Is our Monti Cap happy?

[HankB]

I'm used to LPS and softies that wear their emotions on their sleeve. It's not hard to tell when I brush up against a leather and piss it off. It shrinks right away where it was touched. We've recently added our first SPS coral - a purple Monti Cap frag about 2 1/2" long - and I cannot see polyps on it. I don't know if it is unhappy or if that is normally how it looks.

 

This is how it looked shortly after introduction a couple days ago and pretty much how it looks now.

 

 

What signs should I be looking for to indicate that it is either happy or in need of further attention?

 

thanks,

hank

[StevieT]

It looks OK to me but kind of hard to tell from only a side shot. Possible to get a top view?

 

My larger orange one has no polyps visable, the others all have polyps that you can see, sometimes only with a camera and zoomed way in.

 

I would say if it has vivid colors than it is fine. It may take a bit for it to recover and start to grow. It took all of mine a few weeks before new growth started.

[smarsh]

Usually monti cap polyps are the size of a salt grain. They are really hard to see, especially if the poyps are the same color as the coral. Look really close in between the grooves on the top, See if you see tiny little rings on it. If it dies it will loose color. Good luck hank, tank looks great!

[TJ_Burton]

Caps are pretty resilient and can survive in some pretty horrid situations. Also, Monti's in general are really good at coming back from what otherwise would seem certain death. However, in order to keep good growth in color you will need the following.

 

- Strong to Very Strong lighting (This can affect the actual shade/tone that the monti takes. ie. some orange montis can turn pink under the right lighting).

- Calcium 350-450 (somewhere around 400-450 is best)

- Magnesium 1350-1450 (Extremely important for all SPS. Improper mag levels can cause STN and is often the reason behind poor growth and color loss).

- Alk 8-9dkh (Usually will stay at this point with proper mag levels)

- Good flow (Flow on a monti cap also contributes to growth formations/patterns).

 

I find they are very easy to keep if your levels are in check. What are your parameters at?

[HankB]

Thanks for the info guys, here are some more detailed pictures taken from above:

 

 

 

So, are those little round things the polyps and do they look happy?

 

thanks,

hank

[reefone]

looks pretty happy to me. yes those r the polyps if it wasnt happy they wouldnt be out.

[lilredneckman]

Yup those rings are the polyps.

[StevieT]

looks good to me, they are so small and that is about all you will see of them

[badbread]

- Strong to Very Strong lighting (This can affect the actual shade/tone that the monti takes. ie. some orange montis can turn pink under the right lighting).

 

Was wondering why my orange monti cap turned pink!

[HankB]

Thanks all for checking out my pix. I'm happy to hear that it looks happy. Conditions should be even better for this one when it goes into the DT. We have a spot picked out near the top under the lights, though it won't get any more sunlight there.

 

thanks,

hank

[SeeDemTails]

Looks good but there are a couple little bleached spots near the edge, make sure you look at it, especially the bottom, for montipora eating nudibranchs.

 

If those white spots dont go away soon, dip it in iodine in case it has a bacterial infection. Otherwise it looks good to me.

[HankB]

Looks good but there are a couple little bleached spots near the edge, make sure you look at it, especially the bottom, for montipora eating nudibranchs.

 

If those white spots dont go away soon, dip it in iodine in case it has a bacterial infection. Otherwise it looks good to me.

 

I noticed those. I was wondering if it might be damage from rubbing in the bag on the way home.

 

How soon should I expect them to go away?

 

thanks,

hank

[Avon Barksdale]

Just give it time.....You should be ok....what type of lighting do you use?

[lakshwadeep]

It could be that the other corals, especially softies like the the leather, are releasing chemical compounds that inhibit (or just stinging) the montipora. However, like everyone has stated, the polyps are very small.

[HankB]

Just give it time.....You should be ok....what type of lighting do you use?

Thanks - in the QT tank I have a 55 watt 50/50 PC light supplemented by sun. In the DT tank it will have 2x 55 watt 50/50 PC. Others (StevieT) have had success with some SPS corals in their tanks so I'm optimistic about this one. We have a spot at the top close to the lights picked out that should be good for it.

 

It could be that the other corals, especially softies like the the leather, are releasing chemical compounds that inhibit (or just stinging) the montipora. However, like everyone has stated, the polyps are very small.

That will be an issue in the DT where we have some large leathers. In QT it's sharing the tank with a brain and some palys (for the most part.)

 

thanks,

hank

[lakshwadeep]

That will be an issue in the DT where we have some large leathers. In QT it's sharing the tank with a brain and some palys (for the most part.)

 

thanks,

hank

 

That's good to know.

[SeeDemTails]

The white spots should go away within days if it is just damage or it was stung by another coral which is what it looks like.

 

Make sure you look close for nudibranchs.

[Avon Barksdale]

^^^^ I had a Idaho Grape that looked like that when I first got it but within a week......it looked real tight!!

[burtbollinger]

nice taste Avon

[petkingdom619]

Im interested in trying to grow the monti caps again. First time I got a free frag of one and didnt know what to do with it. It slowly died. So how fast to these grow? any feeding?250w mh on a 24gallon enough? space requirements?

[lakshwadeep]

This is a good primer:

http://www.asira.org/montipora

[HankB]

Looks good but there are a couple little bleached spots near the edge, make sure you look at it, especially the bottom, for montipora eating nudibranchs.

 

 

That's it, right?

 

Our only SPS and only monti. So I know where the nudibranch came from.

 

IIRC there is no cure - only alternative is to frag, right?

 

thanks,

hank

[SeeDemTails]

Yeah.

 

No biggie since this is your only piece.

 

Before I tell you how to get rid of them....LISTEN....NEVER, EVER put a SPS coral in your tank without thoroughly looking it over! I put mine a bowl of water with a little iodine and look with a magnifying glass sometimes. You wont hurt the coral, and it is a necessary step....QT isnt always necessary, but a good look over is.

 

The best way to remove monti nudis is manually. They really hold on though so it isnt easy.

 

You need:

 

1 Paper clip

Air Hose

Tooth brush

Cereal sized bowl with tank water in it, and the coral.

Iodine is optional but does irritate the nudis and make them move around.

 

First put the coral in the bowl, and attempt to spot all the nudis on it. They can move around so you have to be quick.

 

Take the air hose and the paper clip. Bend the paper clip straight and TAPE it to the air hose to that approximately 1/4" is sticking out straight past the end of the air hose. Put the bowl next to your kitchen sink.

 

Now, start a siphon in the air hose like you would if you were drip acllimating something, siphoning the water from the bowl into the sink.

 

Now that the water is flowing from the bowl to the sink, use the paper clip to dislodge the nudis, at which point the siphon will suck them out and into the sink.

 

Then, using a soft tooth brush dipped in the water from the bowl, go back and hit the eggs.

 

I would check it again in a day or two, to see it you see anymore.

[geekreef_05]

^^^ Shes freaken McGuyver reefer. ^^^^

 

Im gonna have to use that trick.

[smarsh]

Yeah SDT is the "Queen of SPS". She has given me advice about saving a couple of my colonies. She really knows ger stuff and her tank shows it. She picked up that this cap had Nudis before they were even seen.

Awesome work SDT.