Encrusting Montipora at the edge. What will it do next?

[legrunt]

My encrusting Montipora has reached the edge of the rock.

What will it do now? I don't think it will hug the rock and grow into the overhang, as it won't get any light underneath... Will it stop? Or slope downwards? Or upwards like a plating version?

 

[Katrina71]

Whatever you don't want it to do

 

[legrunt]

Whatever you don't want it to do

Hahahah!

 

[hyprc]

Whatever you don't want it to do

This is the correct answer. It'll go anywhere and everywhere it possibly can. Might even plate out a bit to see if it can grab hold of another piece of rock/glass/frag rack/etc. and begin its domination there. I think of encrusting montis like GSP you can't peel off now.

 

[Waters]

I actually had to reboot my mature reef recently largely due to montis.......I consider them invasive now lol.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

I actually had to reboot my mature reef recently largely due to montis.......I consider them invasive now lol.

I’m upgrading in a little bit and I will try my best to kill them all of with kalk paste and scraping whilst making the transfer.

 

[Arricefe]

Have you considered “fragging” it? Just break off what’s over the rock and trade it or sell it.

 

[Cell]

Found this post yesterday, I feel like it's sticky worthy.

In my experience, photosynthetic coral seem to grow toward the light but they also like to “track” along a surface whether vertical or horizontal.

Chalices grow wonderfully round when growing horizontal (perpendicular) to the light and on an available flat surface. However sometimes the urge to track along a firm surface (rock work, disk, or glass) may lead them to travel “away” from or “towards” the light. I have had chalices that once they over grow their disk will cup away from the light and other times absolutely cup toward the light. Seemingly growing/searching for a surface to grow against sometimes dominates and other times the light dominates.

I think of chalices as LPS but there is often a debate whether they are LPS or SPS. Probably because LPS and SPS are not scientific terms but the hobby's own descriptor.

Here is a chalice with the disk against the back glass, so perfectly vertical. And you can see it is growing vertical and against the disk. I don't have the follow up photo, but the bottom of the chalice started cupping toward the light and away from the disk surface. So this would be an example of a chalice cupping toward the light.

the photo below is a chalice frag ( with the green rim) on a disk that is not perfectly horizontal. As the frag grows, it is cupping downward i.e., away from the light, and I believe seeking out a surface to grow onto.

And below is another example of a chalice frag that as it grows, is tracking /seeking a hard surface and not aiming for the light.

And lastly here is a photo of a chalice that is growing predominantly horizontal and is not overly seeking out a surface or the light. But again, it is not perfectly flat and although not attached to the rock work below, tends to conform to it.

Lastly, I prefer chalices not to encrust onto rock work which they will normally do given time. Some chalices can grow really fast and they have stingers, sometimes really long stingers, and can be very aggressive against their neighbors. By keeping them unattached, I can either move them when I choose it appropriate or just trim them down to a smaller size.

 

[legrunt]

Thanks for all the answers guys... Another few questions... How hard are they stuck down onto the surface they are encrusting? Once that overhanging bit gets long enough, and I grab it and try to break off a piece, do I risk dislodging the whole colony? Or does it grab the rock like superglue?

I saw a frag at the LFS growing off the frag plug onto the glass bottom. Does it adhere severely to the glass as well?

How easy do the skeletons break off? Can I just use finger strength to snap off a piece? Or do I need cutters?

Once I had to drill a hole into a rock to stick a frag plug into. I was surprised at how soft the rock was! I was accustomed to using a piston driven impact drill to drill into concrete and granite, so I was amazed that I could just use a flat head screwdriver to dig out a suitable hole. Still amazed by what I'm learning in this hobby...

 

[Waters]

Thanks for all the answers guys... Another few questions... How hard are they stuck down onto the surface they are encrusting? Once that overhanging bit gets long enough, and I grab it and try to break off a piece, do I risk dislodging the whole colony? Or does it grab the rock like superglue?

I saw a frag at the LFS growing off the frag plug onto the glass bottom. Does it adhere severely to the glass as well?

How easy do the skeletons break off? Can I just use finger strength to snap off a piece? Or do I need cutters?

Once I had to drill a hole into a rock to stick a frag plug into. I was surprised at how soft the rock was! I was accustomed to using a piston driven impact drill to drill into concrete and granite, so I was amazed that I could just use a flat head screwdriver to dig out a suitable hole. Still amazed by what I'm learning in this hobby...

Unfortunately encusting montis grab the rock to the point where they seem like they are part of the rock lol. Any pieces left will just continue to grow. As far as breaking off the plates, they can normally be pretty easily snapped off with your fingers. Sometimes cutters are needed for the really thick pieces. I am not sure how well they adhere to glass....I never let them get that far.

 

[hyprc]

I am not sure how well they adhere to glass....I never let them get that far.

Better than rock, believe it or not lol

 

[legrunt]

Wow... ok thanks! I'll let them grow out a bit, then break them off when necessary...