Monti Coral

[tmcreynolds]

I am wanting to take a shot at monitpora coral. I like the kind that looks like its plating and shelving instead of just encrusting. How do I know the ones I want to buy are plating vs encrusting? From what I can see on most sites is they don't have pictures of the mother colony to tell and most google images are just frags so its hard to tell how they will grow out. Any info would be great, Thank you!

 

[Doctorgori]

How do I know the ones I want to buy are plating vs encrusting? From what I can see on most sites is they don't have pictures of the mother colony to tell and most google images are just frags so its hard to tell how they will grow out. Any info would be great, Thank you!

this is a very common issue with vendors…some give good descriptions, others have 5 different trade names for essentially the same coral …
….about the only hint you get is usually they will say if it’s tabling or not
…with montipora “usually” caps are platting and digis are branching but rather than confuse you hopefully someone will save the day with a better post
Added: montipora has a few species and I think some species come in multiple forms

 

[Dburr1014]

I am wanting to take a shot at monitpora coral. I like the kind that looks like its plating and shelving instead of just encrusting. How do I know the ones I want to buy are plating vs encrusting? From what I can see on most sites is they don't have pictures of the mother colony to tell and most google images are just frags so its hard to tell how they will grow out. Any info would be great, Thank you!

Does it give you a name?

 

[tmcreynolds]

Does it give you a name?

I mean not specifically. More just during the weekend sales there are just a bunch of varieties of montis but i dont know how to tell which ones are the plating type. Examples are like JF Beach bum monti, sunfire monti, and rainbow monti

 

[Dburr1014]

I mean not specifically. More just during the weekend sales there are just a bunch of varieties of montis but i dont know how to tell which ones are the plating type. Examples are like JF Beach bum monti, sunfire monti, and rainbow monti

Funny thing about encrusting monti, they will plate out of they run out of rock to encrust.
Check out my mystic sunset, it's encrusting but the rock shoots downward, can't encrust with no light so it moves off the rock. Same with chalice also.

 

[UMALUM]

Funny thing about encrusting monti, they will plate out of they run out of rock to encrust.
Check out my mystic sunset, it's encrusting but the rock shoots downward, can't encrust with no light so it moves off the rock. Same with chalice also.

You should send this pic to the dude that posted " umbrella acropora " so he can see that wwc sent him a monti. Lol

 

[Wallace11]

Generally, the plating montipora are Montipora capricornis (green, red, purple, and grafted). Montipora digitata are branching and other varieties (like Tubs stellata) can have a mix of encrusting and branching. Most of the other montis you see are encrusting.

Beach bum monti, sunset monti, and rainbow monti are all encrusting

 

[Seansea]

If you want strictly plating get any monti caps. They will for sure plate.

 

[Doctorgori]

there is also a confusa or something like that, not exactly sure what form you could assign it..
here is a pic thru my glass…pardon the algae on it