Max size of SPS?

[Lazys Coral House]

Do sps have a max size. We have all seen the massive torts, staghorn's and monti caps but does every sps coral just keep growing indefinitely? Or are they like trees where some get larger then others but when they get to mature size growth slows or stops. I ask because some of my corals seemed to have slowed or stopped growing. For exAmple I took a frag from my pink lemonade colony about 1.5 years ago. Now the frag is the same size as the original colony. Both about 6". I was surprised to see it catch up. Thought?

 

[ebushrow]

I doubt that they have a max size....I think the max size depends on lighting, nutrients, and water volume. I have had a couple grow out of the water. They kept adding branches around the waterline until they grew out of the water and died. I think some of the LPS might as I have never seen a dinner plate size scoly for example.

 

[hatfielj]

Theoretically no max. In the ocean colonies continue to grow indefinitely. until something stops them.

 

[Rob&Gab]

I've seen in person Ina guys tank a coral about 3 feet tall. By like 2' wide. Insane.

 

[Oscaror]

corals don't grow in the same way trees grow. A tree is one organism, and one organism can't grow indefinitely, building it's body and growing forever, it has a maximum size in its DNA. But corals like acropora or montipora, are colonies. The polyps are the animal, and you can see they grow from a very small size, and become usually one sixteenth of an inch on most SPS, and on LPS they'll usually split off from other polyps and separate. Every hard coral is like this, but the polyps create different skeletons to meet their different needs. An acropora polyp is very different from a favia polyps, and therefore creates a different skeleton. Some Polyps connect together with flesh (acropora, acanthastrea, etc.) while other polyps will divide, but never truly grow over a certain amount without splitting (euphyllias, duncans, etc.). A coral can grow forever, because it's not a single animal growing in size, it's a network of small organisms building a home in which to live.

So short answer: Yes

 

[Tank.Bro!]

Sps coral do not stop growing but usually die or get destroyed. So if it lives it grows... Corals usually get to heavy and fall and die or the branches fall of into new colonies. Biggest I have seen is a colonie in an aquarium a few years ago... It was a table acro like 5 feet across

 

[lionfish5740]

corals don't grow in the same way trees grow. A tree is one organism, and one organism can't grow indefinitely, building it's body and growing forever, it has a maximum size in its DNA. But corals like acropora or montipora, are colonies. The polyps are the animal, and you can see they grow from a very small size, and become usually one sixteenth of an inch on most SPS, and on LPS they'll usually split off from other polyps and separate. Every hard coral is like this, but the polyps create different skeletons to meet their different needs. An acropora polyp is very different from a favia polyps, and therefore creates a different skeleton. Some Polyps connect together with flesh (acropora, acanthastrea, etc.) while other polyps will divide, but never truly grow over a certain amount without splitting (euphyllias, duncans, etc.). A coral can grow forever, because it's not a single animal growing in size, it's a network of small organisms building a home in which to live.

So short answer: Yes

I'm not arguing the bulk of your post but there are living non-clonal trees known to be close to 5000 years old. It doesn't appear to be a tree that dies.

Just playing devil's advocate :angel: