Add shelves to your tank: Do you keep tabling corals in your reef tank?

[Peace River]

Add shelves to your tank: Do you keep tabling corals in your reef tank?

While Montipora capricornis (sometimes referred to as a Monti cap) is one of the more well-known tabling corals that are kept in the reef aquarium, there are other tabling species that tend to grow flatter and appear to be in a shelf, plate, or table shape. This can be a nice visual contrast to the branching or encrusting corals that many reef keepers enjoy. Pictures from the wild show these tabling corals to grow very large – truly a sight to see! Do you keep any tabling corals in your reef tank? Please tell us about your experience and feel free to share any tips that you have for keeping this shape of corals.

Photo by @Bacon505


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[Gumbies R Us]

I currently do not have any, but plan on maybe in the future having some.

 

[Z Burn's Reefing]

The monti cap - a fast grower for sure. A great coral and offers a unique look...especially from a distance.

 

[SPS2020]

BC A Fire Engine Acro is the only table coral in my tank at present. This particular specimen grew quickly and the algae magnet creates frags all the time.

 

[kevgib67]

Red monti cap here.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

If someone finds a plating octocoral, please let me know. Until then, I'm going to stay away, just like with any hexacoral.

 

[bakbay]

I used to have red/green/purple montipora cap but tried several times to eradicate them from the tank! They encrust and shadow other corals -- to me, they're the GSP/Xenia of the softies. They are almost indestructible as well. I've scraped them with a bone crusher and within a few months, they came back with a vengeance! Yes, good First World problem but they can be invasive.

My favorite tabling corals are Bill Murray & PC Superman acros.

 

[Aquariumaddictuk]

My plan to have a mixed reef has changed rather rapidly to a Monti dominated system.6 other encrusting varieties also.for a reefer170 that's a bit tight on space

 

[IntrinsicReef]

I usually put Monti caps at the bottom of tanks so they don't shade other corals

Tabling acros are the quintessence of the reef, so their shading is tolerated

 

[brandon429]

worlds smallest tabletop acro growth/ 2004

half gallon reef. sealed reef, no evaporation, zero topoff. that ugly silicone glob seal pressed against the custom cut glass lid with cable pass throughs (cut then respliced cables through sealing grommets) and lifting the lid vented the system weekly. zero evaporation. still the only truly sealed reef tank ever made. the chaeto refugium in the back was counterlit to the front light cycle/o2 pump at night.

 

[nicodim55]

Here’s mine

 

[Bj’s Reef]

I really like the look of monti when they are well placed in a tank.

 

[rd62rdstr]

 

[padilla95624]

Mine tend to grow into the light and then bleach out at the high par spots

 

[Spicy Reef]

I like to float it on the back wall or let it grow like a huge flower from the sandbed, sorry for the blues ...

 

[littlebigreef]

I love tabling acros. I have a nice green w/lavender tip variety I've had since 2015. Hoping to get it back in the display soon. Thank goodness for friends keeping frags going. I've gotten a passback twice.

 

[Leicobra]

I love table corals, especially the table Acro. When they mature, it really gives you the depth of a natural looking reef. Down side is that they takes up a lot of real state in a tank.

 

[Evas_reef]

I usually put Monti caps at the bottom of tanks so they don't shade other corals

Tabling acros are the quintessence of the reef, so their shading is tolerated

Beautiful! Do you know the name of the purple with green tips and the blue acro at the top?

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Beautiful! Do you know the name of the purple with green tips and the blue acro at the top?

The large colony of red/ purple with green tips is JF Foxflame ( if that is the one you are asking about). The light blue acro at top is fragged from a maricultured colony, and I don't have a name. Reminds me of pearlberry

 

[Dcloser12]

The monti cap - a fast grower for sure. A great coral and offers a unique look...especially from a distance.

Mine grow about a half inch per side a month. They do grow extremely fast. They are like zoas. You can physically watch them grow lol