Encrusting SPS corals: What is your favorite?

[Peace River]

Encrusting SPS corals: What is your favorite?

In the SPS world of sticks and stones, if Acros are sticks then the encrusting corals tend to look more like stones – very beautiful stones! Of course, there are also those corals like spongodes that seem to be a little of each! You also have some Montiporas that are plating and others that are encrusting. Do you have a favorite encrusting SPS coral? Do you have experiences to share about encrusting SPS corals? Please share any tips or questions in the discussion!

Photo by @REEFTIDE

 

[mfinn]

I still love the sunset monti's.

 

[exnisstech]

I voted pavona because it just has more character in its growth pattern. I like monti as well tho. I have lepto but they are very slow growers in my system.

 

[Cincyreefer513]

I have both a jack o lantern lepto and rainbow monti. Both are uniquely cool in their own way. I'm not a fan of sps typically since they just sit there, but these 2 have awesome patterns and coloration.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Montis are my favorite when it comes to encrustment. I do have several corals encrusting now and appreciate the effect with plugs and tiles hidden with natural color.

 

[i cant think]

My favourite…
I know it’s not encrusting but about 50% of the coral is an encrusted base currently.
One of my many unknown Acropora

 

[AKL1950]

Monti’s and Stylocoeniella. They are all young, but growing fast

 

[mrpontiac80]

I love monti’s. Here is a pic from a visit to top shelf aquatics a couple years ago…. The fruity pebbles monti covered rocks were just attention grabbing!

 

[resortez]

Love me a nice favia like the OG pastel war & peace, too many too list. (Not my pic)

 

[KrisReef]

Porieties, even if I can’t spell it right now. For the record, most corals are “encrusting” when they settle from planktonic life.

 

[i cant think]

Monti’s and Stylocoeniella. They are all young, but growing fastView attachment 2999790View attachment 2999791View attachment 2999792View attachment 2999793

That rainbow monti is a beauty, i bet once it grows out it’ll be even nicer, I assume as the polyps age, they change into another colour?

 

[AKL1950]

That rainbow monti is a beauty, i bet once it grows out it’ll be even nicer, I assume as the polyps age, they change into another colour?

Thanks! I got that one from TSA at the end of their Christmas sale. Went to their store to pick up my corals saw it and just had to get it. The ledge I put it on is about 10” long. Should be awesome when it grows out and covers the entire ledge. really happy with it.

 

[thermoJoe]

lol, none! they all become the plague eventually and you have to scrape them off.

 

[BigSkyRich]

Encrusting SPS corals: What is your favorite?

In the SPS world of sticks and stones, if Acros are sticks then the encrusting corals tend to look more like stones – very beautiful stones! Of course, there are also those corals like spongodes that seem to be a little of each! You also have some Montiporas that are plating and others that are encrusting. Do you have a favorite encrusting SPS coral? Do you have experiences to share about encrusting SPS corals? Please share any tips or questions in the discussion!

View attachment 2997683
Photo by @REEFTIDE

Well, gotta say that it became a love/hate relationship with my mystic sunset monti - its quite beautiful, however, it has become a very fast grower and I've had to do a number of interventions 1) broke pieces off and fragged - LFS likes that, 2) Used Kalk to stop it from encroaching on others, 3) experimented with other "encrusters" (purple bonsai acro) which actually is the more aggressive coral and is pushing the monti back. The green pavona isn't really encrusting but is happy and I'm happy with it

 

[Kathy Floyd]

Jack O Lantern was one of my first corals. It is encrusting and growing like a weed.

 

[Eienna]

My leptastrea survived my beginner fumbles for the longest, so in that respect I really like them, but they're not my favorite lookswise (or at least, the green one I had wasn't.) I think to look at, that would be the leptoseris. Not a fan of encrusters on the whole, though....I feel like they use up a bit too much real estate for what they give you.

 

[ReefJunky]

I know this is not typically thought about and found in thd hobby, but my favorite is Millepora alcicornis. Yes, fire coral. It grows over most any rock shape you put it on and adds some shape of its own too.

 

[KK's Reef]

It's all fun and games until a monti covers the entire rock.

 

[encrustingacro]

Fun fact:
Many of the "encrusting" corals in the hobby are not actually encrusting, but are usually some other growth form, such as massive or sub-massive, lobular, plating, or columnar. Examples of these are Psammocora, "Favia" (Dipsastraea, Favites, etc), Porites, Lithophyllon, Cyphastrea, Platygyra (Usually Paragoniastrea), etc.

 

[rossco]

Montipora and Stylocienella for me as well.
Pictures taken with blue lights sorry, all I had in my phone.

UWW Rainbow Sunset Monti, couple unnamed Stylos

Loony Toon Stylo and Electric Daisy Stylo

Burnin Banana, JF Sunset Stylos, OG Superman and Sunset montis

WWC Dragonfruit