Encrusting monti help!!

jonzee2006 · Apr 22, 2010

I have a frags of sunset and reverse superman monti's and I was wondering where in the tank I should place them? I've been getting a lot of bleaching and I don't really know why. I have a 72 bow with 2x250 20k and 2x54 actinics and was told that it was to much light by some and just enough by others. So I'm lost!! Can someone help me out with the placement please.

fizhfly · Apr 22, 2010

id put them low to start and also check the dkh levels.

swannyson7 · Apr 22, 2010

Start them low to acclimate to your lighting and slowly move them up until you get good coloration/polyp extension. Do you know what lighting they were under before you got them? Also, the bleaching could be attributed to water parameters or flow as well.

Carlton'stank · Apr 30, 2010

I have my sunset a little higher than half way up in my tank and it seems to do good. My lighting is 175 SE Phoenix and the coral is about 8-10 from the top of the water level and another 8 inches to the light itself.

SunnyX · Apr 30, 2010

As everyone has stated keep encrusting monti's low and in the shade. In my tank if I were to move the monti's any higher than the sandbend they would bleach out.

Gazog · Apr 30, 2010

I have a reverse Sunset that is as far up on My rocks as it can go and its growing even higher and there is no bleaching, I really think its just depends on the piece of coral.

Carlton'stank · Apr 30, 2010

My pokerstar monti doesn't mind being a bit on the higher side in my tank, but my rainbow (which is very similar in color patterns to pokerstar) does not like the high light. I think there are a ton of variables, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Start low and slowly move it up to see what happens.

pitbullguy · Apr 30, 2010

I have my sunset getting a decent amount of light, if I out mine to low it will not be as vibrant. That being said you always start with low light and work your way up slowly, you should be able to tell when the coral is happy. Good Luck.

mlove · May 2, 2010

How much flow does the sunset monti like?

fizhfly · May 2, 2010

low to medium flow is fine!

mlove · May 2, 2010

Would it be ok with high flow?

fizhfly · May 2, 2010

depends what you mean by high flow random or is it liniar?

mlove · May 2, 2010

It's fairly liniar. I was thinking of placing a frag of it at the top of my rockwork under LEDs (after acclimating slowly) and in semi-direct flow of a koralia nano.

fizhfly · May 2, 2010

mum be carefull with laminar flow!!

mlove · May 2, 2010

Sorry I didn't mean to jack your thread jonzee, I just wanted to ask since I was curious and this was up. I guess I'll try to keep the sunset from getting too much flow and will let it grow the way it feels is the best.

tater11 · May 2, 2010

SunnyX said:
As everyone has stated keep encrusting monti's low and in the shade. In my tank if I were to move the monti's any higher than the sandbend they would bleach out.

agreed 100%

drainbamage · May 2, 2010

had a colony about 3"x3" that was encrusted on a thin piece of rock on both sides. Mounted it vertically with some of it under an overhang in the tank. Tank is brightly lit with T5s, grows SPS's and whatnot quite well. Anyways, all portions of the monti that were shaded died off, I've since moved the colony back out into full light, so far it's looking much improved.

For what it's worth, I'd just say start it low, move it up, keep an eye on it and see where it works out being. Halides are much mroe of a point-source of light, so I'd try it slightly further away from one of the bulbs, then move it closer over time.