Montipora sp.
| Care Level | Intermediate |
| Lighting | Moderate to high |
| Water Flow | Moderate to high |
| Placement | Mid to upper rock |
| Aggression | Peaceful |
| Coloration | Orange, green, purple, red — plating or branching |
Overview
Montipora is one of the best “starter SPS” corals — more forgiving than Acropora while still offering vivid color and fast growth. It comes in encrusting, plating (Monti cap), and branching (Monti digitata) forms.
Care & Placement
Give moderate-to-high light and flow. It is hardier and more tolerant of minor swings than Acropora, making it the usual first SPS. Plating types will grow into wide shelves, so allow room. Mount mid-to-upper on rock.
Feeding
Photosynthetic; benefits from stable calcium and alkalinity. Light feeding of coral foods/amino acids can help, but stable water is the priority.
Propagation
Very easy to frag for an SPS — cut or snap a piece and glue to a plug; encrusting and branching types re-grow quickly.
Cautions
Watch for Montipora-eating nudibranchs (tiny white pests) — dip and inspect new frags. Otherwise peaceful and one of the more resilient SPS.