Description
The Mind Trick Montipora is also known by another, more common name. The difference is only one word. The reason for this change is that ORA wanted to avoid any trademark infringement without causing confusion about what this coral is.
Montipora originate from the Indo-Pacific. However, most frags found in the hobby are from aquariums because they are so easy to propagate. ORA obtained this coral as a single frag from a hobbyists in 2009 and has aquacultured it ever since. This Montipora has a green base with red polyps and a light purple growth edge. It is an encrusting Montipora that will plate out once it gets to the edge of the rock. Montipora are relatively middle of the road when it comes to care. They are a lot more forgiving than Acropora, but take a bit more knowledge than basic soft corals. Let’s start with lighting. Montipora require medium to high light. Giving more light may produce better colors, but you need to be careful not to give too much light. Most Montipora will look great under light that reaches 150-200 micromoles of PAR. However, they can be put in the 200-300 micromoles of PAR range if acclimated slowly. Regardless of where you end up putting your Mind Trick Montipora, you need to acclimate it to the light slowly. Do this by starting the coral low on the aquascape and moving it up over a long period. As for flow, this coral requires medium to high flow. Again, probably not as much flow as Acropora, but they still need a lot of flow. You want to ensure that detritus cannot settle on the coral. However, you have to be careful when the coral starts to plate out from the rock because the plate can work as a sort of sail, pushing the coral away from the rock. It takes a lot of flow to cause this, but it is something to be mindful of.
Like many other SPS, Montipora require elevated levels of calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. Montipora are particularly sensitive to low magnesium, so if you’re having problems that is something to test. These levels should be elevated, but they also need to be stable. As for your other parameters, keep your temperature at 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit and stable. Your nitrates should be 1-5 ppm and your phosphates should be just barely detectable but not 0. Montipora contain a photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae which provides the coral with most of its nutritional needs. Montipora also have tiny polyps, smaller than Acropora. Because of those factors, it is pretty pointless feeding Montipora. You can feed them if you want, but you will probably end up making your water dirty more than anything. If you feel you must provide some sort of food, dose phytoplankton.
Care requirements
Purchase Size: 1 – 2″
Placement: Middle to top.
Lighting: Medium to high.
Flow: Moderate to strong.
Parameters: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 32-35 ppt
Calcium: 350-450 ppm
Alkalinity: 8-12 dKH
Magnesium: 1,250-1,350 ppm
More Information
Because this coral is aquacultured by ORA, it is well adapted to aquarium conditions. This means it has a much higher chance of surviving and doing well in your aquarium. Aquacultured corals are also far less likely to carry pests and diseases, though you should still dip them to be safe.
