Funny SPS growth. High phosphates or high flow?

[BlueThumb]

So I have a bali green slimer that grows so fast you can almost watch it growing in front of your eyes. However, it is growing very compact and spiral shaped. I'm assuming this is from high phosphates (I'm not the best at keeping it in check) or possibly from my MP-25 blowing some hard flow near it.

 

What do you think?

 

Before (upper right):

 

6 months later:

[Arkayology]

I would guess it's from the flow. High flow usually leads to chunky/compact growth IME.

[SouthFlorida_Tron]

Flow related is my guess

[BlueThumb]

Could certainly be the flow but I've seen many high flow tanks with more typical growth patterns in SPS. My local LFS has a SPS show tank that is churns like a tide pool. The corals are thick...but not like this. But then again....my cap corals also grow chunky and thought flow initially. I have moved it to a low flow spot in my tank and it's growing a bit more "normal". Hard to know what is happening exactly.

 

To eliminate at least half the variables, I'm now in the process of being more diligent about my phosphates. Running GFO now (for the first time) and can tell by the die off in my algae that it is working. I'll see what happens over the next few months now my phosphates are in check. If no change...then I'll deal with the flow.

 

Anyone else growing chunky corals?

 

P.S.

This could be another thread - and I'm fairly sure it's been talked about to death over the years - but I've noticed just in a few days of running GFO (in small amounts) I'm seeing a lot of new growth on all my SPS. Much more new growth tips than usual (no, not bleaching). I think if I kept my phosphates in check since the start of my tank, most of my corals would be double in size by now. I partly didn't care if they didn't grow too quickly as this was supposed to be a temporary tank and I'm still experimenting with calcium acetate dosing as a triple methodology...address alk, calcium, and carbon source. Thus far it's working great. With small water changes, I have solid numbers all the time, including maintaining my magnesium as trace amounts are added back as magnesium acetate since the Kalk I'm using has trace amounts of Magnesium Hydroxide (per the MSDS sheet). Anyway, I can say, given some fresh anecdotal data, that phosphate does and can inhibit sps growth rate. I think I'll find it to be quite dramatic.

[CronicReefer]

Flow rate will affect the thickness of your SPS coral. They grow thicker skeletons to support themselves in the strong currents (remember currents can get really strong during a storm in the ocean).

[GHill762]

and not just the flow rate but the flow pattern as well

[BlueThumb]

Update:

I've been running GFO now for a few weeks and the chunky growth is subsiding. My monti caps are growing like caps for the first time; nice thin rims extending out. Also, my encrusting montis weren't doing much at all and now are growing like my SPS. The color is also looking better than ever, which has to be a function of the zooxanthellae returning to more natural numbers.

 

Lesson learned:

High phosphates slow, stunt, and or deforms coral growth to varying degrees, including muting color from excess zooxanthellae growth.