Vertical mounting? (1 Viewer)

[Varig]

This is going to show my extreme ignorance, but are there certain corals that don't like being mounted to the vertical side of a rock structure? I was reading one of my coral husbandry books and it mentioned a couple species that might prefer a horizontal mounting. Honestly I had never really given much thought to it, I just dumbly assumed that in the ocean, they'd grow where they land.

I guess specifically I have a rainbow acan that I was hoping to mount on a vertical edge of my rock work, right at the entrance to a cave where it gets a little lower light than the rest of the tank. There is a nice nook to mount it on, but it would sit at like a 70-80 degree angle. Is that okay? Is this a "try it and see if it likes it" situation? It's my first acan and I really like it (duh), so I'd prefer not to kill it with something stupid. Thanks in advance.

 

[BlindSwordsman]

I personally glue my corals in all sort of positions and wherever/however I feel fit. I never heard/thought about: A coral will do better vertically/horizontally or such. Mostly I care about:

1) How it looks? (Just like planting some flowers among others in the garden, I consider how its look adds to other things).
2) If the place, the way/angle will be fit for it to get enough food to survive/thrive (enough light? Too much light? Too little light? Not getting light for all part of the coral? Is it at a good angle where it might be able to catch the foods from the flow? Too little flow? Too much flow? ... 'Too much' will usually kill it.) ... Again, basically, it's like finding a good spot in the garden for the plant.
3) Will it be killed or be killing others around it? (Too close to something else? How it will expand out? Better upstream/downstream? ... That sort of thing.)

I might even have something glued upside down ... So, no, I don't measure the specific angle when I glue them. I usually just wink my left eye slightly and I go: I think it's okay there!??!! ...

 

[Varig]

Haha, fair enough. As per typcial I’m sure I’m overthinking it. Thanks Ken.

 

[BlindSwordsman]

Haha, fair enough. As per typcial I’m sure I’m overthinking it. Thanks Ken.

Sorry, I was just teasing you a bit there, David . But I think your acan should be fine at a 70 - 80 degree angle .

 

[Varig]

Time shall tell. I continue to appreciate your candidness and willingness to poke

 

[MistakesWereMade]

Assuming you are placing a coral in a place that it will survive, as the coral grows you will see the growth in all directions. If the lighting, food source, or flow does not permit it to grow into a certain direction you will also see that. If by chance you have an anemone in your tank like mine, it will not matter where you put your acan because your anemone will move to that location the second you glue it down. Pretty sure I have lost 4 acans in this scenario. Now with my new tank it is still in search and destroy mode for my last acan.

 

[BlindSwordsman]

Assuming you are placing a coral in a place that it will survive, as the coral grows you will see the growth in all directions. If the lighting, food source, or flow does not permit it to grow into a certain direction you will also see that. If by chance you have an anemone in your tank like mine, it will not matter where you put your acan because your anemone will move to that location the second you glue it down. Pretty sure I have lost 4 acans in this scenario. Now with my new tank it is still in search and destroy mode for my last acan.

Call me difficult if you want, I know I probably am , but when someone offered an extremely nice anemone for free, I politely declined: NOPE!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! .. I don't keep anything that I can not glue down .. Well, except the fish and the clams. I for sure can not glue down the fish, but the clams are tucked in a way that they should stay where they are. As for anemone: NOPE! I have too many things in my tank and it is not worth the risk to have it float around the tank, kill other stuff, or commit suicide by floating into the a powerhead or something then kills my whole tank .

 

[Varig]

Haha, I also don't have an anemone, but that is pretty funny (in the "that sucks funny" sort of way). But yea, good advice. I will mount it and see if it's happy and adjust from there. But glad to see that at least initially it doesn't sound like a horrific idea Thanks guys.

 

[MistakesWereMade]

Now that it hosts my clowns I am pretty happy with the anemone. I did have one go through my powerhead at night once. Did a 50% water change the next day and everything in the tank was fine.

 

[RSnodgrass]

In an ideal world some varieties will specifically get a head start in one position or another. It's pretty evident on a reef when diving, no different than plants really.

Ex: Branching and plating coral are generally are more adept at growing into the void to get the flow and light it needs where an acan can't. Partly why TSA grow-out systems includes vertical and horizontal racks if I'm not mistaken.

As long as it's getting sufficient light and flow, even reflective, it will grow in places it wouldn't normally on a reef. It may also grow in a shape less typical.