Looking for encrusting or matting coral to out compete Blue Clove Polyps.

[el_pinguino]

Any recommendations? I already have some green star polyps (which I like) so I'm looking for something else to add because I don't want those blue cloves to take over everything. I like variety.

I've considered:

-encrusting montipora, but I don't I have enough light or flow
-zoanthids, but I heard the blue cloves will just grow in between zoa polyps
-cyphastrea, but I don't know much about these and local stores tend not to have it

My tank is an established 10 gallon with moderate lighting/flow.

EDIT: This is the kind of blue clove polyps I'm talking about (also called snowflake polyps)

 

[deaclauderdale]

I'm not sure if there are any that can outcompete those polyps, plus you may be trading one problem for a different problem. I believe someone on here nuked their tank, but I am unsure of the product they used to do it. The only issue-if we can call it one- was that their zoanthids closed up for a day.

Then again, I'm no expert.

 

[wireefman]

blue cloves out compete everything... they spawn and release eggs into the water... they then attach everywhere and start growing...a stunner of a coral.. I love em.... I have a softy tank and that is the 1 coral I will not put in there... I can deal with softys dropping babies every day.. those things are a plauge

 

[barry_keith]

Flukes tab frags

 

[miranda60]

if you want something blue why not something like this one.. sinularia sp.

 

[el_pinguino]

I didn't know Sinularia had a blue morph. That's a good-looking coral.

 

[miranda60]

I didn't know Sinularia had a blue morph. That's a good-looking coral.

if you didn't live that far away i would send you a frag... but i dont think it would make from belgium to Mexico.

 

[el_pinguino]

if you didn't live that far away i would send you a frag... but i dont think it would make from belgium to Mexico.

Yeah, it wouldn't survive the journey. That's okay. I'm sure I can smuggle some back from California next time I cross the border illegally.

 

[wireefman]

I had an encrusting gorgoinian that would out compete them... it will outcompete every thing in the tank if you let it...

 

[cloak]

I've been trying to smother those blue clove polyps with some epoxy lately. So far so good. I'll use tweezers for the ones that tend to pop between my zoanthids.

 

[fishmate]

why not just regular anthelia?

 

[xrayjeeper83]

Only thing I've ever heard of taking them out is fluke tabs. Hard to find but someone on here might part with one.

Have to remove CUC and leathers

 

[el_pinguino]

Anthelia is no good for a nano.

I think I'm going to go with some kind of hairy mushroom. The clove polyps are isolated to one of my rock islands. So if I surround them with more aggressive corals (and barring any spawning events), I think I should be okay.

Are there any special conditions that would trigger a clove polyp spawn? I've never seen it happen personally.

 

[EllieSuz]

Has anyone tried putting an aggressive coral next to them? Try something like a Torch that extends feelers at night and kills anything near.

 

[wireefman]

Anthelia is no good for a nano.

I think I'm going to go with some kind of hairy mushroom. The clove polyps are isolated to one of my rock islands. So if I surround them with more aggressive corals (and barring any spawning events), I think I should be okay.

Are there any special conditions that would trigger a clove polyp spawn? I've never seen it happen personally.

how long have you had them... I had some long ago that were spawning within a month

 

[el_pinguino]

how long have you had them... I had some long ago that were spawning within a month

I've had them for 6 months at least.

Only thing I've ever heard of taking them out is fluke tabs. Hard to find but someone on here might part with one.

Have to remove CUC and leathers

I've heard about Fluke tabs. I want to try a biological solution before I try a chemical one. I don't even necessarily want to kill them all if I can help it - just prevent them from spreading.

 

[wireefman]

the only way to prevent them from spreading is to remove them... the will be all over your tank soon enough

 

[acuario]

Too bad, they look beautiful.

 

[xrayjeeper83]

the only way to prevent them from spreading is to remove them... the will be all over your tank soon enough

+1. Once they are in your tank there is nothing you can do short or chemical nuking or pulling out the rocks they are on and bleaching it

 

[jwoyshnar]

As mentioned earlier, encrusting gorgonian. Nothing will stop it