And in this corner....

Silverfish · #1 03-10-2002, 05:42 PM

I know a few of you out there have SPS in their tanks that have grown enough to be touching/fighting with each other.

I was wondering how many of you just let em at it, or actively frag them, or both.

Right now I have a tabletop acro and a montipora digitata that have finally engaged in battle after growing to within 1/8" of one another.

I was thinking of what Eric Borneman recently said about just letting them do what they do in nature. I may just let them fight it out, and see if they grow to accommodate each other.

Any thoughts? [img]smile.gif[/img]

pocilipora · #2 03-10-2002, 07:20 PM

Go onto Reef Central and in the "search forum" put in SPS crowding, nice thread. I actualy started this thread, good info and experiences.

Acro · #3 03-10-2002, 09:09 PM

Bruce,

I have many different sps's touching others. Many with different results. Some just stop growth in each others direction, others kill the weaker of the two.Some will put out calcariuos growth to shade the other.Mostly just stopping growth in that area after a short war. Some of the strongest are A.Millepora, Hydnopora's and also some table type acro's. I tend to mostly experment with them and watch them closely I have never lost anything do to nemocyst wars. That being said the hydno is not one to test with as it will do the most damage. I don't know if just let them grow is the right approach as I'm sure a system would get very messy. The other concern is polution created from these localized wars at to high of numbers for your system to handle.Perhaps a unneccassary concern but none the less a concern. With nice size pieces your more able to test as the frag type peice has little to lose before it's a goner. These are just some of my experiences. It's kind of a newer area of concern as not to long ago we all struggled just to keep these beautiful creatures alive.

Jamie

[ 10 March 2002, 17:16: Message edited by: Jamie Cross ]

Aquattro · #4 03-10-2002, 09:24 PM

Jamie, on your comments about the hydnopora...how close is too close? I just bought a large specimen and I'm wondering what kind of distance to keep it from other pieces..

Acro · #5 03-10-2002, 11:15 PM

Brad,

I would say no closer then a inch. The main problem is if you have a unattached coral near it and it falls over onto the hydno. But with only leaving an inch your window of safety is very small. So it's up to you depending on how often you want to move things around.

Jamie

[ 10 March 2002, 19:18: Message edited by: Jamie Cross ]

Aquattro · #6 03-11-2002, 12:32 AM

Thanks Jamie. I have a small acro about an inch away, but it's well attached to it's rock. I'll watch for trouble though and when I move, I'll try and give it more space.

Seaquest · #7 03-11-2002, 02:09 AM

Hi

I'd say its simply time to clip your corals and begin two more frags. Your aquarium is not the ocean and chances are the two corals do not even come from the same geographical placement on the reef itself. You paid money for these pieces so why take a chance to loose one or the other, hang on to what you have, the day may come when CITE shuts the door on all sps shippments. propigate and spread your frags. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Silverfish · #8 03-12-2002, 02:56 AM

Thanks Pocilipora, that was an interesting thread on RC. Thanks Jamie and Seaquest for the replies.
It looks like the acro has won, and the monti only got it's tip burned off a bit, nothing major tho.
I think that I will frag the corals that grow within striking distance of my favorites and let the cool ones just keep on growing.
I have to agree with Jamie that the a. millepora seems to be a tough customer. I have one in my tank that belongs to Adam, (it came form Jamie's tank) it has grown to four times it's original size in a few months BTW! It is about 1 1/2" from a small acro frag, but it seems to have been stinging it. Time to move it a bit! ;)

Anyways, pretty cool stuff I must say! :D