Green Digitata

Green Digitata is the cheerful workhorse of SPS. Hardy, fast growing, and bright enough to catch a customer’s eye even in lower-light areas of your farm. It’s perfect for both collector nanos and large production systems because it grows predictably and colors up almost anywhere.

Here’s a streamlined guide.

Lighting

Moderate light is plenty. Around 120 to 200 PAR keeps the green vivid and the growth dense. It tolerates both lower and higher ranges better than most SPS, which makes placement flexible. Spectrum changes don’t shock it as easily as they would an Acropora.

Flow

Moderate to strong, with a bit of randomness. You want the branches to sway and the polyps to stay fluffy. One-directional blasting isn’t ideal; aim for intersecting flow patterns that reduce detritus buildup.

Placement

Mid to high rockwork. It grows upright like a miniature thicket and can shade soft corals or low-light LPS beneath it. Give it space to send up those green fingers.

Water parameters

Digitatas are the forgiving cousins of SPS, but stability still wins.

Calcium near 420.
Alkalinity around 8 to 8.6.
Magnesium about 1350.
Nitrate 5 to 15.
Phosphate 0.03 to 0.1.

It prefers nutrient-positive, stable systems. Running at zero nitrate or phosphate washes out color and slows growth.

Feeding

It generates most of its energy from light. Occasional amino acids can give the tissue a richer tone. It doesn’t need direct feeding.

Growth behavior

Fast, tidy, and easy to frag. It encrusts the plug or rock quickly and then shoots upward in uniform branches. Growth shape stays symmetrical if flow is good.

Sensitivities

Montipora nudibranchs are the main threat. Any pale patches or bite-like marks should be inspected right away. Alk swings can burn the tips, but recovery is usually quick.

Compatibility

Peaceful, non-stinging, and easy to place in mixed reefs. Its only weapon is shading neighbors over time.