cualestrea growth rate

[srbball22]

I just got a candy cane coral today and I was wondering what the growth rate is. I know it varies from tank to tank but what is an average? (such as new heads per month)

[srbball22]

And here it is!!!

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/7069/cualestrea4jq9.jpg

[Bcollins111900]

like you said it will very. target feeding and prime water conditions and lighting will give you the best growth rate.

[tekknoschtev]

I've noticed different growth rates among different types of caulastrea corals, and I dont have "good" pictures to show, but here goes nothing:

http://workshopwebs.com/pictures/fish/150/06April/0407/candycaneNeonGreen.JPG
April 7, 2006 - 2 splitting heads (so 4 heads)

http://workshopwebs.com/pictures/fish/150/06July/070306/caulastreaNeonGreen.JPG
July 3, 2006 - Its hard to see but there are at least 10 mouths and 6-7 distinct heads. Actually a few of those have popped up since the 3rd, in the last few weeks its growth has really taken off. I attribute it to changing the flow and setup of a few different things on the tank.

Compare that to a blue-ish caulastrea which started as 2 heads about 8 months ago is now only about 4 distinct heads with about 7 mouths (its hard to tell because part of it is dripping off of the main colony).

And we also have a pinkish with green center candy cane that started as two heads about 15 months ago, and is now about 8 heads. That one transfered from our old tank, and suffered through some rough times though so I attribute its relatively slow growth to that.

[srbball22]

Thankyou, I guess i should have just asked on michiganreefers. haha

[tekknoschtev]

Nah, thats ok, though it can't hurt to check there as well. I forgot to mention that when I'm home every other weekend or so. Sometimes I use an entire cube of mysis between the three different types of caulastrea corals we have. Other times I go a little nuts with the cyclopeeze, but that is only once or twice every other week or so.

[srbball22]

Today I fed about 1/2 a cube of mysis to them. Well actually a full cube but my chromis' were helping out. lol It was all gone within minutes and they got all puffy and now they are about 20% larger. They really are nice.