Slow Growing Montipora Ideas

[NY_Caveman]

Lay it on me fellow reefers, which Montipora species in your experience grow slowly (assuming one starts with a healthy, well lit reef with good flow)? Scientific name would be great. Trade name or even no name with a picture is absolutely acceptable.

Spoiler: Further thoughts if interested

My searches on this topic seemed to mostly come up with reefers complaining about slow growth, or queries for fast growers. Many folks with new aquariums want growth fast. I get that. Perhaps they started with dry rock, or they are new to the hobby. Maybe they are just eager to get things going. Personally, I could enjoy just observing the life in the live rock and watching the clean up crew for a while.

I was re-reading a good thread about plating Montipora last night and it got me thinking about my 30 gallon tank (21 gallon display volume). In a nano I would prefer slow, healthy growth to constant pruning. I love the growth pattern of the Spongodes, for example, but it seems like it could outgrow an aquarium my size pretty quickly. M. Confusa and the Leng Sy Cap, on the other hand, seem to have a similar growth pattern with plating and nodules, but research shows they often grow slower. Montipora aequituberculata, similar, but with shorter nodules, also seems slower growing.

After, I started thinking in general about which are the slowest growing Montipora. I had found some slow growing Acropora threads (Oregon Tort, Purple Monster, etc.), but none about Montipora. So let us make a list. Any type be it plating, branching, dimpling, encrusting or anything in between, which Montipora corals grow slowly?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Wait, you want a coral that grows slowly? My Season's Greetings Monti grows slower than my Red Monti Cap, does that count?

 

[NY_Caveman]

Yes. Capricornis grows faster than most, but still worth noting the comparison.

 

[Finhead]

My Pink monti cap grows far slower than the others in my tank. My Idaho Grape, Green Pruple rim and Mystic are the fastest.

 

[rossco]

Slowest growers for me are the Pink Smoothie Digitata , RR Crazy T and JF Beach Bum.

That being said, it seems that once they get a “critical mass” built up even the slow growers take off, especially iff all outward edges are growing.

My ASD Rainbow Phoenix took forever to get to over an inch diameter, now it is moving along pretty well.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Thanks guys. Comparisons are also welcome. I know everyone wants fast growth which is why I am curious which Montipora grow slowly.

 

[DSC reef]

The slowest I've experienced was our sunburst capricornis. The fastest being our spongodes

 

[29bonsaireef]

Montipora of the species Danae were slower growing compared to all the other monti I had. Curious, why are you looking for slow growers?

 

[NY_Caveman]

Montipora of the species Danae were slower growing compared to all the other monti I had. Curious, why are you looking for slow growers?

I would say I have a good idea of what grows fast: Spongodes, some Capricornis, Digitatae. I have a small aquarium and I am not really looking to prune constantly or start a small fragging business. I am not saying I will only use slow growers in the tank, just wondering what options there are to generate ideas.

LOL, It seems like I may be the only person curious about slow growth from the searches I did. Everyone wants fast growth. That alone makes it a good reason to collect some reefer's experiences with what grows slowly.

 

[NY_Caveman]

The slowest I've experienced was our sunburst capricornis. The fastest being our spongodes

Good to hear there are slow growing caps.

 

[MontiFanatic402]

I've found that my sunset montipora grows uber slow. I've grown a lot of monti's in my 8 years of reefing, and have found that one to be the slowest/hardest. I haven't grown any of the higher end monti's like the Beach Bum, or Crazy T because their just too expensive.... But some day I would like to!

 

[Squid]

Confusa, rainbow, uww rainbow, sunset and Superman all grew slow for me

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

The old Unarce Orenji is probably the slowest growing monti I've ever had myself. Not sure on species though

 

[NY_Caveman]

I've found that my sunset montipora grows uber slow. I've grown a lot of monti's in my 8 years of reefing, and have found that one to be the slowest/hardest. I haven't grown any of the higher end monti's like the Beach Bum, or Crazy T because their just too expensive.... But some day I would like to!

Nice. Did you ever have verrucosa? If so how did that grow?

 

[NY_Caveman]

The old Unarce Orenji is probably the slowest growing monti I've ever had myself. Not sure on species though

Thanks Adam. Any others that grew slower than others?

 

[NY_Caveman]

Confusa, rainbow, uww rainbow, sunset and Superman all grew slow for me

Nice list! Thanks

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

Thanks Adam. Any others that grew slower than others?

not a lot really come to mind, off the top of my head. seems like once a lot of those encrusters hit critical mass they just really take off. same goes for digis

 

[radar_17]

Interesting to see different takes. For me the mystic sunset, rainbow, and superman are really fast... often need pruned. Elkhorn also grows quick and spreads around the tank because it's brittle and grows just about anywhere it falls, even in deep shadows. I concur on the spongodes and capricornus as well (although seasons greetings is relatively slow for a capricornus). My slowest would be the undata (Jedi Mind Trick and an un-named teal variety), digitata, and stellata. I have a cherry tree from WWC (palawanensis?) that is mid-range. Love me some Montis!

 

[Graffiti Spot]

All montipora grows fast once stable and once a base is formed. Slow growing montipora just doesn't happen in my experience.

 

[DSC reef]

All montipora grows fast once stable and once a base is formed. Slow growing montipora just doesn't happen in my experience.

Which montipora do you have. I'm sure there's a difference in growth rates between them?