Trade question - foxface for monti frags?

[acolotto]

Hey guys

So I'm gonna trade my Foxface fish for 4 monti frags (grape, orange, purple haze, and tyree flower petal). Well I think this I a killer deal, am I right in this? And my actual question is these are gonna be my first sps any advice? I have 55 gal with 4x54w t5ho with individual reflectors brand new ati bulbs and gonna place up high but what should I know about them? I've done a good amount of research and was gonna get some montis anyways cause have read on here that they're a good starter sps but just want some other advice from people that have had them cause that's the best advice just rather then reading that they need good flow and lighting

 

[MacDracor]

I have an orange monti cap that has grown pretty significantly in the 2-3 months I've had it, and a Green Birdsnest in the same situation. Recently picked up a nearly dead digitata frag I'm tryning to nurse back to health.
And you have better lighting than I do! Mine are about 8 inches below the surface, with the lights another 4-5 inches above that.
You've got twice the wattage I do, in T5's as well, so I think yours will do just fine.And congrats on the trade!I love my foxface, but that's a killer deal.

 

[acolotto]

Yea the only reason I got the Foxface was cause some guy had him in a 20 gallon so I got him for my 55 for a lil but I know that's still to small he wants to swim I know it lol so he's going to a 275 gallon tank so hell be happy

 

[acolotto]

What about flow? And also do they just what they need from the light?

 

[Patrick93]

What about flow? And also do they just what they need from the light?

High flow

 

[MacDracor]

High flow is good, but intermittent high flow is best. They'll get probably 95% or so of what they need from photosynthesis, but will certainly appreciate the periodic addition of microplanktonic foods. I add microvert from time to time.

 

[acolotto]

So I went ahead and did the trade I'll add pics in a little but what's the growth rate on these things?

 

[Flreefer]

I have red and green Monti's. In my tank, the red definitely grows faster than the green or grape. I've had them for years and traded out a few saucer sized pieces, from just a 30 dollar frag. I would say in a year you can have a saucer sized piece, if not bigger, from a small 1" frag.

View attachment 87739

X-factor Monti and Red Monti

 

[MacDracor]

I can't vouch for the year Flreefer has experience with, but I can tell you my orange monti cap frag ($20) has expanded about 1/2" to 3/4" in all directions in the two months I've had it.

 

[acolotto]

Sorry for crappy pictures (iPhone) in the first picture is the purple haze, grape, tyree flower petal (left to right) and the last one is the orange which is about a 3" piece. For the orange would it be ok if I was to glue it laying down so it sticks out towards the glass instead of laying on the rock? Also the last piece isn't bleached it's orange with purple polyps just iPhone camera sucks!

 

[Flreefer]

Yeah you can glue it like that, it will plate outward, and after a little bit encrust over where you attached it on the back side. It will help it to encrust over the attathement, if it's not an absolutely vertical rock face. A place where it is slightly angled towards the light above the attachment will help it encrust onto the rock ( needs the light). If its totally vertical w/ no direct light at all, it will take longer to get it to encrust onto the rock, it will still plate outward, just be much slower on the backside. I glued a of about1-2" in this way when I moved into this tank 14 months ago and now it's about 8" on the rock side and 7" in radius, shaped like a half moon.
Love Monti's but when they're growin good, you do a lot of rearranging. Right now I think I'm going to have to trade a small dinner plate sized one as its shading some prime real estate ( the one left of green Hydnophora in one of the pics). They're really pretty easy, just don't let them get stung.
Good luck...sorry about the delayed response...at work.