Mounting SPS on their side, got pics?

TippyToeX · #1 09/30/2005, 11:42 AM

I am wondering if anyone who has mounted their SPS frag on their side would be willing to share a picture or two.

Two recent threads in the experts forum made me wonder how many SPS keeping are inclined to have their frags grow out in this natural way.

TIA!

JB NY · #2 09/30/2005, 12:06 PM

I agree that mounting on it's side can give you a more natural look in the end. The biggest drawback IMO is it take a real long time for the coral to take off. For some reason they generally want to lay down a huge base, then sit for a while doing nothing, then start to grow.

People are pretty impatient when it comes to getting their frags to start growing, mounting them sideways IME takes longer to grow out.

But since you wanted some pics here are two corals that were mounted on their sides as frags.

shane 1111 · #3 09/30/2005, 12:11 PM

those are very nice

tld · #4 09/30/2005, 01:29 PM

This Stylophora grew out from being on its side:

And in this picture, the tort was pre-mounted like a tree, but I glued the tutuilensis on its side to the rock in front of it - you can see it's still encrusting.

TippyToeX · #5 09/30/2005, 03:25 PM

Thanks Joe & tld!

Beautiful photos.

jsweir · #6 09/30/2005, 04:21 PM

jsweir · #7 09/30/2005, 04:22 PM

I mount a lot of mine that way to lay down a larger base...

clkwrk · #8 09/30/2005, 06:32 PM

Hey Joe how long is it between the table frag and monstrous table colony ?

MiddletonMark · #9 09/30/2005, 06:45 PM

Poor pics, but here's from the front, and side of my `Bali slimer' that I mounted on it's side.

It does make a nice looking final colony ... but does require a little more patience IMO as at least some seem to encrust for quite a while when mounted like this.
I try to mount many now at least at an angle, not all but quite a few.

Did I mention it's a terrible photo of an pretty coral?

JB NY · #10 09/30/2005, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by clkwrk
Hey Joe how long is it between the table frag and monstrous table colony ?

In two years it was getting to be a nice size table. That shot is at about 3 1/2 years.

clkwrk · #11 09/30/2005, 08:12 PM

Wow simply amazing Joe .

JoeMack · #12 09/30/2005, 11:58 PM

Sorry for the crappy pics. This was around 3" when I got it and I wanted to try and mount it both ways. This is what I got.

Joey

easttn · #13 10/01/2005, 09:41 AM

Sure is slow to start.

TippyToeX · #14 10/01/2005, 11:58 AM

Even knowing it takes longer for them to really take off (after establishing a firm base), do you all think it is worth the time/effort? A major noticeable changes in growth patterns?

Thanks for all of the input & pictures!

JB NY · #15 10/01/2005, 02:30 PM

FWIW I don't mount them on their side anymore.

shane 1111 · #16 10/01/2005, 03:38 PM

why?

tld · #17 10/01/2005, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TippyToeX
Even knowing it takes longer for them to really take off (after establishing a firm base), do you all think it is worth the time/effort? A major noticeable changes in growth patterns?

Thanks for all of the input & pictures!

I think it depends on the time scale. I think in the 6-24 month period, a side-mounted frag will look better, but if you are talking 3-5 years down the road, I don't think it will make much difference unless you change your mind about placement - the side mounted one will be harder to remove from it's base while the tree-mounts should be easier to pop off.

matt the fiddler · #18 10/02/2005, 12:31 AM

i think my side mounts
1- encrust faster
2- devolp more branches sooner
3- devolp a more random pattern
4- hit the big colony stage faster...

fwiw i took a Larry Jackson fragged it to 7-10 pieces, and covered a rock wiht them random ways, some straight, some slanted.. i got a very nice colony now, a year later...

clkwrk · #19 10/02/2005, 12:55 AM

this colony was grown from 1 branch that was a Y layed on its side you can see the main orginal branch top left going in the rock .

Trying to find a pic of it when it was just nubs on the branch . I hate taking pictures of this coral because they never come out right . I got luck with this top down shot.

JB NY · #20 10/02/2005, 08:12 AM

I find they take much longer to turn into a nice size colony. I've still got two frags in my tank that are side mounted over a year ago and still have not done anything other than encrust.

shane 1111 · #21 10/02/2005, 08:39 AM

but with out a good base wouldent your table acro just break under its own wait

JB NY · #22 10/02/2005, 06:16 PM

It will grow a base large enough regardless of how it is mounted IME.

matt the fiddler · #23 10/02/2005, 10:26 PM

jb- do you see the same coral acting differently at different mounts, or are you cross comparing different species.. just curious

poon415 · #24 10/02/2005, 10:45 PM

I vote for vertical mounting. All the corals that I mounted sideways over a year ago have done little more then encrust over a large area. Most so displeasing to look at, they were banned to the frag tank. I am very pleased with placing two or three pieces next to each other, mounted vertical. They encrust together, and form a nice full colony with a nice full encrusted base, much larger than mounting one alone.

JB NY · #25 10/03/2005, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by matt the fiddler
jb- do you see the same coral acting differently at different mounts, or are you cross comparing different species.. just curious

Some do. The LJ purple tipped monster was so named because it grows like a monster. That one will take off no matter how it's placed.

A lot IMO is experimentation, some do ok on their sides some do really poorly. The slow growing and wild ones seam to do the worst on their side.