Foliosa Montipora (Montipora foliosa) Care Guide
Montipora foliosa is a plating Indo-Pacific SPS coral that forms petal-like laminar layers, photosynthetic and grown under medium-high light and flow.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Montipora foliosa is a small-polyp stony (SPS) coral of the family Acroporidae that grows as plating, laminar sheets which build up into distinct petal- or leaf-like layers. Montipora is the second most species-rich coral genus after Acropora and has the smallest corallites of any coral family.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acroporidae
- Genus: Montipora
- Scientific name: Montipora foliosa
- Growth form: foliose / plating
Habitat
Montipora corals occur on reefs and in lagoons of the Red Sea, the western Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean, and are entirely absent from the Atlantic. Montipora foliosa is an Indo-Pacific species.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.025-1.026
- Alkalinity (dKH): 7.5-9
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Nitrate: below 10 ppm; Phosphate: below 0.05 ppm
- Lighting: ~150-250 PAR (medium-high)
- Flow: medium-high
- Established tank (minimum age ~3 months)
Placement & lighting
Montipora prefer medium to high light but are among the most bleaching-sensitive SPS, so they must be acclimated gradually to stronger lighting to avoid burning. Plating forms like foliosa need especially high flow to keep their surfaces free of debris. Because plating colonies grow outward like caps, place them in lower areas where they will not overshadow slower-growing corals.
Feeding
Montipora foliosa is photosynthetic: it hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae that supply most of its energy through photosynthesis, so dedicated target-feeding is not required. Maintaining stable lighting and water chemistry is the priority.
Compatibility
It is a passive, reef-safe coral without aggressive sweeper tentacles and is safe with fish and shrimp. Montipora is hardier and faster-growing than Acropora, making it a good plating SPS for developing reef systems, though it can be predated by corallivorous fish such as butterflyfish.
Propagating Montipora foliosa (Foliosa Montipora)
Overview
Montipora foliosa is a foliose coral of the family Acroporidae that builds distinct, petal-like layers. Across the genus the foliaceous form is one of several morphologies, alongside submassive, laminar, encrusting and branching shapes, and a colony may show more than one. Montipora is restricted to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea and is absent from the Atlantic.
Reproductive Mode
Montipora are hermaphroditic broadcast spawners that release gametes, typically in spring; the eggs carry zooxanthellae from the parent. Hobbyists propagate the species asexually instead, by cutting and re-mounting fragments.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Foliose plates are thin and divide cleanly. A band saw produces tidy chips from the layered skeleton, and coral cutters handle finer cuts. Flat fragments bond most reliably to a plug.
- Cut the petal-like layers into small, flat chips with a band saw or coral cutters.
- Apply cyanoacrylate glue sized to the chip base on a plug or disc.
- Seat the chip, hold about 30 seconds, then place it back in the tank.
- Restore good flow and light within a few hours of fragging.
Conditions for Propagation
Stable reef chemistry and steady light promote rapid layering growth after fragging. The Aquairi record targets medium-high light (about 150-250 PAR), medium-high flow and 24-26 C.
Common Challenges
An undescribed Phestilla nudibranch preys specifically on Montipora and is well camouflaged against the tissue. Dip and quarantine new frags as the primary defense.