Just let your corals grow?

[J.russell]

Ok so you have this tank all set up and want it to fill out really nice. You have frags and a few larger corals placed just how you like em. Trying to make a nice mixed reef.

Would you take the chance and just let corals grow where they would like on their own?

Ofcourse over time some will touch, some will outgrow others, some will prob kill others but you let the tank do its own thing. Could reefkeeping in such a manner actually work?

 

[aslavatortin]

That's the general idea.

 

[tangers]

agreed, you may want to trim some things back though if they are starting to touch and create die off. you can trim them back and sell/trade for more frags. (works out better- corals don't die and you get cash/new corals!)

 

[J.russell]

Are you just being sarcastic aslavatortin?

I thought it may fill in and hide the rockwork totally and should look very good. More natural.

And yea I agree with you tangers that would be good to trim em up but for the most part just let them do their thing.

I was thinking about getting a few more frags of zoas and placing them in certain spots and let em rip. Like I said I know some SPS and leathers will tower over em but I think it may end up looking like a natural reef.

 

[areze]

check out the TOTM, most of these you cant even see that there are rocks... areas of RTN on corals isnt real attractive though, and too much could make it impossible to get the flow into it. left TOTALLY unchecked for the extended term and I think youd end up having problems.

thin line between LOOKING untouched and being untouched

 

[J.russell]

Ah but as things grow the flow patters in the display will change right? So wouldnt the corals grow in the direction that it pleases? Where they are most happy?

 

[chimmike]

what, you guys don't manicure your reef like you do your lawn?

I trim my gsp weekly to an even height, and my zoas are all trimmed neatly in specific shapes for continuity.


I keed, I keed

 

[crvz]

I try to let my tank grow out as it will, but I trim things back when they get too close to the glass. I don't want it to get to the point that I can't clean it off. If they're encroaching other corals, though, I usually let them duke it out.

 

[tangers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13477289#post13477289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chimmike
what, you guys don't manicure your reef like you do your lawn?

I trim my gsp weekly to an even height, and my zoas are all trimmed neatly in specific shapes for continuity.


I keed, I keed

that's funny!

 

[J.russell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13477360#post13477360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crvz
I try to let my tank grow out as it will, but I trim things back when they get too close to the glass. I don't want it to get to the point that I can't clean it off. If they're encroaching other corals, though, I usually let them duke it out.

Thats what Im talkin about Only thing I think may be a problem Is chemical warfare between corals.

 

[mborn]

IME (in a mixed reef tank) it's not a good idea to let soft corals (mainly leathers) grow unchecked. They'll tend to overgrow and kill most SPS and many LPS. For me, there hasn't been a single SPS that can hold it's own against an encroaching leather (especially sinularia sp). As far as LPS, my bubbles, torch, and elegance do ok though. You'll also have to keep an eye on the various types of leathers too. Lobophyton sp. are very sensitive to sinularia sp. toxins (flexibilis especially) and are overgrown and severely damaged if I don't prune the encroaching sinularia back. If you let your tank completely do its own thing it will eventually be taken over and dominated by a few of the most aggressive species. IMO you're going to need to do some aquarium management and move some things around and keep some things pruned, as the tank grows in, if you want to keep a diversity of different types of corals. This of coarse doesn’t mean you can’t eventually have a nice full tank with large grown out corals, it just means that most likely you’re going to need to rearrange certain specimens as the tank grows in.

 

[virginiadiver69]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13477209#post13477209 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by areze
thin line between LOOKING untouched and being untouched

This may sound weird but...I used to keep a small bonsai garden and I find a lot of the principles cross over. It wouldn't hurt to study the basics (of bonsai) a little and see how the "pruning" techniques could benefit.

 

[J.russell]

Are you anywhere near hampton roads virginiadiver?

 

[virginiadiver69]

No, I'm about 30 miles west of Richmond. We have a pretty active club ( swap on the 28th ) and a couple of top notch LFS's up here if your ever in the aria.

 

[J.russell]

ah ok. Im trying to meet up with a diver around here because I really want to get into diving