Can you use a coral to kill other nuisance corals?

[deputydog95]

For example... I'm being overrun with grey paly's.

Would it be possible to take my torch or elegance and put them against the paly's?

How long would they have to be in contact for the sting to be fatal?

I'm beeing using aptasia x and nuking small batches at a time. I hate adding stuff to the tank though.

Thoughts?

 

[oceanarium]

Yes you can, I have on many occasions brought xenia back into line when it escapes onto a frag rack. Rather than pull down the rack placing a Pineapple coral (Galaxea) next to the xenia it will use its sweeper tentacles (Mesenterial filaments) to externally digest the xenia cleaning up the frag rack nicely without the need to move all the other corals.

I did do some tests on some paly at one stage, unfortunately the pineapple has no effect on them other than annoyance factor. Not sure what coral will have the desired effect on Paly.

 

[Bootlegger]

A lot of people use have attempted to use aggressive soft coral for this purpose. I've heard anything with sweepers will work. For example, I had pink trumpet coral that loved to sting it's neighbors. It was able to keep pesky zoas and xenia from growing too close.

Here's a short list of bullies:
Elegance Coral (Catalphyllia jardinei)
Hammer Coral (Euphyllia ancora)
Frog Spawn Coral (Euphyllia divisa)
Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)

 

[cloak]

If your going to go this route doesn't the current have to be flowing in the same direction at all times so that the sweepers will be in constant contact with the coral in question? This might not bode to well for the "killer" itself, being that we really don't know how long it's going to take for it to totally dispose of the polyps. (disappear completely) Also, unless the "killer" is about the size of a basketball you'll be working in very small increments at a time. I would look elsewhere for a solution. GL.

 

[carnage83]

Would this method be dangerous due to paly toxin?

 

[rt67ghy]

The paly toxin would build up and could affect all your corals but if you run enough GAC and replace every few days it should be ok. Acros would probably show the first symptoms of poisoning.

 

[deputydog95]

My tank is almost completely SPS. So far I've been killing the paly's off in areas of a half dollar at a time with Aptasia X, while running a carbon pad.

Knock on wood, no issues so far over the past few days. I think patience is the key and not trying to take out too many at once. I have the skimmer running wet as well as a precaution too.

I had really hoped there was a coral no nasty that merely placing it on the paly's would be enough to sting and kill them.

 

[snorvich]

Be aware that Aiptasia-X in large quantities can change pH.

 

[cloak]

How big of an infestation are you dealing with? (picture?) Couldn't you just use some scissors and cut the polyps as close to the base as you can and then smother any remaining tissue with some epoxy?

 

[nitro123456789]

My frogspawn did nothing against a Kenya tree. One is growing in a tangle of tentecales

 

[deputydog95]

Be aware that Aiptasia-X in large quantities can change pH.

Agreed. That's why I'm only doing 10ml/day or every other day. So far, no effects. Knock on wood.

How big of an infestation are you dealing with? (picture?) Couldn't you just use some scissors and cut the polyps as close to the base as you can and then smother any remaining tissue with some epoxy?

A fairly big one. They're everywhere. And the little buggers fold up tight every time you disturb them. It would be really hard to snip them off.

 

[organism]

From what I've seen they'll just slowly keep growing closer and closer no matter what. If you got a Galaxea or something that will nuke them then it might work, but ime they'll just keep right on marching. If you have no other zoanthids in the tank then you can put some zoa eating nudis in there though

 

[stef83]

Acanthastrea Echinata is very agressive in my house. Beat every other lps or zoanthus on his range (huge range :/)

Stef

 

[scooter31707]

I have no experience with that, but maybe try a torch.

 

[ReefWreak]

From what I've seen they'll just slowly keep growing closer and closer no matter what. If you got a Galaxea or something that will nuke them then it might work, but ime they'll just keep right on marching. If you have no other zoanthids in the tank then you can put some zoa eating nudis in there though

Hah, that's a great idea. I actually have some zoas that I didn't want (survived being entirely dry for a month when the last owner broke his tank down, and they popped up growing in my tank when I reestablished it a month later), this might be a viable solution (though I bet they end up just making your zoas stay barely alive and looking really crappy, never fully removing/killing them, or taking months-years to finish the job).

Now if only I could find something to get rid of the other GSP that survived dry as well.... I guess maybe sweepers would be good for that.