Does anyone have trouble keeping SPS with GSP in nano tanks?

[timdanger]

I'm looking for opinions from people with smaller tank volumes about keeping GSP with stony corals, particularly SPS.

I have poor SPS coloration in my 39g SPS cube for a reason I've been unable to identify. One possible culprit that I'd like to eliminate is my large colony of hitchhiker GSP.

My personal inclination is to believe that GSP is probably considered a less than ideal choice for a mixed reef because it (1) prefers higher nutrient water than stony corals prefer; and (2) can quickly overgrow slower-growing stony corals.

However, in addition to the above, I've read (conflicting) reports on various forums about GSP being especially allelopathic and therefore a bad choice to keep with SPS. one of these reports paraphrased (without citation) Anthony Calfo recommending against keeping GSP at all in a mixed reef due to its highly allelopathic behavior. Still, others reported no problems whatsoever even keeping large colonies of GSP in mixed reefs. However, most of these favorable reports seemed to be from people with larger tanks, not nano tanks with smaller volumes and different dimensions.

So, what do you think?

 

[Softhammer]

I bet he also had something to say about SPS in a tiny tank too!

 

[timdanger]

what?

 

[smtank]

Almost the entire back of my JBJ 28 gal is covered in GSP and the tank is dominiated by sps. No problems with coloration or growth noted. Tank has been running this way since July 2010, no skimmer, chempure carbon and bi-monthy wc of 10%.

 

[nvdiz]

I think direct contact has to be made between the two for one to kill the other. At one time, the base of one of my acros was i contact with some GSP. The result: bleaching in the region of contact.

Otherwise, I think the two are fine to be kept in the same tank as long as they're not to close to one another.

 

[nvdiz]

... double post

 

[Dustin1300]

I'd agree with nvidz that it is not going to battle unless touching and is will most likely not kill the opposing coral.

I believe the earlier poster was saying you are having coloration problems because of instability in a small tank.

 

[MechEng99]

I purposely keep GSP in my SPS-dominant tanks just because they are great for being the "canary in the mineshaft". I had a 40g tank for 2 years with GSP, but I kept the GSP trimmed back to about a half-baseball mound (kept it in the sand for easy trimming). I don't have any personal experience with larger quantities of GSP, but I've seen plenty of nice LPS & SPS tanks with huge boulders of GSP. But, since you're keeping GSP, are you also keeping any other softies (leathers, etc?)

 

[timdanger]

no other softies -- the GSP came in as a hitchhiker on my live rock.

 

[Santoki]

I think it's important to determine what we're talking about when we say GSP. There are at least two common types often available. I have the type which is commonly referred to as metallic GSP. Thinner, hairy "petals" of metallic green color. It is also referred to as Briarium. I notice better acro health (polyp extension, and growth) when they're trimmed back to less than 10%. I always thought it was just coincidence. Now that you mentioned documentation that some are allelopathic, it explains what I've been seeing for a while, and possibly what you are experiencing with coloration. Do you happen to have a link to that article or paper?
-Robert

 

[timdanger]

i don't have any link/citation -- as i said, this was another person on RC citing Anthony Calfo without providing a citation.

this is a picture of them when they first showed up:

this is what they look like now that they've grown out on my live rock (on the rock in the bottom-front of the tank):

 

[Santoki]

mine look exactly like yours. "Metallic GSP".
I've had mine for a few years now. Not really digging them anymore. I will try total removal next time I get a chance. They're like weeds. If you miss a spot of flesh, it returns.
-R