Help with Monti Cap

[exnisstech]

I put this monti in 3 weeks ago. The image all even colored orange is when I placed it. The other with the lighter and darker areas today. I'm new to SPS and at first I thought lighter colors on the edges mean new growth. Then I compared the the images and realize it really hasn't grown just changed some color. Does this look like bleaching from too much light? Thanks in advance. You folks here are a great source of info.

 

[jfoahs04]

I think it is new growth. It’s not a ton of new growth because it’s only been in that location for 3 weeks but there are several spots that look like it has actually grown a bit more. A couple circled below. It looks like there are more or larger “points” (they just out just a bit more) in the circles than in your original shot. In another 3 weeks or so, it should be pretty obvious to the naked eye that it’s growing.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The edges suggest new growth to me. Looks like mine when growing

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Yep, definitely new growth. Your next post will be "How do I stop this monticap from growing so fast?!", lol. When they get going they can be hard to keep ahead of, if you have any restrictions on what shadows it casts, that is. One of my 'happy' montis grows more than 1/4" per week. In the next few days I need to prune it back to save an encrusting monti under it that is being entombed.

 

[exnisstech]

Awesome! My third attempt but with upgraded lighting this time. Thanks.

 

[cdw79]

I experienced some bleaching on my Monti Cap when I amped up my lighting too quickly- quite the mistake tbh

In my experience at least (and this was the case specifically for the Monti cap), the bleaching happened on various parts of the coral. I got a few blotches on the cap that clearly had started losing color. Luckily this was salvageable and it's more than recovered, but at least in my experience, look for patches of white and not just edges being lighter. Good luck with it!

 

[exnisstech]

Yep, definitely new growth. Your next post will be "How do I stop this monticap from growing so fast?!", lol. When they get going they can be hard to keep ahead of, if you have any restrictions on what shadows it casts, that is. One of my 'happy' montis grows more than 1/4" per week. In the next few days I need to prune it back to save an encrusting monti under it that is being entombed.

We have been trying to get one to grow for years. I recently measure my lighting and now I know why I couldn't keep a lot of stuff alive. It's in a 180g with room to grow. Some nems and softies growing wild with some LPS mostly on the bottom so it can have a corner to itself