How fast do corals grow in aquariums

However some grow fairly quickly; I refuse to put Star Polyps or Yellow Polyps on my rock for fear of them taking over. Many will say the same thing about Pulsing Xenia or even mushrooms. Of course conditions matter a lot. Photosynthetic corals require proper light; however, for some corals, there is even such a thing as too much light.

There are corals that will do better with more nutrients in the water, while others will require almost none. Most corals will get enough food from the water column making placement and flow important , while a few will require target feeding. And almost all corals will benefit from the food that a mature tank produces.

Chemical warfare affects growth, so the type of corals that you have and how close they are to each other also matters. Running carbon in an HOB filter can help with the chemicals that corals are producing to deal with competition. Good water chemistry is also important for growth.

Be cautious when you read that a certain coral will benefit by dosing certain elements. Adding an element usually affects one or more other elements that you may or may not even be testing for. I recommend no dosing at all especially for beginners for a healthy and balanced mixed reef.

Although these corals can be found at depths as much as feet, they will grow poorly at anything deeper than this. The remaining key factor in the success of coral growth is saltwater. This is essential for the coral to survive, and if located at the mouth of a river or places with excessive runoff they suffer an increased chance of perishing.

This being said, despite coral typically being related to hot climates, there is the deep-water coral, which can extend to much deeper, darker parts of the ocean than tropical coral. In fact, this coral species can be found on surfaces near the abyss at depths beyond feet and in temperatures on average of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This works because unlike tropical corals, deep-water corals do not need zooxanthellae to survive. Providing the aquarium with the ideal suggested amounts of these will aid in the healthy growth of coral.

Nonetheless, this will not necessarily increase the growth time. Below are some ways that you can speed up the process;. Whilst the majority of fish can adjust to different levels of pH, corals need a higher level to grow at a normal rate. By having increased exposure to light, or an increased light brightness, the corals themselves will create a higher level of pH condition between the skeleton and the tissues, deposited by the calcium and carbonate in the water.

Whilst the ocean used to have an average pH level of 8. And if you are just looking to add a pop of color or invest in a designer variety of coral, look for single polyps of mushrooms or zoanthid. Nicole Helgason is a professional scuba diver and can often be found photographing corals and sharing her passion about coral reefs around the world.

Nicole is also a manager for Reef Builders social media accounts and a weekly contributor to the Reef Builders site. Fill Your Tank Quickly Does your tank look like a barren rock garden, peppered with bite-sized frags? Reef tank with cabbage leather coral, green star polyps, zoanthids, and other coral frags at Aquarium Supply Distributors USA.

Hardy Inexpensive Corals New hobbyist can get discouraged by their slowly evolving rock gardens and might rush to add fish or corals and end up with a crash. Leather Corals Soft corals like Cabbage leather, Toadstool leather , and Finger leather add bulk and movement to a reef tank and you can often pick up these inexpensive corals at your local fish store. Mushrooms Mushrooms like Ricordea, Rhodactis, and Discosoma are easy to keep and will live in just about any light or flow conditions.

Two rocks of overgrown coral, left hairy green Rhodactis mushroom with a patch of Green Star Polyp, right green Discosoma mushrooms covering a large rock removed from a service tank. Photo from Elite Reef If you are looking for fast growing mushrooms look for rocks that are already covered.

Nicole Helgason Nicole Helgason is a professional scuba diver and can often be found photographing corals and sharing her passion about coral reefs around the world. IN my biocube where there isnt that many nutrients i get about 1. In my old 29g i got 2. Zoanthids21 , Jul 6, My buddies tank had his grow about a foot and cover about a foot in diameter of the back glass on his tank in less than a year.

Its closer to the top with a 4 bulb t5 unit. Nutrient rich and has been set up for well over a year. So his system is very stable. His may be a strand that grows insane fast though. My gsp grew sloooooowwww!!! Joined: Apr 3, Messages: You must log in or sign up to reply here.