Some corals not growing

[Spechty37]

Hello again folks why does it seem like a few of my corals are growing good like my duncan and my Xenia and mushrooms but my brain my favia, My rico, and acans all got really good color but haven't seemed to grow at all. Like I bought a flaming red Yuma about. 6 or. 7 months ago and it hasn't grown at all. Here are my last test results and they have been pretty consistent the last 4 or 5 test cal 500, alk 3.0/8.4 mag 1300, ph 8

 

[NicoC16]

Corals don't always grow even when put in a good situation. It seems as though the corals hat are growing are those that infamously grow in most tanks. With the experience I have, I have noticed that in some occasions corals won't grow easily. For example, I had this 3-4 head hammer coral in my system and it didn't do anything for quite some time. All of the sudden it sprouted out like twenty heads and it grew like weeds. I have no explanation for such a miracle. If you are desperate for some growth, there are some extra vitamins and minerals you can add to your water, like calcium, to enhance the ability of those corals to grow. Will it work, who knows, but its worth a try. Be patient, its part of the hobby.

 

[melosu58]

What kind of lighting do you have?

 

[Spechty37]

Leds 120w full spectrum the Chinese ones. I have two over a 75 gallon

 

[Spechty37]

Thanks nico

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Your levels are fine, don't dose any additives just let your system be stable where it's at, you said that those test results had been consistent for 4-5 tests, were they swinging before that? Corals can seem to be growing very slowly for months and then explode with growth ( this comes with months of stability in both water quality and location ) so I would say if they have good color and appear "happy" just let them be and they'll take off. Just remember stability is the key to a good reef

 

[Moose72]

I had one green mushroom and a 4 headed hammerhead for about 1.5 years that never grew. Then I took a job 1750 miles away, and after a three day road trip with them I had an explosion of growth, I had about 15 mushrooms and 12 heads on my hammerhead after about 6 months at my new location. So corals are funny creatures, and all I can say is have patience... Or take them on a nice long road trip!

 

[Gregcoyote]

Too many variables to make any general claims, but I have had corals that just sat there for over a year, then decide it was time to grow. Never give up, never surrender! You never know what's going to happen. With corals, it ain't dead until there isn't any flesh left at all.

Mushrooms like water with some DOCs in it, that's why they liked your absence.

 

[Spechty37]

That kinda makes me feel a little better I guess I just expected everything to kinda grow after a couple months I guess thats not the case with different corals. Do you folks use any kind of coral feed I see there's lots of it out there. Thank everyone

 

[Spechty37]

Lol road trip here I come jk

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

The only corals I regularly spot feed are my sps

 

[Gregcoyote]

I will feed some polyps about twice a month using Reef Chili, but most filter feeder foods are phosphate in a bottle. Since all my corals are photosynthetic, I rely in that mostly. But there are some corals that respond well to feeding as well as photosynthesis.

 

[Spechty37]

Bigreds they weren't swinging but my numbers were a little higher. I do get lazy and instead of doing water changes every week I do go two or three weeks once and awhile but I never went more then three and when I do skip a week I change out a little more water

 

[Spechty37]

That's why I was afraid to try any food because I figured it was phosphate in a bottle lol but I wasn't sure

 

[Spechty37]

I feed mysis and or brine once a week and once and a while I will try to spot feed. I have a favia that I've had for about 4 or 5 months and I guess they are suppose to have feeder tenticals that come out but I've never seen them I look at night all the time and never seen them on any of my corals

 

[Gregcoyote]

Did you say you had any fish?

 

[Spechty37]

Yes I have 8 fish and a pistol shrimp

 

[Gregcoyote]

Well, I've been at it almost 30 years now and actively growing corals thru most of that. I've used every lighting system and experimented with multiple approaches. I now have it fine tuned to the extent I have a pretty good picture of what some (certainly not all) different corals like and dislike.

But I have found, as you have, some corals, especially frags can die right next to one almost identical and it is growing gang busters. I have had plugs that just sat there, didn't die but didn't grow an inch for a year, then suddenly took off. I have had what were considered very hard SPS corals growing like crazy while a common Capricornus next to it is dying. I have some friends like mr_X that have a "wet green thumb" and without excess worry seems to grow corals just fine. I am an engineer and am always trying to get at the bottom of stuff, but with this I have determined all you can do is buy good established frags then cross your fingers.

 

[Spechty37]

I do agree I have only been into reefing for a little over a year and I do get impatient some times when I no from reading and reading that you have to have patients in this hobby

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I do agree I have only been into reefing for a little over a year and I do get impatient some times when I no from reading and reading that you have to have patients in this hobby

I know what you mean, been doing this over 7 years now and I still make impulse buys from time to time