Encrusting montipora: bulldozers?

[User]

Hi there

I have an archway as part of my aquascape abd it has two prominent ‘legs’ in the main viewing side. Plan was to mosaic several frags of Superman and mystic sunset montipora (thought the reverse colors would look cool and the blue polyps in the MS would be neat) on the legs and let them encrust abd figure out the pattern for themselves.

But now I read the some encrusting mintiporas are literal bulldozers abd will encrust abd kill anything they come across. That sucks, because the top of the arch was going to be s bunch of hammers and torches and a couple other lps

Is there anything I can put on the rock work that will form a hard stop for the montipora? Like a barrier of some sort the same way a ring of salt stops land snails getting to your micro greens?

Alternatively, I can isolate them into an island, but I don’t have much sand real estate or nice long rocks to make this work.

Cheers for any advice



The green circles show the legs I hoped would be covered in montipora. Ignore the arrow- it’s irrelevant to this discussion

 

[Bayareareefer18]

I'm new to sps but what I can say is that the superman grows insanely fast

 

[User]

I'm new to sps but what I can say is that the superman grows insanely fast

Yeah, that’s what other people have said. Mystic is a bit slower but apparently both grow so fast the crowd out and kill everything else.

 

[AngryMike2016]

I have a sunset montipora that lives up to the bulldozer name; it's grown over two aiptasia, and several vermatid snails. There are now vermetid shaped bumps in the coral, lol.

 

[User]

I have a sunset montipora that lives up to the bulldozer name; it's grown over two aiptasia, and several vermatid snails. There are now vermetid shaped bumps in the coral, lol.

I wouldn’t be bothered by that- I’d be worried about them smothering a hammer or torch, or some other sps on the top of the archway

 

[Fishfinder]

Do yourself a favor and save the money don’t let them get anywhere near your tank

 

[User]

Do yourself a favor and save the money don’t let them get anywhere near your tank

So it’s true then?

That’s too bad. I love that color combo and the inversion.

Can you Recommend anything that'll give a similar look?

I hate spas and palys, so they are out

 

[flockaveli]

If you re-did your scape a little so those rocks were more isolated you would be able to grow those montis, and not have any issues with a takeover.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

I have a sunset montipora that lives up to the bulldozer name; it's grown over two aiptasia, and several vermatid snails. There are now vermetid shaped bumps in the coral, lol.

Lol same with my superman, has many a vermitid spikes

 

[Fishfinder]

So it’s true then?

That’s too bad. I love that color combo and the inversion.

Can you Recommend anything that'll give a similar look?

I hate spas and palys, so they are out

maybe favia?

 

[User]

If you re-did your scape a little so those rocks were more isolated you would be able to grow those montis, and not have any issues with a takeover.

Well, those legs are holding up the arch, so they’d cant be isolated

I might clear some space in the sand and get a long thinnish rock and have them do their thing on that.

 

[User]

If you re-did your scape a little so those rocks were more isolated you would be able to grow those montis, and not have any issues with a takeover.

HOw much separations do you think I’d need?

1/4-1/2 inch? I coulda move the thicker one away a little. That work?

 

[User]

maybe favia?

Got some favia on the other leg on opposite side

Thanks though

 

[Bayareareefer18]

What about something like a stylocyniella?

 

[Softhammer]

They are literal lava slides. Nothing is safe. I started out with a dime sized frag of rainbow montipora and now it conquers all and eats entire Acropora colonies. While it looks cool it is a royal PITA. try to confine it to its own rock, like you would green star polyps.

 

[Softhammer]

For scale, that colony is at least 10” by 10” wrapped to the back side of the rock.

 

[Fishfinder]

Got some favia on the other leg on opposite side

Thanks though

favias come in all colors, I would just stay away from montis. You will regret the work. I regret it everyday

 

[User]

They are literal lava slides. Nothing is safe. I started out with a dime sized frag of rainbow montipora and now it conquers all and eats entire Acropora colonies. While it looks cool it is a royal PITA. try to confine it to its own rock, like you would green star polyps.

WHat kind of separation is required? I could do 1/2” max I guess. I’ve got gsp and Xenia on their own rocks, with 6” separation from other rocks. Don’t have space Ron isolate another rock that much

Is 1/2” far enough that it won’t ‘bridge’ to another rock?

 

[Softhammer]

Any gap will work so long as you trim it back when it grows to bridge the gap

 

[User]

Any gap will work so long as you trim it back when it grows to bridge the gap

Great, I’ll see how far I can separate them then go from there

Appreciate it