How in the world do you manage the corals?

[Colts2Broncos]

I'm seeing all these beautiful soft coral tanks, all the corals appear to be living in peace and harmony... we have maybe 10 and can't find a happy place for them all. The tend to 'fight' and close off. I see the stringy tentacles between certain corals just stinging each other. How is it that you folks can have these beautiful reef tanks with softies of all kinds touching, mingling and living in harmony without trying to kill each other, especially the aggressive ones.

 

[xcreonx]

Which of your corals are fighting?

"Stringy tentacles" and "aggressive ones" sounds more like some kind of LPS, not the typical soft coral.

 

[Colts2Broncos]

Yeah... I realized that AFTER I posted. Our biggest bully is a 12" chalice coral. It stung and killed our Xenia and has now taken to throwing out those stingers to the Colt Coral. I think the only 2 LSP are the Chalice and the GSP.

We are going to have issues with him, arent we? Do LPS and SPS not get along?

 

[xcreonx]

Yes, any coral with sweeper tentacles will need to be kept away from others. Luckily most LPS corals have lower light and flow requirements, so keeping them away from corals that like higher light/flow (your colt and xenia corals for example) should be possible with proper tank placement.

If you mean green star polyps, then no, those aren't an LPS (large-polyped stony coral).

LPS corals will not get along with SPS or softies. Best keep all of these separated. They come from extremely different locations in nature so best to research them before placing them in close proximity.

 

[wireefman]

sps and softies are dfferent.. sps has a calcuium based skeleton softies do not.. as faras the coral placement goes.. I have lps in my softie tank.. however its a few selected species which for the most part is isolated.. all of my acans are isolated 4-5 inches away from other corals... my euphilias will sway and brush my colt, Kenya tree, devils hand, finger, and some toadstools.. but most of my stuff is softies and they are happy..

 

[Colts2Broncos]

We have... 1 Large Colt, 1 Large Chalice, 3 Frogspawn, 1 GSP, 1 Acan, 1 Zoo, 1 Toadstool, 1 Duncan, 2 Large Mushrooms and 1 Xenia tree. Which will be an issue? What I read is all conflicting from different sites, you guys have actually HAD these critters so I trust you more. Please help

 

[Colts2Broncos]

wireefman... YOU are the one I was hoping to hear from. I love love LOVE that leather coral (I think thats what it is) it looks like a curved glass on the right side. I just listed what we have, which ones need to be isolated or is necessary, removed?

 

[Colts2Broncos]

[/IMG]

This is what we have currently... You may be able to pick out what coral is where...

 

[wireefman]

by your sig line you have a 65 gal tank... standard im going to assume.. post a recent pic and we can take a look and plan how to utilize you aquascape with the tanks in habitants..

and thank you for the kind words.. that leather you speak so highly of just spent the last few days getting fragged.. so its not as happy and fully extended right now.. but it is my fav piece..

EDIT^ BEAT ME TO IT!!!

 

[wireefman]

what lights you running?

 

[Colts2Broncos]

1 Blue Actinic T8 and a white 10K T8

If you can't make sense of the pic, I have the same pic labeled with who and what is where...

 

[wireefman]

I would place the chalice in the lower right side of the tank. partly on sandbed and partially againt the rockscape.. move the frogspawn up to that whiteish looking rock... keep the duncans on the same rock just moved further back on the same rock

next purchase should be an upgrade in lighting as well...


I run the reefbreeder leds... 200 bucks shipped to my door and if it lasts 2 years I got more than my moneys worth... I run my blues at 60% and whites at 35% 12 hr total lighting cycle... daylights on for 5.5 hrs of that time...

 

[Colts2Broncos]

We are seriously considering taking the chalice back and exchanging it. It's just SO big it takes over.

 

[wireefman]

We have... 1 Large Colt, 1 Large Chalice, 3 Frogspawn, 1 GSP, 1 Acan, 1 Zoo, 1 Toadstool, 1 Duncan, 2 Large Mushrooms and 1 Xenia tree. Which will be an issue? What I read is all conflicting from different sites, you guys have actually HAD these critters so I trust you more. Please help

xenia is not an issue... just control it... if you just let it take off it will overgrow everything... I actually have 4 different varieties or color morphs if you will..


also move the toad stool up into flow... softies shed a mucas coat and need flow to do it.. all my leathers get hit good with flow

 

[wireefman]

We are seriously considering taking the chalice back and exchanging it. It's just SO big it takes over.

if your lfs will exchange it for you that would be option #1..

 

[Colts2Broncos]

We can't keep a xenia alive I'd really LIKE to though. I was wondering why the toadstool wasn't popping out. Seriously though... this chalice has become an elephant in the room, there just isn't enough room to put him without being mushed against the glass. Our zoo isn't really coming out either, I think he is getting too much light. Everything wlse is doing great.

Now in your OPINION... if you had a chalice this size in this size tank, would you keep him being that large? He really restricts us from getting anything else in there comfortably it seems.

Editing to ask ANOTHER question. We have also read that frogspawn can be aggressive yet they seem to keep to themselves. Have you ever seen an aggressive frogspawn? Every LFS we go to we tell them what we currently have and ask if it will cause issues and they always tell us "no issues" Pfft. Whatever...

 

[Colts2Broncos]

I guess, bottom line question would be... based on what we have, which ones will live in harmony and which should we exchange. Our LFS will exchange for us.

 

[wireefman]

1. I would start with a smaller piece and let it grow.. but I would not start my tank with a piece that big

2. my frogspawn probably stings my colt but it is far enough away to where it isn't warfare. I think the smaller toad stool probably get more sweepers hitting it..

 

[Colts2Broncos]

Sweepers... Is that what you call those stinging stringy things?

 

[wireefman]

yup..

also look into adding another powerhead.