I think we can all agree that there is a cumulative abundance of Sunset Millis out there these days, and I’m happy to confess, that I’ve been a sucker for them since the beginning. I remember being absolutely blown away by mere pictures of some of the first ones I had ever seen over on RC. Contrasting polyp and body color has always been a quality I adore in my Acros, and the Sunset exemplifies this beautifully. Granted, these days Sunsets don’t carry the once “grail-like” status they did back then, but are still an undeniably impressive specimen, especially when acclimated and thriving in captivity for a number of years. They are an essential component of any serious SPS reef in my opinion.
But just in case this is all new to you, the typical Sunset Milli has a deep orange body and glowing green polyps very much like it’s Montipora predecessor and namesake.
This color combo has come to define the term “Sunset” in the same way thin branches have been broadly clumped together as “dragons”. Of course, some are prettier than others. There are a number of variants out there, from long captive gems like the SunnyX and coveted Insane Sunset, to fresh cultured Indo’s with just as much potential, but yet still need to pass a few tests to establish captive longevity. Some do, and a lot of them don’t. Fortunately for me, the former was the case with my own, now long captive Schizopolis.
The original colony came to me in an order from Occulus around 2011. It was a pretty good-sized order if I recall, and this one was a clear standout amongst a number of other sunsets in the order ranging from "Oh that’s nice” to “Holy wow!" So I chose to keep it. I slapped another silly name on it like I tend to do, and let it grow! Since then, it has become one of my staples. It's a Sunset worthy of recognition and one that can rival the old schoolers for sure, and it’s not like this guy popped up yesterday either. I have been selling the Schizopolis for years now. This is why I know there has to be a few decent colonies out there by now. If you’ve got one, please feel free to share
some pictures. I always do love to see how corals grow out in other tanks.
Especially after a couple years.
Another long overdue highlight, on a deep-rooted member of my collection. The Schizopolis Sunset finally has its day.
