Palawanensis Montipora (Montipora palawanensis)
Looking to build stunning, natural-looking ledges and shelves into your aquascape? The Montipora palawanensis is a premium SPS coral that adds incredible architectural depth and vibrant, glowing colour to any reef tank.
Unlike the thin, delicate plates of standard Montipora capricornis, the palawanensis grows thick, heavy, scrolling plates covered in a distinct, bumpy texture (known as tubercles). Often available in highly sought-after colour morphs—like the famous "Appleberry," featuring a toxic green base with contrasting bright blue or purple polyps—this coral creates a massive visual impact as it whorls outwards from your rockwork.
At UKReef Hampshire, we love the Montipora palawanensis because it is a fast-growing, relatively forgiving SPS coral that is perfect for creating natural shade and multi-level dimensions in your tank!
Quick Care Guide:
Care Level: Moderate. Like all SPS corals, it requires a mature tank with stable water parameters (Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium) to build its thick, bony plates.
Temperament: Peaceful. It doesn't have stinging sweeper tentacles, but ⚠️ Important: As it plates outwards, it will create a large shadow underneath it. Be careful not to place light-loving corals directly below it, or they will eventually be shaded out!
Placement: Middle to Top. Glue the frag securely to the side of your rockwork where it has plenty of horizontal space to scroll and plate outwards into the water column.
Lighting: Moderate to High. It needs strong lighting to maintain its intense colouration and fuel its growth. If the colours begin to brown out, slowly move it higher up the rockwork.
Water Flow: Moderate to High. This is absolutely crucial for plating Montiporas! You need strong, randomized flow sweeping across the plates to prevent detritus (fish waste and uneaten food) from settling on the surface, which can cause dead spots and tissue necrosis.
Feeding: Fully photosynthetic. It will get the vast majority of its energy from your reef lights. However, broadcast feeding with micro-plankton (like Reef Roids or Coral Dust) a couple of times a week will dramatically increase its growth rate and polyp extension.