can xenia and sps touch?

[downhillbiker]

i just was wondering if i can put an sps frag near the xenia, or if the xenia will sting the sps. i am not really worried about the sps stinging the xenia, cuz the xenia could stand to die off a little.

 

[Mariner]

Xenia doesn't really sting, but it does have a "slime" that irritates many sps, and it has the ability to crowd the sps so closely as overshade them.
In general, it's never a good idea to have corals touching. That said, I've got a whole forest of xenia growing on top of colony of zoanthids that's probably 18" across. Neither seems to mind.
Mariner

 

[downhillbiker]

well the xenia is at the top of a piece of tonga branch that spans from bottom to top. i was going to put the sps about 2" below the bottom of the sps, so they would only contact if the xenia grew downward 2".

 

[Mariner]

Well, I've kept Xenia for over 5 years, and I've never really seen it grow "down" -- always moves up to the light. I suppose it could move down if the water current were just right.
I think that your main issue will be overshading --- when extended the Xenia block light from the sps.
Mariner

 

[styndall]

The xenia could attach to your SPS frag and move on to it. I had a bit of xenia attach the stalk of a zoanthid polyp and continue growing from there. It doesn't seem to irritate anything, just overgrow it.