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If you were acropora.........


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.....Would you decide to encrust or sprout?

OK - I know there are many variables including subspecies, lighting, flow, etc. But I would love to ping you local reefers and formulate a best efforts "generalization" or "consensus" of why certain acroporas choose to encrust vs. grow vertically or vice versa. Based on my readings, here is what I concluded? Feel free to add your thoughts...

  • Flow: Survey says that if placed amidst turbulent and strong flow an acro will look at encrusting more than usual to establish a strong base to withstand the current; Then once stable it will look to sprout vertically.
  • Lighting: Survey says that if the acro is getting too much light it won't "reach" for more vertically, choosing to encrust instead. (But wouldn't encrusting actually increase the surface area available to receive this "too strong" lighting thus be counter productive
  • Other Variables: Spacing? Color Spectrum? Temperature?
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If I were an acropora I would want to live in Ty's tank! hahagrin.png

What you wrote makes sense, flow encrusts more and high light -low flow branch more. However, there are so many different kinds of acros and so many different variables in our tanks that make each one unique that it is not always as predictable as we would like it to be.

I'm interested to see what everyone thinks. Good topic.

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If I were an acropora, then I would be Green Slimer. It's not drab, it's not flamboyant and not everyone likes it. grin.png

Some studies have concluded that some SPS growth patterns are altered by water flow and light intensity. Without quoting the sources directly, I believe high flow rates promote compact branching. Flow rates from one side also cause disproportionate growth rates. High intensity lights promotes upward growth and lower intensity lights promotes lateral encrusting. Sometimes the coral itself favors one over the other. One time I had a digitata that encrusted the whole rock and hardly grew branches while the clone next to it branched and hardly encrusted. One was a frag of the other, both were in a close proximity and had the same conditions.

Spacing largely doesn't have an affect on growth pattern unless there is some battling between corals.

Light color and temperature rating affect zooxanthellae. I have not seen any evidence suggesting that it also affects growth pattern in SPS species.

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If I were an acropora I would want to live in Ty's tank! hahagrin.png

What you wrote makes sense, flow encrusts more and high light -low flow branch more. However, there are so many different kinds of acros and so many different variables in our tanks that make each one unique that it is not always as predictable as we would like it to be.

I'm interested to see what everyone thinks. Good topic.

You sure about that? Remember, you'd find yourself the subject of many of his lab experiments! sick.png

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If I were an acropora I would want to live in Ty's tank! hahagrin.png

What you wrote makes sense, flow encrusts more and high light -low flow branch more. However, there are so many different kinds of acros and so many different variables in our tanks that make each one unique that it is not always as predictable as we would like it to be.

I'm interested to see what everyone thinks. Good topic.

You'd have to get pulled out every 6 months or so when he goes on a dipping frenzy....

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If I were an acropora I would want to live in Ty's tank! hahagrin.png

What you wrote makes sense, flow encrusts more and high light -low flow branch more. However, there are so many different kinds of acros and so many different variables in our tanks that make each one unique that it is not always as predictable as we would like it to be.

I'm interested to see what everyone thinks. Good topic.

You'd have to get pulled out every 6 months or so when he goes on a dipping frenzy....

or a fragging frenzy

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If I were an acropora I would want to live in Ty's tank! haha:grin:

What you wrote makes sense, flow encrusts more and high light -low flow branch more. However, there are so many different kinds of acros and so many different variables in our tanks that make each one unique that it is not always as predictable as we would like it to be.

I'm interested to see what everyone thinks. Good topic.

You'd have to get pulled out every 6 months or so when he goes on a dipping frenzy....

or a fragging frenzy

And you'll starve every couple of months when he pulls his fish to do the tank transfer method for the 8th time.

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Lol. Well i really ask bc id like to know if I can manipulate my tank (raise light, lower flow) so a strawberry shortcake (From Ty) will start growing vertical. Right now it is encrusting well, has strong coloration, but hasnt sprouted vertically even a cm.

It is in turbulent flow and high light (80% of AP700, 10 inches below), I have 2 Jebao wp-25 at each end of the 75g, one on else and one on w1,s1.

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Jeez! I don't get on ARC one night and I get mauled on this thread! See why I'm paranoid not to check ARC every day! [emoji14]

Lighting and flow do have major impacts on the growth form of the acro colony.

My personal observations have been, higher light, more distributed branching. Lower light grows more singular and longer branches.

Higher flow causes a bit more tabling and better growth rates in general. It also causes the acro to grow thicker branches. Lower flow allows for more vertical growth and the branches are thinner.

But the most important factor to me is just the acro species itself. Some naturally table, such acropora microclades, which is your aussie shortcake you got from me. Its encrusting as it should to build a good base to table out from. Stags (generic name for a bunch of subspecies) will tend to grow vertical.

You just have to be patient, give them a good amount of light and flow, and they'll grow into the form they will naturally grow into. I would just avoid unidirectional flow that never changes as you'll see a leaning effect on some colonies.

Also, frags, when getting adjusted to a new tank and new parameters, will sometimes just sit there for months before one day, boom, they'll grow like mad. If everything stays stable in the tank during this time, you'll get that moment soon enough.

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Lol. Well i really ask bc id like to know if I can manipulate my tank (raise light, lower flow) so a strawberry shortcake (From Ty) will start growing vertical. Right now it is encrusting well, has strong coloration, but hasnt sprouted vertically even a cm.

It is in turbulent flow and high light (80% of AP700, 10 inches below), I have 2 Jebao wp-25 at each end of the 75g, one on else and one on w1,s1.

Good color, good polyp extension, encrusting....sounds like it's doing great. Unnecessary changes? That way lay dragons.

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