Millepora Growth Pattern

[kartrsu]

Trying to figure out why my ASD rainbow Millepora is growing thin branches with less PE vs photos of others with thicker branches and more PE. My friend and I got frags from the same seller, except his are thick and while mine are thin and branchy. Is the flow too low (opposite side of power head). It sits in about 300 PAR.

 

[CBonito]

The overall behavior of Millepora Colony to Colony can differ quite a bit. I have super shaggy ones and others with what looks like nothing for polyp extension until you magnify them and see they're there, but smaller. I wouldn't sweat it.

I have two colonies with that exact growth form pictured to boot and they are nice. Don't sweat that either. They are going to do what they do and that's that.

300 par should be just fine, but they will take quite a bit more. But even that is iffy because I have colonies near the surface and also on the very bottom and there seems to be no problem either way. Millepora (or at least what is being classified as that) is usually very adaptable and resilient. They will completely change themselves to gather the frequencies and amounts of light they need.

The one on the very bottom is a rainbow millepora that is currently acclimating.
Look at the red one...the polyps look like they're barely there...magnify them and they're just fine.
These are all millepora of mine. The best thing you can do for them is to place them and let them do their thing.

 

[The_Paradox]

You both run similar alkalinity and phosphorus?

This one was weedy in my frag (8dkh @ 75ppb phosphorus).

The frag I moved to DT (10dkh @ 10ppb phosphorus) looks like this after ~6mo.

 

[kartrsu]

Thanks for the thoughts! I run my tank around 7.5dkh and about 0.10-0.15 ppm po4 with 10–15ppm no3. Had no issues with coloration, just growth form. My friends branches are twice the thickness of mine. He runs at 8.4dkh, .06-.12 po4, and 2.5ppm nitrate.

His below

 

[kartrsu]

This is how my frag started.

 

[CBonito]

Looks great to me. I'd just let it do its thing.

 

[spsick]

This is my JF Solar Flare which I’m pretty sure is the same coral.

It is less hairy and more orange for me than the tank it came from.


I have lower alkalinity and phosphate.

 

[kartrsu]

Thanks everyone. So looks like I shouldn’t move it? I can make space for it in the middle where it receives more direct flow

 

[kartrsu]

The overall behavior of Millepora Colony to Colony can differ quite a bit. I have super shaggy ones and others with what looks like nothing for polyp extension until you magnify them and see they're there, but smaller. I wouldn't sweat it.

I have two colonies with that exact growth form pictured to boot and they are nice. Don't sweat that either. They are going to do what they do and that's that.

300 par should be just fine, but they will take quite a bit more. But even that is iffy because I have colonies near the surface and also on the very bottom and there seems to be no problem either way. Millepora (or at least what is being classified as that) is usually very adaptable and resilient. They will completely change themselves to gather the frequencies and amounts of light they need.

The one on the very bottom is a rainbow millepora that is currently acclimating.
Look at the red one...the polyps look like they're barely there...magnify them and they're just fine.
These are all millepora of mine. The best thing you can do for them is to place them and let them do their thing.

How did you get your colonies to grow compact? Also is it unusual to have white portions on the underside of branches with no polyps but not exposed skeleton? Like below.

 

[VintageReefer]

This is how my sunset Mille grew over a year

 

[kartrsu]

This is how my sunset Mille grew over a year

Thanks for sharing. Have you had undersides that were white with no polyps but had tissue? See the photo below at the acro directly in front of green slimer. For context, I fragged my colony and pointed the coral upwards, so the white streaks were on the underside when it was growing out. Will this fix itself over time or forever stay that way?

 

[VintageReefer]

I did not have that. Only white tips for new growth

My first guess would be that that is a lighting / shading issue

Have you tried rotating so the white side is upwards to see if it resolves ?

 

[kartrsu]

I did not have that. Only white tips for new growth

My first guess would be that that is a lighting / shading issue

Have you tried rotating so the white side is upwards to see if it resolves ?

That’s what I did and while I have seen some coloration darken there, no polyp growth. Not sure if I just cut off a tiny frag and start over or if this colony can just manage through. It’s now acclimated to high light and flow.