Broad guidance sought on SPS compatibility

[scolley]

I've got a 33g tank with roughly 40 colonies of over 30 different SPS corals. They are all various forms and species of Acropora (including millepora) and Montipora. My problem is that in my small tank, things are starting to get crowded, with various SPS are intruding into the space of others. What's going to happen?

As I understand it, my millepora will trump any of my other Acropora. And my Montipora will lose out to any Acro. But how will that play out?

1. When an Acropora touches a Montipora, will it kill it? Or just damage areas close to the contact?
2. And what about competing Acropora? How does their contact play out?
3. Will Montipora coming into contact with each other have a dominant form that overlaps the neighbor? Or will they just stop where they touch?
4. And finally, I've separated my millepora from other Acropora. Do I have to be afraid of them touching another species of Acro?

Sorry for the broad questions, but I'm hoping that these basic questions can be answered without delving into the species (or variety) of each coral interaction in question. That could get awesomely complicated. ezcompany tried to start an SPS compatibility thread here. But nothing much came of it.

I'm only halfway into my 4th year of reef keeping, and it's taken this long to get my husbandry skills to the point where I'm having this this problem...

Thanks in advance!

 

[reeffreak75]

It really depends..I had my blue millepora touch my Acropora donei and the first time it sting a part of it..next time it touched it nothing happened..the same millepora touched my Acropora valida n nothing happened..I'm going to have to say that it really depends how lucky/what corals u have..but yes! At Times there will be some corals that won't be able to take It..I wonder if been healthy matters when they touch?i wonder.?

 

[MarcWeaver]

I have a monti spongodes touching a superman mille at the base and the monti is winning. At first the monti killed around 1/8" of the base of the mille where they touched, now it's advancing slowly over it. I'm going to break off and move the mille soon.

Here is a picture from a few weeks ago where you can see where the mille frag base was killed. You can't see it, but they are touching.

 

[scolley]

It really depends..I had my blue millepora touch my Acropora donei and the first time it sting a part of it..next time it touched it nothing happened..the same millepora touched my Acropora valida n nothing happened..I'm going to have to say that it really depends how lucky/what corals u have..but yes! At Times there will be some corals that won't be able to take It..I wonder if been healthy matters when they touch?i wonder.?

Thanks for the reply. But you are basically saying, "Too many variables to know". Is that right? Thank you, but I have a hard time believing that you cannot apply general rules coral compatibility and dominance. I've had long time SPS keepers tell me point blank:

"Hydnophora trumps Millepora, which trumps Acropora, which trumps Montipora."
​

Is that not true? I'm sure there will always be exceptions, but is that not true as a general rule?

I have a monti spongodes touching a superman mille at the base and the monti is winning.

Thanks, but are you sure that's a millepora? If you are referring to the single purplish upright branch in the middle of your pic, that does not look like a millepora to me - though I'm no expert.

But if I'm right, that might explain why montipora is overtaking a millepora - because the millepora is something else - possibly another variety montipora.

 

[bobkill]

Like the thread - but your going to need a old TOTm winner to get on board or this won't go far! Goodluck

 

[scolley]

Thanks bobkill. Lots of views, but hoping to hear from that community of people here with deep enough experience to lay out the broad rules that Im seeking. Even a moderately experienced SPS keeper knows there are no rules without exception. But I'd be shocked if general rules like that in my first post do not exits... Even if they have not yet put them into words.

Seeking them now though...

 

[bobkill]

I keep my fingers crossed - bc this could be a awesome thread - my epereince follow your genearl rules as above - with a fun add in scoly kills Hydrophona not very use full but trying

 

[reeffreak75]

Thanks for the reply. But you are basically saying, "Too many variables to know". Is that right? Thank you, but I have a hard time believing that you cannot apply general rules coral compatibility and dominance. I've had long time SPS keepers tell me point blank:

"Hydnophora trumps Millepora, which trumps Acropora, which trumps Montipora."
​

Is that not true? I'm sure there will always be exceptions, but is that not true as a general rule?


Hi, scolley..We all have different tanks and different corals...different environments and different methods to keep our tanks happy...when u say thank you "but" I have a hard time believing that u can not apply a general rule.if u don't believe it's ok no one is forcing u to do so.either way,I'm talking about my own experience..u are saying Acropora trumps montipora,and yes that maybe true for you but not for others,as an example my friends hydnophora touched his staghorn and as they got close to touching IMO they got used to eachothers sting and when they meet,they just stoped growing...just recently I had my Ora montipora super natural sting the heck out of blue Acropora,it's growing big time and starting to sting my pink pocillopora,as far as I'm concerned u said acros will kick montis butt,with a few exceptions of course lol.but hey ur no expert and neither am I.im pretty sure people who keeps corals,specially sps have experience of their own on how how their corals behave.i bet you some of the people that responds to your post will have more experience than u and I together so I would try to keep that I'm mind too..

Thanks, but are you sure that's a millepora? If you are referring to the single purplish upright branch in the middle of your pic, that does not look like a millepora to me - though I'm no expert.

But if I'm right, that might explain why montipora is overtaking a millepora - because the millepora is something else - possibly another variety montipora.

 

[reeffreak75]

I've got a 33g tank with roughly 40 colonies of over 30 different SPS corals. They are all various forms and species of Acropora (including millepora) and Montipora. My problem is that in my small tank, things are starting to get crowded, with various SPS are intruding into the space of others. What's going to happen?

As I understand it, my millepora will trump any of my other Acropora. And my Montipora will lose out to any Acro. But how will that play out?

1. When an Acropora touches a Montipora, will it kill it? Or just damage areas close to the contact?
2. And what about competing Acropora? How does their contact play out?
3. Will Montipora coming into contact with each other have a dominant form that overlaps the neighbor? Or will they just stop where they touch?
4. And finally, I've separated my millepora from other Acropora. Do I have to be afraid of them touching another species of Acro?

Sorry for the broad questions, but I'm hoping that these basic questions can be answered without delving into the species (or variety) of each coral interaction in question. That could get awesomely complicated. ezcompany tried to start an SPS compatibility thread here. But nothing much came of it.

I'm only halfway into my 4th year of reef keeping, and it's taken this long to get my husbandry skills to the point where I'm having this this problem...

Thanks in advance!

I'm just wondering why the heck that sps compatibility thread didn't seem to do good at all?im sure it will be hard to get to the basic questions without delving into the species (or variety) of each coral interaction in question. IMHO

 

[sirreal63]

I understand what you are looking for Steve, but I will state the obvious, plan the tank so the corals do not touch early on. Leave plenty of space between them and allow for growth. It is easier to trim branches from colonies to not touch than it is frags fighting for real estate. Coral Wars may make an interesting documentary, but I am not sure it is a good goal for the tank.

 

[scolley]

I understand what you are looking for Steve, but I will state the obvious, plan the tank so the corals do not touch early on. Leave plenty of space between them and allow for growth. It is easier to trim branches from colonies to not touch than it is frags fighting for real estate. Coral Wars may make an interesting documentary, but I am not sure it is a good goal for the tank.

Thanks Jack. That's good guidance. Too late for me, but good guidance all the same.

That said, there is still value in having a broad understanding of SPS dominance and compatibility. Someone might need it because your advice was not followed. But you could also need it because you started out with plenty of space - have been blessed with great growth - you like the look of a tank filled with corals - and deliberately let it fill in. I know love that look.

Either way, having that basic understanding of dominance and compatibility would be beneficial IMO.

Thanks for chiming in. :thumbsup:

 

[sirreal63]

I have spent the better part of 10 years reading everything I could in this hobby. I do not ever remember seeing anything that was done towards identifying what was stronger. I concede that it would be useful information but I also wonder how valid it would be. There are so many variables from tank to tank that a dominant coral in one tank could be a submissive coral in another tank. A dominant high light frag in lower light may not be able to fend off a lesser coral that is "happier" in the lower light, but if the lighting were reversed, the outcome may be reversed as well.

I look forward to the input of others.

 

[scolley]

I have spent the better part of 10 years reading everything I could in this hobby. I do not ever remember seeing anything that was done towards identifying what was stronger.

Actually same here. I read for YEARS before I ever put a coral in a tank, having realized that doing it well means being well informed.

Common sense would seems to lead one to the assumption that a normally dominant coral could be trumped by a "less aggressive" coral if it were not particularly healthy. Agreed.

But to simplify our search of general rules can we assume - as a basic assumption - that the corals in question all appear to be healthy (good PE, good color, normal growth rates)? That - at least - helps us level the playing field, and eliminates a large block of possible variables.