Who Gives A Fish Forums

My Stylophora has been in the tank for three months now, but it's not branching like I expected. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate, 8.2 pH, 1.025 salinity. Lighting is AI Prime 16HD at 70% intensity. Any ideas what's up?

That's frustrating. Have you checked your alkalinity and calcium levels? Stylophora can be picky about those. Also, how's the flow in your tank? They like moderate flow to encourage branching.

I've had similar issues before. What's your alk sitting at? If it's below 8 dKH, that could be the culprit. Also, how often are you feeding? They might need more nutrients to grow those branches.

Mine didn't branch for ages until I tweaked the flow. They're not fans of dead spots. Maybe try moving it to a spot with more random flow and see if that kicks things off.

guppy wrote: ↑Wed May 28, 2025 8:18 pm I've had similar issues before. What's your alk sitting at? If it's below 8 dKH, that could be the culprit. Also, how often are you feeding? They might need more nutrients to grow those branches.

Yep, alk is huge. Mine perked up when I bumped it to 9 dKH. Also, what's your magnesium at? Low mag can mess with calcification.

Lighting could be part of it too. 70% on an AI Prime might not be enough PAR for Stylophora. Have you measured PAR at the coral's location? Aim for 200–300 PAR for best growth.

Stylophora can be slow to start. Mine took six months to branch, but once it did, it exploded. Patience is key, but double-check those params like everyone's saying. Also, what's your temp stability like?

Flow and light are big factors, but don't sleep on trace elements. I dose trace weekly, and my Stylophora's been branching like crazy. Ever tested for iodine or strontium?

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll test alk and mag today and maybe tweak the flow. Appreciate the help!

Keep us posted! It's always cool to see how these things play out. Hopefully, a few small changes will get it going.