Just the Facts contest: Monti Cap - Reef-Geeks

Barbara · Geekette

Monti Cap

Scientific Name
Family: Acroporidae / Species: Montipora capricornus

Common Name(s)
Vase Coral, Leaf Plate, Monti Cap, Cup Coral

Coloration
On the reef, it's colors can be purple, blue, brown or green and some have a contrasting edge color under stronger lighting. In the aquarium, colors can include purple, intense green with purple edges, light green, red and orange.

Size and Growth Rate
Under proper lighting and water conditions, this coral can grow quite large (as big as the space you have for it) and very quickly (as much as 1" every couple months). It can easily become a tank show piece!

Location and Geographic Range
The Montipora Spp. are found in the Australo-Indo-Pacific region as well as the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. M. capricornus is found in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

Food
In the reef tank, they tend to grow healthier and fast in a well-fed tank, eating very small fine particulate foods. Zooplankton and tiny plankton can be fed to them once a week. They'll also enjoy other filter feeder food and even rotifers.

Lighting
Moderate to High lighting levels are required for the best growth. T5's, VHO's or Metal Halides are recommended.

Water Flow
Moderate to high, and turbulent flows are good.

Chemical Stability
Excellent tank conditions are suggested for best results. Keep the calcium, alkalinity and pH levels up and nitrates low and phosphates at or as close to zero as possible.

Aggression
Peaceful coral....low aggression. But under proper conditions this coral grows fast and may shade other corals.

Care Level (Easy, Moderate, Difficult)
Easy to moderate

Hardiness
Moderate to high under the right tank conditions.

Placement in Tank
Middle to near the top...they tend to grow faster the closer they are to the light.

Availability
Very high! Most lfs will readily have these corals available. They are also easy to frag so obtaining them in frag swaps is very common.
Fragmentation
Extremely easy. Simply break off a piece and glue it to a frag plug with super glue or other saltwater aquarium safe bonding material. It should do just fine after fragmentation if kept in good conditions.

Conclusion and Comments
This is a great starter SPS coral for any new (or experienced) reefer. Assuming good water and lighting conditions, this coral will grow fast and big! And the many colors available will brighten up any tank.

My personal experience:
This is one of my very favorite corals! It's fun to watch it grow from a small frag into a beautiful centerpiece!

chris&barb · Lost

Nice post Barb

You need to dig up some more of those

robertsails · Reef-Geek

WOW beautiful Coral Barb. I love the color

Barbara · Geekette

me too!!! ............it's what I hope to have someday soon!

marinelife · Newbie-Geek

My personal experience with this coral is you can keep them under Standard Fluorescent lighting and have great color. I have seen it in two different tanks. They were mounted about half way down.

Barbara · Geekette

hmmmmmm....that's very interesting....I always thought they needed stronger light - especially if most will place them a bit lower so as not to shade other corals....do you still have yours under standard lighting?

Grumpy Bass · $20,000 later....

Hey Barbra, nice example on the Caps, I love the format too. I have a red and a purple (the latter is really brown, it was suppose to be purple.. dang), anyway I raised the dKH and they are going crazy, they really love it! I have three (3) 400W HQI MH lamps and the purple is about mid tank and the red is closer to the top.

BTW.. raising the dKH (alkalinity) is one of the things I learned at MACNA.

Grumpy

marinelife · Newbie-Geek

I have seen them grow under standard lights and have nice color.

one of my old ones:

icsd71 · Reef-Geek

I was debating on getting a couple pieces from a LFS. They were on sale to. Was not sure about it though. Just might haveto get them. Love the photoand the size of the ones you have marinelife

houndsbayman · Reef-Geek

My caps grow really fast under my lighting and I have two different clors. Both of them are very brilliant in color.

cdangel0 · Geek Story Teller

Quote:

Originally Posted by houndsbayman

My caps grow really fast under my lighting and I have two different clors. Both of them are very brilliant in color.

There's an understatement iff I've ever heard one!!!!!!

BTW John I want to keep a couple more up from you and try them again.

houndsbayman · Reef-Geek

Thanks Craig, I will be posting some really nice large frags of both colors on my website for the next meeting shortly. I was just doing some frag work and water change and will be taking pics.

Barbara · Geekette

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy Bass

Hey Barbra, nice example on the Caps, I love the format too. I have a red and a purple (the latter is really brown, it was suppose to be purple.. dang), anyway I raised the dKH and they are going crazy, they really love it! I have three (3) 400W HQI MH lamps and the purple is about mid tank and the red is closer to the top.

BTW.. raising the dKH (alkalinity) is one of the things I learned at MACNA.

Grumpy

good tip grumpy! thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinelife

I have seen them grow under standard lights and have nice color.

one of my old ones:

holy moly marinelife! that's one big beautiful monti! do you still have it? if so, is it still under standard lighting? also, did you have it placed high in the tank under standard lighting?

Quote:

Originally Posted by houndsbayman

My caps grow really fast under my lighting and I have two different clors. Both of them are very brilliant in color.

.....stunning!

andrewk529 · Reef-Geek

Quote:

Originally Posted by houndsbayman

My caps grow really fast under my lighting and I have two different clors. Both of them are very brilliant in color.

The large green monti I purchased from John is one of my favorite corals in my tank.

D3monic · All powerfull drifter

Very nice! I wish my green would have grown better. It ended up dying off. I loved my Purple idaho grape though.

luke33 · Reef-Geek

Here are a couple of my monti's

Confusia?

Reverse Sunset

Appleberry

Strawberry fields

Drumroll please.......my favorite monti the Mai Tai!

And this is under my daylight which is a nice bright 14k look. No camera trickery. That mai tai is just a glowing coral, sticks out like crazy. Here it is by the reverse sunset and sunset in the background. I think i have 15-20 monti's.

Barbara · Geekette

stunning montis Luke! LOVE that mai tai!

what lighting are yours under?

luke33 · Reef-Geek

Its under my led's. So its under a 14k look. That is really what it looks like, its a stunner!

Barbara · Geekette

..stunning!

Thinkin Reef · Greeter Of New Geeks

They are very nice

Mai Tai is amazing in colour !

[1 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 09-03-2010, 05:46 PM	Geekette
Just the Facts contest: Monti Cap Monti Cap Scientific Name Family: Acroporidae / Species: Montipora capricornus Common Name(s) Vase Coral, Leaf Plate, Monti Cap, Cup Coral Coloration On the reef, it's colors can be purple, blue, brown or green and some have a contrasting edge color under stronger lighting. In the aquarium, colors can include purple, intense green with purple edges, light green, red and orange. Size and Growth Rate Under proper lighting and water conditions, this coral can grow quite large (as big as the space you have for it) and very quickly (as much as 1" every couple months). It can easily become a tank show piece! Location and Geographic Range The Montipora Spp. are found in the Australo-Indo-Pacific region as well as the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. M. capricornus is found in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands. Food In the reef tank, they tend to grow healthier and fast in a well-fed tank, eating very small fine particulate foods. Zooplankton and tiny plankton can be fed to them once a week. They'll also enjoy other filter feeder food and even rotifers. Lighting Moderate to High lighting levels are required for the best growth. T5's, VHO's or Metal Halides are recommended. Water Flow Moderate to high, and turbulent flows are good. Chemical Stability Excellent tank conditions are suggested for best results. Keep the calcium, alkalinity and pH levels up and nitrates low and phosphates at or as close to zero as possible. Aggression Peaceful coral....low aggression. But under proper conditions this coral grows fast and may shade other corals. Care Level (Easy, Moderate, Difficult) Easy to moderate Hardiness Moderate to high under the right tank conditions. Placement in Tank Middle to near the top...they tend to grow faster the closer they are to the light. Availability Very high! Most lfs will readily have these corals available. They are also easy to frag so obtaining them in frag swaps is very common. Fragmentation Extremely easy. Simply break off a piece and glue it to a frag plug with super glue or other saltwater aquarium safe bonding material. It should do just fine after fragmentation if kept in good conditions. Conclusion and Comments This is a great starter SPS coral for any new (or experienced) reefer. Assuming good water and lighting conditions, this coral will grow fast and big! And the many colors available will brighten up any tank. My personal experience: This is one of my very favorite corals! It's fun to watch it grow from a small frag into a beautiful centerpiece! __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013809 Rep Power: 100
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[4 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 09-19-2010, 06:15 PM	Geekette
me too!!! ............it's what I hope to have someday soon! __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013809 Rep Power: 100
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[5 (permalink)] Posted by marinelife 09-19-2010, 07:25 PM	Newbie-Geek
My personal experience with this coral is you can keep them under Standard Fluorescent lighting and have great color. I have seen it in two different tanks. They were mounted about half way down. __________________ 375 LED Reef Tank	Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Union, Ohio Posts: 45 Gameroom cash: $21230 Rep Power: 10
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[6 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 09-26-2010, 01:05 PM	Geekette
hmmmmmm....that's very interesting....I always thought they needed stronger light - especially if most will place them a bit lower so as not to shade other corals....do you still have yours under standard lighting? __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013809 Rep Power: 100
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[7 (permalink)] Posted by Grumpy Bass 10-04-2010, 11:06 PM	$20,000 later....
Hey Barbra, nice example on the Caps, I love the format too. I have a red and a purple (the latter is really brown, it was suppose to be purple.. dang), anyway I raised the dKH and they are going crazy, they really love it! I have three (3) 400W HQI MH lamps and the purple is about mid tank and the red is closer to the top. BTW.. raising the dKH (alkalinity) is one of the things I learned at MACNA. Grumpy Last edited by Grumpy Bass; 10-04-2010 at 11:10 PM. Reason: forgot to add some information	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 260 Gameroom cash: $106277 Rep Power: 25
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[2 (permalink)] Posted by chris&barb 09-03-2010, 09:05 PM	Lost
Nice post Barb You need to dig up some more of those	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: De Posts: 12,187 Gameroom cash: $3476370 Rep Power: 100
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[3 (permalink)] Posted by robertsails 09-19-2010, 12:26 PM	Reef-Geek
WOW beautiful Coral Barb. I love the color	Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Port Charlotte, FL Posts: 641 Gameroom cash: $181195 Rep Power: 21
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[8 (permalink)] Posted by marinelife 10-04-2010, 11:15 PM	Newbie-Geek
I have seen them grow under standard lights and have nice color. one of my old ones: __________________ 375 LED Reef Tank	Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Union, Ohio Posts: 45 Gameroom cash: $21230 Rep Power: 10
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[9 (permalink)] Posted by icsd71 10-11-2010, 07:46 PM	Reef-Geek
I was debating on getting a couple pieces from a LFS. They were on sale to. Was not sure about it though. Just might haveto get them. Love the photoand the size of the ones you have marinelife	Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bethany,IL Posts: 425 Gameroom cash: $137005 Rep Power: 16
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[10 (permalink)] Posted by houndsbayman 10-11-2010, 11:20 PM	Reef-Geek
My caps grow really fast under my lighting and I have two different clors. Both of them are very brilliant in color.	Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Salisbury, MD Posts: 286 Gameroom cash: $62265 Rep Power: 15
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[12 (permalink)] Posted by houndsbayman 10-12-2010, 01:27 PM	Reef-Geek
Thanks Craig, I will be posting some really nice large frags of both colors on my website for the next meeting shortly. I was just doing some frag work and water change and will be taking pics.	Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Salisbury, MD Posts: 286 Gameroom cash: $62265 Rep Power: 15
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[15 (permalink)] Posted by D3monic 10-12-2010, 08:24 PM	All powerfull drifter
Very nice! I wish my green would have grown better. It ended up dying off. I loved my Purple idaho grape though. __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Minooka, IL Posts: 2,436 Gameroom cash: $799965 Rep Power: 68
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[16 (permalink)] Posted by luke33 10-25-2010, 04:43 PM	Reef-Geek
Here are a couple of my monti's Confusia? Reverse Sunset Appleberry Strawberry fields Drumroll please.......my favorite monti the Mai Tai! And this is under my daylight which is a nice bright 14k look. No camera trickery. That mai tai is just a glowing coral, sticks out like crazy. Here it is by the reverse sunset and sunset in the background. I think i have 15-20 monti's. __________________ 125g reef, 9500gph flow, SWC160 Cone, 30scfh, 30w and extra large collection cup : ) 3x150w led fixture's as strong as 400w mh's!	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 234 Gameroom cash: $115160 Rep Power: 13
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[17 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 10-27-2010, 01:52 PM	Geekette
stunning montis Luke! LOVE that mai tai! what lighting are yours under? __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013809 Rep Power: 100
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[18 (permalink)] Posted by luke33 10-27-2010, 10:36 PM	Reef-Geek
Its under my led's. So its under a 14k look. That is really what it looks like, its a stunner! __________________ 125g reef, 9500gph flow, SWC160 Cone, 30scfh, 30w and extra large collection cup : ) 3x150w led fixture's as strong as 400w mh's!	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 234 Gameroom cash: $115160 Rep Power: 13
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[19 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 10-31-2010, 06:22 PM	Geekette
..stunning! __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013809 Rep Power: 100
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[20 (permalink)] Posted by Thinkin Reef 10-31-2010, 08:25 PM	Greeter Of New Geeks
They are very nice Mai Tai is amazing in colour ! __________________ Wal-Mart Greeter http://www.reef-geeks.com/forums/	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,130 Gameroom cash: $1044957 Rep Power: 72
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