Encrusting Corals - Good or Bad?

[AKL1950]

Tank is getting fairly populated and all corals are growing well. SPS up top….Zoas, hammer, candy Cane and Gonioporas down low.

I’ve got some mid section areas that are kinda bare and I’m trying to decide what could go there. I’ve been looking at stylocoeniella and encrusting Montipora, but not real familiar with the pros and cons of encrusting corals. Good or bad on these? Also, any other options that might go well mid height in the tank?

pics are two of the ledges I’m looking to fill. One mid-high and one mid-low. Coraline is just now starting to take off everywhere.

 

[Schwartzy]

Seems like a good spot for a Beach Bum, Minion, or Kung Pao monti... All of those grow slower than other encrusters so its easier to control. There's some montis that grow like mad once they are established

 

[AKL1950]

Seems like a good spot for a Beach Bum, Minion, or Kung Pao monti... All of those grow slower than other encrusters so its easier to control. There's some montis that grow like mad once they are established

Beach Bum Monti is one of the ones on my list. Nice.

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Check out the Crazy T as well. Its another slower growing montipora palawanensis like the beach bum.

 

[Lavey29]

Ive been using cyphastrea and styloconeilla to fill in areas like that.

 

[Rovert]

Perfect timing for this question! I've been wanting something mid-range in my tank, and the horror stories of the plating/encrusting Montipora have me worried, and have seen how quickly plating can take over a tank. Been thinking about the 'undata' variety such as the KungPao, but want to hear other opinions before I get into a scenaro. Are they problematic the way that the planting variety can be?

 

[mdb_talon]

Depends on what the goal is. They can be a pain as many do end up growing fast and can force you to allow them to end up battling each other or you have to get involved

Having said that I definitely would not think twice about it. I prefer a display where eventually everything kind of battling it out for there own space as they grow together.

 

[Schwartzy]

Beach Bum Monti is one of the ones on my list. Nice.

It's a good looking coral! I found that they typically don't like a ton of light. Somewhere in the 200-250 range is where we keep most of them.

 

[homer1475]

Sunset monti here, Took a while for it to take off, now I'm killing it back with kalk paste. It kills anything it touches by just growing over it.

 

[AKL1950]

Great inputs. Sounds like, yes they are aggressive, but yes, everyone likes them. The way I see it is I’ll get them. When they cover their area they will have to go straight up or down to intrude on someone else. That could take a few years. I am moving the Zoas out of the way at spot number three. They don’t like the high flow there anyway.