Encrusting monti help!!

[jonzee2006]

I have a frags of sunset and reverse superman monti's and I was wondering where in the tank I should place them? I've been getting a lot of bleaching and I don't really know why. I have a 72 bow with 2x250 20k and 2x54 actinics and was told that it was to much light by some and just enough by others. So I'm lost!! Can someone help me out with the placement please.

 

[fizhfly]

id put them low to start and also check the dkh levels.

 

[swannyson7]

Start them low to acclimate to your lighting and slowly move them up until you get good coloration/polyp extension. Do you know what lighting they were under before you got them? Also, the bleaching could be attributed to water parameters or flow as well.

 

[Carlton'stank]

I have my sunset a little higher than half way up in my tank and it seems to do good. My lighting is 175 SE Phoenix and the coral is about 8-10 from the top of the water level and another 8 inches to the light itself.

 

[SunnyX]

As everyone has stated keep encrusting monti's low and in the shade. In my tank if I were to move the monti's any higher than the sandbend they would bleach out.

 

[Gazog]

I have a reverse Sunset that is as far up on My rocks as it can go and its growing even higher and there is no bleaching, I really think its just depends on the piece of coral.

 

[Carlton'stank]

My pokerstar monti doesn't mind being a bit on the higher side in my tank, but my rainbow (which is very similar in color patterns to pokerstar) does not like the high light. I think there are a ton of variables, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Start low and slowly move it up to see what happens.

 

[pitbullguy]

I have my sunset getting a decent amount of light, if I out mine to low it will not be as vibrant. That being said you always start with low light and work your way up slowly, you should be able to tell when the coral is happy. Good Luck.

 

[mlove]

How much flow does the sunset monti like?

 

[fizhfly]

low to medium flow is fine!

 

[mlove]

Would it be ok with high flow?

 

[fizhfly]

depends what you mean by high flow random or is it liniar?

 

[mlove]

It's fairly liniar. I was thinking of placing a frag of it at the top of my rockwork under LEDs (after acclimating slowly) and in semi-direct flow of a koralia nano.

 

[fizhfly]

mum be carefull with laminar flow!!

 

[mlove]

Sorry I didn't mean to jack your thread jonzee, I just wanted to ask since I was curious and this was up. I guess I'll try to keep the sunset from getting too much flow and will let it grow the way it feels is the best.

 

[tater11]

As everyone has stated keep encrusting monti's low and in the shade. In my tank if I were to move the monti's any higher than the sandbend they would bleach out.

agreed 100%

 

[drainbamage]

had a colony about 3"x3" that was encrusted on a thin piece of rock on both sides. Mounted it vertically with some of it under an overhang in the tank. Tank is brightly lit with T5s, grows SPS's and whatnot quite well. Anyways, all portions of the monti that were shaded died off, I've since moved the colony back out into full light, so far it's looking much improved.

For what it's worth, I'd just say start it low, move it up, keep an eye on it and see where it works out being. Halides are much mroe of a point-source of light, so I'd try it slightly further away from one of the bulbs, then move it closer over time.