soft corals touching?

[Beemo]

i have a few questions about softees touching..

1. can colt corals be kept next to mushrooms?

2. can a colt coral be next to a finger leather?

3. also can a cabbage leather be next to a finger leather? these corals have grown very large and are now touching each other. i wondered since they are in the same family if it was ok?

 

[zoomfish1]

I don't let any coral of different species touch. Maybe the cabbage and finger might be ok. Don't really know. I do have some mushrooms touching a favite with no harm.

 

[paeSona]

the col touching mushrooms should be ok ive hade my colt touching a piece of LR with mushrooms for about 8 months and my colt has doubled or even posibly tripled and my mushrooms have grown tremendously. i had about 6 on a 2in piece of rock and i honestly have about 40 mushrroms in tht corner. its amazing how nicely they grew.

 

[syrinx]

I have diagonally across the tank- fire and ice zoas touching lavandar mushrooms touching finger leather which is touching green frilly mushrooms which are touching bam bam zoas. All are 100% healthy and growing- and have been as long as tank has been mature. In fact I let them grow together to self limit and I still have to frag monthly.

 

[Beemo]

thats good to hear

yeah ive seen pics of peoples mushrooms that have taken over the tank, how come mine arent multiplying that fast? they have grown and gotten fat but they dont spit out many babies and its been over a year

 

[lvreefer]

Re: soft corals touching?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9079601#post9079601 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Beemo
i have a few questions about softees touching..

1. can colt corals be kept next to mushrooms?

2. can a colt coral be next to a finger leather?

I would be careful with colts. They seem to be more unfriendly than others. I have a colt that constantly brushes up against a green polyp Sarc and a lobo. All three are growing but the leathers always show signs of stress where they touch.

 

[Nagel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9097785#post9097785 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by paeSona
the col touching mushrooms should be ok

NO WAY!!! you may be lucky, but that is not the norm!

Colts, aka Klyxum, are known to be bitter enemies with mushrooms. From my experience, the mushrooms usually win, and the colt melts down. Unfortunately, its not the touching that does it, they are chemical broadcasters, so its chemical warfare that does it.

It really depends on the soft corals..

I have Kenya trees that have burned Gold Toadstools.

I have a Pink Lemnalia that will fight any euphyllia / brain, and probably win (burns everything it touches).

I have also had sinularias / kenya trees / long polyped toadstools / anthelia / xenia / nepthea all touching, and no issues.

So, it really depends.

To answer your questions though

1. I wouldnt keep colts and mushrooms close, much less in the same tank. Personal preference. It can be done (as you can see) but after seeing as many melt as I have (worked p/t in a LFS for a few years), its not something I would do. AND I would suggest running a healthy dose of carbon.

2. Colt and finger should be fine next to each other.

3. Cabbage and Finger should be fine.

Just so you know, Devils Hand leathers are some of the more toxic, in terms of chemical warfare with the neighbors, but when near softys, its not that bad.. They still are engaging in warfare, but the other softys are able to withstand it.

 

[syrinx]

I was completely out of charactor by not adding a disclaimer to my post. I am sorry for that one, as it is real important to be aware of coral placement. I don`t mind in some cases an invasive species being retarded by a more slow growing one, but I don`t want to see anything damaged. I was trying to point out the fact that there are many corals that will "tolerate" one another, and you have to try yourself to see what works for you. Colts- the focus here- are different from other similar softies, but still will get along with some tankmates well. Use chemi pure!

 

[Beemo]

thanks
i do believe then that the colt killed off my red shrooms that were right next to it

about chemi pure. ive used it on and off for several years, in reef tanks and fresh and i dont like the stuff. when it was used in my cichlid tank i had the highest reading of nitrates measurable, even with weekly huge water changes. i got rid of the chemi pure and it went down to normal. i even changed out the chemi pure after 6 weeks using a new one and it didnt matter nitrates were still insane
then in my reef tanks, i have four, i used chemi pure in two of the tanks, the two tanks that chemi pure was used came down with cyano, the two that didnt use it never came down with cyano. i blamed the chemi pure...not sure if its hard evidence but just seems like i have bad luck with the stuff :lol:

one more ? about the colt coral, can it sting me? like if i accidently brush up against it during a water change? i usually wear gloves but for something quick i'll skip it

 

[syrinx]

I would say it just doesn`t work in your situation- and it is big of you to point out that there isn`t any hard evidence, other than your problems. I have been a big proponent of it for the last 15 or 20 yrs and never have had anything but praise- but even that large of a sample is still small. Don`t worry about softies stinging- rather worry about getting their toxins in mucous membranes or your cuts. Other than blue ridge there are few softies that are going to cause issues.

 

[Beemo]

oh good, i was afraid it would hurt like a bee sting or something (which im deathly afraid of too hehe)