Encouraging Acro Growth

[macscale]

Feed the things! I hear so many people talk about getting max coral growth but rarely I do see feeding. Here is a research article about stony coral (sps in our terms) feeding and growth:

PLOS ONE: Augmenting the Post-Transplantation Growth and Survivorship of Juvenile Scleractinian Corals via Nutritional Enhancement

Pocillopora was used, and it showed dramatic increase in growth with feeding.

Now, I find this super interesting! I have a relatively new frag of Pocillopora that grows relatively quick compared to everything else... Maybe something to consider.

 

[Robink]

Good info... following.

 

[JBNY]

If you really want growth, especially with small frags you really mainly need light and flow. The more flow the better. Light I have had very good results with PAR from 350-450, use 10k bulbs for growth. I know everyone likes to use 20k, Radiums and blue LEDs but those do not grow acros nearly as fast as 10k.

Feeding can make them healthier IMO but you need zooplankton, and preferably live, it makes a big difference. But I don't think you really need to feed. I did it daily for over two years with live Rotifers. Growth I would not say that it helps tremendously, but it does keep them healthier.

I'll find some pictures to show some growth, but light and flow are the main things.

 

[kevensquint]

The 10k thing must be successful due to a combination of factors. In my system from fastest to slowest growth its Radium, Phoenix, then Ushio 10k. Actually not only did the Ushio not give good growth the colors went from deep to disappointing.
BTW, free Ushio 10k if anyone searches through my garbage

 

[Tek]

The 10k thing must be successful due to a combination of factors. In my system from fastest to slowest growth its Radium, Phoenix, then Ushio 10k. Actually not only did the Ushio not give good growth the colors went from deep to disappointing.
BTW, free Ushio 10k if anyone searches through my garbage

I have had the same experience from switching MH bulbs. I ran Phoenix 250w 15K for years and growth and color was decent but was missing the growth and colors in other tanks. I tried 10K XMs and growth seemed to stunt from too much intensity. I just switched to a Radium for 2 weeks and my ALK/CA consumption noticeably increased the first 3 days causing a need to reprogram the doser.

 

[JBNY]

That's interesting you got less growth from an Ushio and and XM 10k. My growth was through the roof. I am using radium now, and my growth is fine, but nothing like it was under the XM10k. Coloration I think is harder to do with a 10k bulb because there is no masking with blue light, that can make even tan corals look blue.

 

[JBNY]

Here is a frag grown under XM10k, I think it's just about two years growth from frag to colony.

 

[jackson6745]

I think it has a lot to do with the nutrient level Joe. In a system that is not fed much/low nutrient the 10k's can be somewhat damaging to a coral low in zooxanthellae. I experienced this in the past with a cleaner system, and got better health and growth with a dimmer 20k. In my current system, which is far from low nutrient, I can run the brightest bulbs that I can find and the corals increase in growth and some in color. I am currently running a 400w Aquaconnect. It's a nice looking bulb when combined with 4 blue+ t5's. Occasionally I'll put in the radium bulb when company comes over and the colors look insane lol.

I remember that coral in your old 180. that was beautiful. Was that the same as the joefish table?

 

[kevensquint]

Jackson is right. Higher nutrients you can cook the corals and they do great. My system is clean. Hence, lower par is better for my particular case.

 

[JBNY]

I agree you need less light for colors as nutrients go down. But I have still had better growth with higher PAR lamps. That system was not ex all a high nutrient system either, I could go almost a full week without having to clean the glass, N and P were under 1. Not at all saying you should run a 10k bulb just pointing out my experience.

Aquaconnect is an awesome bulb it's what I ran for years, trying the radium now just because it's cheaper and I can get the same PAR with an HQI ballast as I got with the Aquaconnect.

But I would still say that, in addition the the basic good water quality which should be a giving, flow made the biggest improvement in growth. At least for me it has.

 

[JBNY]

Here is 15 month growth on 250watt Aquaconnect