vernon states the coral is found on reef crest so it likes the lights. Vivid recommends 300-400 par, seems like a lot to me. Your tort that is lower is holding a nice blue and looks like the tort has a lot of new growth. You may just have to wait the Caroliniana out. The frag is a nice green.