Filling lr gaps (coral ideas)

[jjlamarca]

Just curious what some of you guys think about using polyps and shrooms to fill bare rock gaps between sps colonies? Should the softies be placed in their spots first or the sps? Has anyone noticed specific polyps/shrooms/sps etc that tend to be super aggressive (as in more than others)?

I have about 100 or so different corals (mainly polyps, lps, and montis). I want to add some rock work and add some more sps to the tank to add a little height and depth. I know that sps do better on their own and softies like dirtier water but I would like to have a true mixed tank.

Also, how do sea whips and gorgonias do with sps?

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think.

Jj

 

[rogergolf66]

I don't have any cool ideas for u just caution. I have seen polyps grow right over the sps like weeds take out sps before so proceed with caution. Takes years to happen but does happen.

Roger

 

[MBK]

The mushrooms will take over your tank. As Roger says, they are like weeds. Softies also secrete chemical to stop other corals from growing (chemical warfare). You might start with a mixed tank but eventually your sps (or should I say $p$) will die out and you will be left with a soft coral-mushroom tank.

 

[CuzzA]

Here is a better option. It's no longer called Sympodium. I can't find the article with the new classification. Nevertheless, it's a slow growing soft coral and doesn't appear to be invasive like other soft corals. I've seen a couple variations at one of our LFS.

Sympodium sp.

 

[ichthyman]

I can't find the article with the new classification.

http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2014...odium-has-a-legit-name-alcyonium-verseveldti/

And I agree with Cuzza's assessment.

 

[jjlamarca]

http://youtu.be/inoOzYfcF44

Do you think that this tank is to immature and coral warfare has not started?

 

[MBK]

Well, I have to admit that is a pretty good looking tank. I am a bit surprised there are fish in a sps tank. Feeding them once or twice a day really pollutes the water. He must have very good filtration and do a lot of skimming. I would like to know how long that tank has been going for. I knew a guy that was always buying and selling corals. His tank looked beautiful (just like a show tank at a LFS) but it turned out he would buy a nice coral, keep it for a few months and sell it as it started to deteriorate. That is not reef keeping.

 

[snake1]

Be careful I'm dealing with a polyp/paly issue that I used as a filler a year ago, now wanting to go 90% sps
With some lps and soft, these polyps are growing everywhere and spreading all over the tank its sad I can't kill them they won't die even with aiptasis x ....be careful

 

[CuzzA]

http://youtu.be/inoOzYfcF44

Do you think that this tank is to immature and coral warfare has not started?

That's a sweet tank. I've seen many full mixed reefs have similar success. But, with it comes challenges. He uploaded another video 2 months ago and clearly it's working for him as his corals are continuing to grow.

I have zoas, palys and even shrooms in my mostly hard coral tank. However, I place them on isolated rocks, lower light or in spots were spreading is difficult. Occasionally a mushroom will pop up here or there, but for the most part with the high flow of my system they end up in my filter bag. If not, I just yank them out before they attach.

Well, I have to admit that is a pretty good looking tank. I am a bit surprised there are fish in a sps tank. Feeding them once or twice a day really pollutes the water. He must have very good filtration and do a lot of skimming. I would like to know how long that tank has been going for. I knew a guy that was always buying and selling corals. His tank looked beautiful (just like a show tank at a LFS) but it turned out he would buy a nice coral, keep it for a few months and sell it as it started to deteriorate. That is not reef keeping.

Surprised fish are in a tank? Feeding once or twice a day pollutes the water? Sorry, but that is not correct. Fish are extremely beneficial for almost all reef tanks. They provide food for many corals and some keep pest populations at bay. And given the size of the tank in the video I wouldn't say it's overstocked.

How many fish or how much and often you feed does not pollute the water (within reason). Inadequate filtration pollutes the water. I'm sure given the above linked tanks size and inhabitants, the owner has not spared any expense on filtration and has a quality/properly sized skimmer, probably doses carbon and has great husbandry skills.

Be careful I'm dealing with a polyp/paly issue that I used as a filler a year ago, now wanting to go 90% sps
With some lps and soft, these polyps are growing everywhere and spreading all over the tank its sad I can't kill them they won't die even with aiptasis x ....be careful

Snake, just get yourself some zoa eating nudibranchs and they'll make quick work of your zoas or at least keep their populations in check.

 

[CuzzA]

I'll add that I think many of us are overly cautious of coral fighting. If corals have adequate space to grow (meaning we need to plan ahead for future growth), most corals will get a long just find next to each other or at a minimum they will only attack to gain as much ground as they need.

Of course that doesn't apply to some species. You better give a coral like Galaxea all the room it needs otherwise it will do it for you. And the same goes for other suffocating "weed type" corals like star polyps, clove polyps, etc.

 

[CuzzA]

I almost forgot, a couple other great live rock fillers are Cyphastrea and Psammocora. They come in a bunch of different color variations and every time I pick up a frag I split it up and put it between other colonies.

 

[likefish]

I almost forgot, a couple other great live rock fillers are Cyphastrea and Psammocora. They come in a bunch of different color variations and every time I pick up a frag I split it up and put it between other colonies.

Ill warn against Cyphastra... my meteore shower grows out of control and has won a fight with a monti cap, encrusting monti, bonsai and a Miami orchid. Its aggressive and mean in my tank!! It grows in the shade and even upside down on rocks to find a new place to take over.

Its pretty but I am no longer a fan.

Sympodium is a favorite of mine. Mine grows slowly but offers great color and textures and so far seems to play nice with everything.

 

[TheAquatect]

I like the Sympodium, will it grow up glass well? What about montipora undata, I've been eyeballing this as a filler.

 

[CuzzA]

Ill warn against Cyphastra... my meteore shower grows out of control and has won a fight with a monti cap, encrusting monti, bonsai and a Miami orchid. Its aggressive and mean in my tank!! It grows in the shade and even upside down on rocks to find a new place to take over.



Its pretty but I am no longer a fan.



Sympodium is a favorite of mine. Mine grows slowly but offers great color and textures and so far seems to play nice with everything.

With any closed system the stronger species will eventually dominate if left unchecked. When I see tanks that are over run with shrooms, zoas, etc. I think to myself the owner let that happen. Obviously there are some species that can become a nightmare, but I don't believe cyphastrea are one of them. If it's encroaching on a weaker coral like montipora then cover it with some epoxy or better yet, glue a rock on that area and when it grows on that rock, remove the rock, sell it and repeat.