montipora question

mfinn · Jun 24, 2012

What happens to encrusting montis when they grow towards each other and touch?
I'm adding several different ones such as pokerstar, and sunset, rainbows to my tank.
Do they fight it out to the death, resulting in the loss of both corals?
Does the faster grower simply grow over the slower grower?
Do they touch and just stop growing in that direction?

Anyone have pictures of two encrusting monti's fighting?

revsgirl · Jun 25, 2012

:bump2:

Poseidon · Jun 25, 2012

I don't have any experience with the encrusting types, but the plating types will not fight to the death, at least initially. In my experience one will grow faster and shade over the slower grower, killing it that way, which is good for the reef keeper, as we can break off chunks of the shader, so the shady still gets light.

I would guess that the two encrusters will bump into each other and stop, then start growing away from each other.

Here is a pic of my 4 colors of plating together:

Sorry for the water glare, this picture isn't perfect.

Poseidon · Jun 25, 2012

Here you can see a plating type and a branching type fighting it out:

Hope these help a bit...

blkhawk10 · Jun 25, 2012

My friends rainbow monti at the LFS store I go to is starting to grow over an undata they have on a rock next to it. I haven't been up there in a while but everytime I go the rainbow is growing more and more over it.

Singlefin · Jun 25, 2012

Poseidon said:
I don't have any experience with the encrusting types, but the plating types will not fight to the death, at least initially. In my experience one will grow faster and shade over the slower grower, killing it that way, which is good for the reef keeper, as we can break off chunks of the shader, so the shady still gets light.

I would guess that the two encrusters will bump into each other and stop, then start growing away from each other.

Here is a pic of my 4 colors of plating together:

Sorry for the water glare, this picture isn't perfect.