Mounting SPS frags to rockwork...how much space do you need between frags?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

So how much is the minimum amount of room that should be left between acro frags? I ask bc I've got several frag packs planned to purchase and a TON of sticks on my wish list...but I fear I may run out of room before I get to the bottom of my list...

How do you guys handle mounting and planning ahead for more frags?

 

[hybridazn]

3-4 inches is usually my goal but sometimes I'll go 2-3 depending how many sticks I buy at once lol.

 

[EW_Fish]

I try to place my sps by growth. Knowing how each stick grows helps me determine where and how to place and give distance

 

[prsnlty]

I try to place my sps by growth. Knowing how each stick grows helps me determine where and how to place and give distance

So true. And be sure of what they are. I mistook one purple acro/stag for another. Turns out it was the purple slimer and it was too close to other bushy acros. Had to cut it way back but slimers need a bunch of room. My green slimer takes up a 10"x10" area! Lol Same thing for plating acros. Unnamed/unknown buys are great but often very difficult to determine what type of a Acro it is. And in that case I have a couple of tables that need to move also [emoji14] if I could do mine all over again I would do Stag's at the top then bushy acro's then plating acro's then plating Monti's - working from top down.

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

Following. Got a nice Lil bunch o sticks started but limited on locations frags will be able to go. Fingers crossed, may be looking for some Pink Floyd acro this weekend.

 

[I luv coralz]

I think. 3-5 inches just depending on the size of the stick.

 

[aaron23]

i put them 4" apart and that's not enough space. they're already growing into eachother..

 

[EW_Fish]

i put them 4" apart and that's not enough space. they're already growing into eachother..

This is true. Some acros will need more space then other but in the end 4'' 5'' 6'' 7'' wont be enough space for them if you let your tank mature.

 

[JBNY]

Really 6" is the minimum you should do, even that is not enough. But 6" gives both corals about 3" of growth before they grow into another coral. Which will happen in about 6-8 months.

 

[McMullen]

Depends on your goal. I love looking at tanks with super nice coral frags. But you just can't beat a mature reef with large colonies. For me, allowing a coral space to grow into its natural form is what's it's all about. Bonsai reefs are great! But I too like lots of room to grow.

 

[prsnlty]

Depends on your goal. I love looking at tanks with super nice coral frags. But you just can't beat a mature reef with large colonies. For me, allowing a coral space to grow into its natural form is what's it's all about. Bonsai reefs are great! But I too like lots of room to grow.

+1! Nothing is more beautiful than full grown colonies like they're intended to be

 

[Salty1962]

Depending on the coral, I like to give 4~5" space.

 

[BigJim]

I went with a general rule of about 4 inches and it is not enough, but I wanted to cram more into the tank. You definitely need to know if it is tabling, bushy or branching. I tried to put the branching acros in the back, the bushy acros in the middle and tabling acros in the front or sides. My Red Planet is becoming an issue because it doesn’t seem to stop encrusting when it meets up with another acro. It has tried to encrust over a couple milles and a prostrata. It just keeps going like a train that can’t be stopped.

 

[prsnlty]

That's good to know about the red planet. I have that next to another table... I probably should move it then. My tank is a 180 Peninsula with a rock Ridge down the center. This gives me 2 sides and top to work with most. However, 24" just doesn't seem wide enough! Would love a 96" Lx 36D(+)"x 22"H tank for coral growth! lol maybe in the future.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

Really 6" is the minimum you should do, even that is not enough. But 6" gives both corals about 3" of growth before they grow into another coral. Which will happen in about 6-8 months.

6-8 months?!? I must be doing something wrong to not get that much growth in that span of time hahaha I know all tanks are not equal but here's a picture that a did today and I got to see my growth for the first time since I started collecting sticks. It's 8 months to the date may 20 - Jan 20

 

[Nick James]

I'm in the same boat as you Luis. Just recently though some have started to take off. I think you will see similar results soon.

 

[JBNY]

6 months growth on this one

10 months growth

not all corals grow the same, but even in a year you can see an SPS coral grow to 6". One of the biggest mistakes people make is over crowding their tanks. Once the corals get to a decent size you can have STN or RTN problems if the corals are always battling other corals for limited space.

 

[JBNY]

Another from 6/20/2016

and here it is in 1/7/2017.Not crazy growth but it is at least 3-4" across.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

The big challenge for me is going to be figuring out which corals grow up, branch, and or table. I don't remember names to look them up and the corals aren't telling me what their plans are when they grow haha

 

[JBNY]

That's why you try and get real colony pics not a frag with three branches on it. Personally I switched a long time ago to only small compact growth forms (corymbose) for the most part. I sill succumb to a table coral here and there, but really try and avoid stags and all montipora, they grow super fast very quickly.