SPS are growing by the base

Mathieu.lafleur1992 · Mar 5, 2020

Hello reefers,

I've started a 180g 2.5 years agon and for the first time, in many many years of reefing, I've been able to keep SPS corals other than the standard redish monti cap.

The only thing that bugs me is that my SPS, acros and montis, are growing by the base and not upward. I find it strange as I can see the tips of my coral becoming pale announcing growth but all they do is encrust the bases. And the tips aren't getting as much growth.

My parameters are all stable and beside high calcium and high magnesium (450 & 1470) everything else seems normal.. I'am maybe on the low side of the nutrients .
I'm wondering if I might have too much light (which seem impossible for SPS). But my ATI 8 bulb does push a lot of light. Never tested the PAR as no one has a PAR reader in my city. Other than that they seem fine, but they probably can use a little more nutrients. I should also mention that LPS are doing fine with this light.

What are your thoughs?

Thanks,

doodledreads · Mar 5, 2020

Give it time, its quite common. Light, flow will affect the growth pattern but encrusting is how they can get the foothold to grow larger. As long as they are growing, let them do their thing. Keep up the good work.

Kfactor · Mar 5, 2020

I never got upper growth till my acros started to grow a base and get a good hold

Max! · Mar 5, 2020

Good problem to have! My local club had a speaker who ran a series of tests and he dosed amino in one tank but not in the other and the SPS in question threw out significantly more branches in the presence of dosed aminos than the other one. I'd just wait, personally.

Neoalchemist · Mar 5, 2020

Leave it be. The bigger/stronger the base the bigger/stronger the colony.

Mathieu.lafleur1992 · Mar 5, 2020

So you guys don't think it's an issue caused by too much light? Thing is, I want to supplement my ATI fixture with a reefbrite XHO blue to get the color pop I'm missimg and I was wordering if it wouldn't be tto much.

doodledreads · Mar 5, 2020

Mathieu.lafleur1992 said:
So you guys don't think it's an issue caused by too much light? Thing is, I want to supplement my ATI fixture with a reefbrite XHO blue to get the color pop I'm missimg and I was wordering if it wouldn't be tto much.

I don't think so. You should be okay as long as you acclimate them. If you want to measure the PAR, BRS rents par meters out btw.

Silent · Mar 5, 2020

I've seen many people cut frags and glue them horizontally so they develop a base faster and then after the base develops nicely it starts to grow vertically.