Acro with little growth

[GillMeister]

I have a pink Acro that I purchased from Cultivated Reef a couple months ago. It came in lacking color in a few areas but it has really bounced back and now it's a really nice deep pink throughout.

The problem is it's not growing. The only thing new on it is the base seems to have thickened and is covering the epoxy I used to attach it. Otherwise there is absolutely no growth. Other corals in my tank are growing well enough. The top image is today and the bottom image is eight weeks earlier.

 

[GillMeister]

I didn't finish my thought.

All the corals I've purchased from my LFS had great color when I bought them and they've grown and established quickly. Is there something different about online vendors corals we should know?

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

No, just a slow grower. Sometimes shipping stress can make one sit a little longer and acclimate slower but acropora frags in general are not fast growers. Acros will encrust first to build a strong base then start to grow upwards you probably won’t see much vertical growth until the 6 month mark. Sometimes they just wanna sit for a while then one day start to grow.

 

[GillMeister]

No, just a slow grower. Sometimes shipping stress can make one sit a little longer and acclimate slower but acropora frags in general are not fast growers. Acros will encrust first to build a strong base then start to grow upwards you probably won’t see much vertical growth until the 6 month mark. Sometimes they just wanna sit for a while then one day start to grow.

I know they are slow growers. I have two others that are growing, but not at the pace my pocies, birdsnest, stylo and montipora are growing. But, I can see some visible growth. I'm encouraged by how healthy this one is and I like the fact that the base is thickening a little. Maybe it will start some vertical growth in a few months, as you suggest.

 

[GillMeister]

Now that I see these images side by side it does look like it's a little roided up. Maybe it's not ready to sprout vertically yet.

 

[jda]

Everybody has one or two that just won't grow. Best thing to do is nothing and wait it out. I would give this advice if it were at $1000 frag or a $10 frag since you can do more damage chasing stuff than just leaving it alone.

 

[ScottB]

Now that I see these images side by side it does look like it's a little roided up. Maybe it's not ready to sprout vertically yet.

I think the growth pictured is pretty good for 8 weeks. Ten percent growth on a small frag is harder to appreciate than 10% on a larger piece.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Everybody has one or two that just won't grow. Best thing to do is nothing and wait it out. I would give this advice if it were at $1000 frag or a $10 frag since you can do more damage chasing stuff than just leaving it alone.

Some of us have 3 or 8 that just won’t grow

 

[coralbeauties]

Some of us have 3 or 8 that just won’t grow

I agree with @chaswood and @jda. I have had corals seem to almost go dormant for ever then almost take off all the sudden. Also have had some that will encrust and the new growth comes from the fresh encrusting part and the original frag branch not really grow. Give it time
Jeff

 

[GillMeister]

I agree with @chaswood and @jda. I have had corals seem to almost go dormant for ever then almost take off all the sudden. Also have had some that will encrust and the new growth comes from the fresh encrusting part and the original frag branch not really grow. Give it time
Jeff

Giving it time is all I can do. I believe my water parameters are solid and my corals are thriving overall. It was this one exception that had me thinking I was missing something with this one.

 

[coralbeauties]

I think what is where people get themselves in trouble, chasing this or that trying to get everything just perfect. I think that all of us that have been at it for awhile will tell you there will always be that one coral that just doesn't do well. Its just part of the hobby.
Jeff

 

[GillMeister]

I think what is where people get themselves in trouble, chasing this or that trying to get everything just perfect. I think that all of us that have been at it for awhile will tell you there will always be that one coral that just doesn't do well. Its just part of the hobby.
Jeff

Well, I'm not exactly a noob. I've maintained saltwater aquariums for 30+ years and had a pretty awesome LPS system for 15 years before tearing it down. What's new to me is SPS and the new tech. I had no aquarium controller and my lighting was halide. I had a lot of success with what was I was doing, but some of that was probably dumb luck. I'm trying to keep an open mind and stay receptive to any advice I can get from the group. In this case, it doesn't sound like I'm doing anything wrong so I'll just keep monitoring and see what happens.

wish me luck.

 

[jda]

Next to nothing of material has changed in the 30 years that you have been reefing... experience and understanding of patience, chemistry and biology will still get your farther than anything else.

Equipment choices are more but some are worse and some are better, depending on the application, so use your knowledge and experience to choose well for you.

TBH - the only things in the last decade that truly changed games are PE Mysis and Hannah Ultra Low Phosphorous Checker. Fish are healthier with PE Mysis without having to treat/supplement pellets with additives. Other stuff is just a new way to do the same thing... each with varying degrees of success but none with total dominant wins for everybody.

 

[GillMeister]

Next to nothing of material has changed in the 30 years that you have been reefing... experience and understanding of patience, chemistry and biology will still get your farther than anything else.

Equipment choices are more but some are worse and some are better, depending on the application, so use your knowledge and experience to choose well for you.

TBH - the only things in the last decade that truly changed games are PE Mysis and Hannah Ultra Low Phosphorous Checker. Fish are healthier with PE Mysis without having to treat/supplement pellets with additives. Other stuff is just a new way to do the same thing... each with varying degrees of success but none with total dominant wins for everybody.

One thing that I think has changed, and it's significant, are the opinions about nitrate and phosphate. These were considered pollutants back then and now they're thought of as essential coral nutrients. I'm left wondering if I have all of this dialed in yet.

Nitrates are less than 5 ppm
Phosphate 0.03.
pH hovers around 8.1
Alk 10.5
Calcium 450ppm