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Unread 02/11/2007, 11:04 AM   #1
gotfrogs
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Why do all of my montiporas grow straight up?

I have several types of plating montipora and they all seem to grow straight upward. The tank has 2 250w DE 14K, water quality is good but the alkalinity is low. Here is a picture taken a few months ago showing what I am talking about. It is annoying that all you can see is the "underside" and not the colorful polyps.

Thanks,
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Unread 02/11/2007, 11:15 AM   #2
fishfanatic06
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High flow is usually the cause


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Unread 02/11/2007, 12:07 PM   #3
helloreef
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My guess would be high flow also


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Unread 02/11/2007, 12:12 PM   #4
gotfrogs
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Thanks, that did not even enter my head. I was guessing something to do with the lights.


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Unread 02/11/2007, 01:10 PM   #5
antonsemrad
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My guess is that your corals are growing in such a way to capture settling debris. In a higher energy enviornment, they make plates and ridges to break up the flow in order to maximize prey capture. Its kind of cool to see how they can adapt to such different environments by the way they grow.

I have long wondered if these corals were originally found in a lagoon, or out deeper. I suspect either or. That would explain why they can tolerate such different lighting also.

This is also a visable cue that these corals do, indeed eat.

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Unread 02/11/2007, 01:13 PM   #6
mahoneyc3
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you culd just split the colonys down the middle, and turn them so that the polyp side was facing front, that wa you dont look at the underside of the coral

hth


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Unread 02/11/2007, 01:17 PM   #7
gotfrogs
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mahoneyc3, I am debating doing just that!


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Unread 02/11/2007, 01:20 PM   #8
Giovanni
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I have a frag I got that was mounted sticking up. After reading this, I think I will break it in several pieces and glue them on their sides on the same plug and see what it does.


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Unread 02/11/2007, 03:23 PM   #9
baldbloke
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ime its low flow around the colony, i have one the same it grows up rather than flat because theres little flow to cause it to spread flat if you see what i mean, i have a purple monti cap frag i was given and i placed it in a spot where it had a pretty much continuious even flow spread over it and hey presto it grew flat, i then tweaked the flow to suit another coral which diverted the flow from the monti and it then started to grow upwards, thats my experiance


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Unread 02/11/2007, 03:33 PM   #10
gotfrogs
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Giovanni, I don't think the original orientation has much to do with it. The cap shown above started as a 1" frag that was mounted horizontal.


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Unread 02/11/2007, 06:25 PM   #11
beaniebeagle
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every time i went diving and saw monti growing flat was when the current was strong in one direction....like baldbloke said


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Unread 02/12/2007, 09:55 AM   #12
gasman059
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Flow and direction of flow.

IMO FLOW detrmines type and direction of growth. The cap on the right has been on my tank for 3 months and is scrolling as u c. The one on the left is plating(new-3 days old in display) I'm hoping to get them together so they mix and macth over the next several months.
[/IMG]


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Unread 02/12/2007, 10:20 AM   #13
DaddyJax
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It has alot to do with species. Not all montis are plating horizontal! There are quite a few that grow upwards like yours is growing.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 10:30 AM   #14
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FWIW, there are a number of species that tend to get lumped together under the name `Montipora capricornis' ... perhaps some of them exhibit this more often than others?

There's a lot of factors involved - and many good points brought up above. Just realize that definitive ID on plating Montipora isn't easy + some of the variance could come from this genetic variance. JMO.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 11:04 AM   #15
gasman059
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Quote:
It has alot to do with species. Not all montis are plating horizontal! There are quite a few that grow upwards like yours is growing
Agree
Quote:
There's a lot of factors involved - and many good points brought up above. Just realize that definitive ID on plating Montipora isn't easy + some of the variance could come from this genetic variance. JMO.
And agree.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 11:04 AM   #16
gasman059
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Quote:
It has alot to do with species. Not all montis are plating horizontal! There are quite a few that grow upwards like yours is growing
Agree
Quote:
There's a lot of factors involved - and many good points brought up above. Just realize that definitive ID on plating Montipora isn't easy + some of the variance could come from this genetic variance. JMO.
And agree.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 11:04 AM   #17
gasman059
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Quote:
It has alot to do with species. Not all montis are plating horizontal! There are quite a few that grow upwards like yours is growing
Agree
Quote:
There's a lot of factors involved - and many good points brought up above. Just realize that definitive ID on plating Montipora isn't easy + some of the variance could come from this genetic variance. JMO.
And agree.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 11:04 AM   #18
gasman059
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Quote:
It has alot to do with species. Not all montis are plating horizontal! There are quite a few that grow upwards like yours is growing
Agree
Quote:
There's a lot of factors involved - and many good points brought up above. Just realize that definitive ID on plating Montipora isn't easy + some of the variance could come from this genetic variance. JMO.
And agree.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 11:54 AM   #19
MiddletonMark
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Wow, you're quite agreeable
[many times over]


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Unread 02/12/2007, 12:14 PM   #20
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Mine does the same. It looks like a 8oz tea cup. Mine is relatively low flow but high in the tank directly under a 150 12k MH. My theory is that the monti cap does not require alot of light so it grow vertical to reduce the amount of light it directly receives and spreading it out onto greater surface area.


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Unread 02/12/2007, 01:24 PM   #21
nwrogers
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Quote:
Originally posted by MiddletonMark
Wow, you're quite agreeable
[many times over]
LOL I would have to agree that he agrees! FWIW I also agree


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Unread 02/12/2007, 01:50 PM   #22
gasman059
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LMAO soooooooooooooooooooorry LOL


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Unread 02/16/2007, 03:33 PM   #23
polypman
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Explain this then - I have this monti cap that part of it grows up and part of it grows out. This is a strange growth pattern !!



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Unread 02/16/2007, 05:10 PM   #24
DaddyJax
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It is building up to swirl. In the next 6mos to a year you will have a rose shaped beautiful coral. This is common for its species to construct a platform like this when it is happy!


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Unread 02/16/2007, 05:20 PM   #25
peanut95
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About how long does it take for a monti to get to that size from about the size of a pringles chip???


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