High Tide Aquatics

Encrusting monti versus acropora & clams

newfly

Supporting Member
My tank is almost 2 yrs now and good news is everything seems to be growing fine. Bad news is I didn’t put too much thought into coral placement in the beginning (rookie mistake).

I’ll try to get some pic tomorrow.

Encrusting monti (variety species) are now growing dangerously close to acro and clam. From what I read online, monti will eventually win the battle.

My thought is to remove the monti, place them lower in the tank, far from the top shelf. Or just get rid of them all together.

Am I over thinking it? I’m afraid as the acro grow out more , I can’t trim back the monti at the base without damaging the acro.
 
clams move, encrusters usually cannot encrust onto them. The acros will loose that battle.
Yeah I think even against montis they should be fine. This is a Crocea boring into a Porites:
1669916065092.png


And Maximas boring into live rock:
1669916426564.png
 
Get a stick of 2-part epoxy, mix and roll it out into a long strip. Create a barrier on the rock where you don't want the encrusting monti to cross. I've found that they're slower to encrust over epoxy but when they do, just break it off the rock then add a new barrier.
 
Get a stick of 2-part epoxy, mix and roll it out into a long strip. Create a barrier on the rock where you don't want the encrusting monti to cross. I've found that they're slower to encrust over epoxy but when they do, just break it off the rock then add a new barrier.
That’s smarter and easier than my go in and smash it with screw driver and bone cutters every so often.
Another smart idea is to lightly glue small chunks of rubble or natural looking frag tiles or whatever in the demilitarized zone for easy fragging later
 
Get a stick of 2-part epoxy, mix and roll it out into a long strip. Create a barrier on the rock where you don't want the encrusting monti to cross. I've found that they're slower to encrust over epoxy but when they do, just break it off the rock then add a new barrier.
Great idea! Will try that
 
Some example of coral battle in my tank

Monti vs Monti
Monti vs acro
Acro vs Cyphastrea
Clams vs Monti
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2467.jpg
    IMG_2467.jpg
    68.7 KB · Views: 77
  • IMG_2468.jpg
    IMG_2468.jpg
    80 KB · Views: 82
  • IMG_2469.jpg
    IMG_2469.jpg
    71.9 KB · Views: 75
  • IMG_2471.jpg
    IMG_2471.jpg
    74.1 KB · Views: 68
  • IMG_2472.jpg
    IMG_2472.jpg
    78.8 KB · Views: 76
Back
Top