Chalice's and Rock Walls...

[honeyb627]

In lieu of Dave's post in the "damage chalice" thread about his chalice growing like an upside down bowl... it reminded me of a question I had...

With the rock walls Mark will be making for the 92-Corner, I wondered how one would place a chalice frag later down the road on the rock wall and get it to grow like a shelf? We saw some beautiful chalices grown and plating like shelves at a LFS and I think it'd be awesome to be able to have one or two in ours at some point. But is there a best/specific way to mount them to the rock wall to help them grow out as such?

 

[honeyb627]

ares;487689 wrote: I thought chalices were more of an encrusting coral than a plating, though I too have seen some do that. I think it might have alot to do with lighting and flow, whether it wants to curl up or down or straight out. perhaps use epoxy to build out a shelf, continually adding on to it as the chalice grows out?

Maybe they weren't chalices? maybe they were monti's... but they really didn't look like it... meh... either way, lol... chalices or monti's... getting them to plate out of the rock wall like we saw last weekend would be awesome.

 

[acroholic]

Chalices will follow the surface of the rock they grow on, as long as they can get enough light. If a chalice is growing downward on the surface of live rock, it will continue that way if there is light, but if the downward direction cuts of light, then you will either see the growth in that direction stop, or you will see the chalice skeleton grow away from the rock in a flat plate type arrangement to keep in contact with the light source.

It really sounds like you are talking about Montipora Capricornis, or Monti Caps, instead of chalices, maybe.

Like these:

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[acroholic]

Here is an example of one of my chalice colonys (Miami Hurricane or Tyree Pumpkin Patch-same thing)) that grew out (plated) from the frag plug because to go down would have cut off the light. Nothin' but skeleton beyond the frag plug in the second picture.
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[honeyb627]

Acroholic;487779 wrote:
It really sounds like you are talking about Montipora Capricornis, or Monti Caps, instead of chalices, maybe.

Like these:

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Those are exactly what they were like Dave! So, then the question remains only slightly modified... how can we get a monti cap to grow out like a shelf like the picture above

 

[acroholic]

HoneyB627;487810 wrote: how can we get a monti cap to grow out like a shelf like the picture above

Place it near an edge. An edge placement gives it room to plate out into open water and not crowd out other corals. You really don't need to do anything. There will be plating wherever you put it. They natually grow that way, IME. I've completely eliminated them from my SPS tank.

I personally don't like Monti caps because they can be very aggressive, not by killing other corals, but they spread and can completely grow around the base of acroporas. They remind me of green star polyps in that respect. Just keep an eye on it's spread if you keep one.

 

[kayakatl]

So... frag often? Are they fast growers? Monti Caps grow like shelves, encrusting monti grows around like chalice right? (I kinda feel like a total noob asking this question, but I would like to get it settled in my head)

 

[acroholic]

Monti caps encrust AND plate and grow fast. Most other montis encrust. You can break off chunks that plate, but it is hard to control the encrusting part of it on rocks, IME. You can kill it with kalk or Napalm, but it seems to be incredibly resistant to chemicals, etc.

Personally, I think the best place for a monti cap is on a separate rock out in the middle of the substrate, away from the rest of the reef structure.

Remember, this is only my experience. Someone else may love them, but I think my factual info is pretty accurate.

 

[kayakatl]

So I should just be a fellow acroholic? I wish I had the cash for that... some day, some day.

 

[justindville1987]

on mine the edges are starting to actully grow up on one side.

 

[enderg60]

my green and yellow one plates like a monti.....just depends on they kind of chalice and what flow conditions you have it in.

 

[honeyb627]

Acroholic;487833 wrote: Monti caps encrust AND plate and grow fast. Most other montis encrust. You can break off chunks that plate, but it is hard to control the encrusting part of it on rocks, IME. You can kill it with kalk or Napalm, but it seems to be incredibly resistant to chemicals, etc.

Personally, I think the best place for a monti cap is on a separate rock out in the middle of the substrate, away from the rest of the reef structure.

Remember, this is only my experience. Someone else may love them, but I think my factual info is pretty accurate.

Decisions Decisions, never thought a monti cap would grow fast enough to become a nuisance, I guess it doesn't surprise me entirely though.