Montipora gods please shed some light.

[Reeferdood]

Is there a specific requirement for keeping greens vs reds?
Reason being, I have struggled with keeping green caps but can grow reds like weeds, why?
Supplements, spectrum, what are your thoughts?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Is there a specific requirement for keeping greens vs reds?
Reason being, I have struggled with keeping green caps but can grow reds like weeds, why?
Supplements, spectrum, what are your thoughts?

That's a good question. I was under the assumption that they had the same requirements. Following along for others thoughts

 

[Reeferdood]

That's a good question. I was under the assumption that they had the same requirements. Following along for others thoughts

Me too!

 

[29bonsaireef]

IME, a more daylight spectrum will cause green caps to wash out a little, but the red will look very nice still. Used to run a lot of 65k bulbs over my tanks and my green caps always looked okay, but never extremely vibrant like they are now under more B+ bulbs. Don't think its so much the par or intensity, but the spectrum they are being hit with.

I'm sure there can be other factors involved as well, JME with caps..

 

[Maggie321]

I have green and red next to each other and purple in another place on the tank. The green does wash out, or changes to a color closer to it's polyp color when I have my lights up higher. The red is a sturdy slow grower no matter what and the purple is a steady fast grower no matter what. It is even in slightly lower light than the red and green (just a guess because I don't have a par meter). The green just seems to be more sensitive to higher light.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I wonder if @Dana Riddle may know more in regards to spectrum and coral coloration.

 

[Reeferdood]

Crazy, I have seen them thrive in different lighting both high and low, LED’s and halide..
I am wondering about supplements and if any certain ones are crucial for their color..
Great advice so far!

 

[Crabs McJones]

If someone wants to send me a piece of green cap, i'll give it a try and put it right next to my red cap...you know...for science purposes

 

[Reeferdood]

I wonder if @Dana Riddle may know more in regards to spectrum and coral coloration.

I have an email in with Jason Fox, awaiting his input as well....

 

[kz4q66]

I have both. Green grows much slower and seems more sensitive to light and water parameter. But when it settles then it can grow side by side with the red one.

 

[TexasTodd]

What lights?

 

[Flippers4pups]

My red does better in higher par/intensity than my green. Just like everyone else, the green will wash out in higher par.

I try to keep my red higher up than my green for this reason.

 

[Reeferdood]

Experiment underway, I moved some to more shaded areas. I will give it a month and see what happens...
Others please feel free to chime in.
Vic & Lou @WWC ???

 

[Dilan Patel]

I have a purple then green then red all next to eachother and they all grow at the same rate and all have the same vibrancy. I run very high par. They probs are hgetting round 250-300 at the bottom of my tank

 

[Reeferdood]

I have a purple then green then red all next to eachother and they all grow at the same rate and all have the same vibrancy. I run very high par. They probs are hgetting round 250-300 at the bottom of my tank

Interesting!
If I may, what are you parameters & are you dosing?
Are you running a ULNS & if so, are do dosing aminos of any type?

 

[Dilan Patel]

so I feed over 5 times a day to keep my nitrates at 5 and I try to keep my phosphates above 0 but below .25ppm. I run alk around 9s and I dkh around 400-450. Magnesium is always exactly 1500. I do dose acropower. Rn i am having an unexplained issue with my green monti but the color still looks awesome I will get a pic of all three if I can fit them in one pic. I also use a lot of flow.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have green and found green does better in lower lights and flow as I have it placed at mid tank, whereas reds are higher at light and flow.

 

[Reeferdood]

Still no smoking gun folks.....
This is very interesting..

 

[Az reefer]

I have both green and red caps. There is a learning curve with the greens. Depending on the tank they come from, they can be already acclimated to higher lighting and do fine. Some do great in lower lighting. I always start mine off in lower lighting and gradually increase the light till they are in the spot I want to keep them. Check your potassium and iron levels also.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Potassium a must, in fact for Most corals and always start corals in low lighting or acclamation setting to protect tissue and stone in these specimens