3 types of Montiporas encrusting too fast... how to limit spread/encrusting rate?

[Radioheadx14]

I have a Purple haz encrusting monti, a Green with blue polyp monti cap and Monti spongodes on a rock that are starting to really take off. I am not worried about the 3 of these touching, because these seem to not sting eachother, just grow over one another, but my spongodes encroached on my birds of paradise, and stung the crap out of it. I moved the one BoP piece, but its fast approaching others (stylo and birds nests). If it were branches getting close, I would just clip them, but all three are encrusting the rock at an alarming ratee (in addition to growing up and out ward.)

How do I stop the spread? I don't think I could frag it off the rock as I can't take the rock out of the tank. Should I kill a small area of it to stop the spread or is there an easier way? Kalk paste or chisel?

So far I am very pleased with the growth and color of SPS in my 18g. I guess they're doing a little too well!

 

[wouldtick]

Noce problem to have

 

[wouldtick]

Nice

 

[Radioheadx14]

Tell that to the bird of paradise that now sports a spot of bare skeleton, haha.

 

[watchguy123]

That's the drawback with montis. They grow well and although they may lose a battle with another coral, they are relentless and will win the war.

Some people will use something like d-d epoxy (putty), lay a bead down, let the monti grow onto it, and then remove the bead as frags for trade or sale and then repeat. As beautiful as montis are and there are some incredibly gorgeous monti's. I ultimately removed or epoxied over all of them in my tank. And they are not easily removed regardless of method

 

[Radioheadx14]

hmm, good idea. I might epoxy over a section that creeping up towards the BoP. Then when it grows over, just chip the epoxy off. I have already broken off several pieces of the purple haze and glued it to my back wall. it grew around the base of a small toad stool and then started to grow straight up like a tube around the base. Had to break that fight up as they were both holding their own.

 

[cham]

As much as you can, shape the epoxy like a vertical wall with less base space so the monti grows up the wall. It's easier to remove and will likely come off in one piece and not chisel it off in a dozen pieces.

Take to your LFS for trade $$ or sell to locals. Build new wall & repeat

 

[Radioheadx14]

Looks like I will have a new frag ever 2-3 weeks, haha.

 

[Tweaked]

I do the epoxy trick, as well as manual triming/shaping and a little kalk paste here and there. I have a confusa so large, I recently just place a rock with an acro right in the middle of it. Seems to have worked fine.

 

[sixpackgarage]

pics or it didn't happen