How do you keep your corals separated or do you not worry about coral warfare?

[sharis100]

So did not expect the coral growth to quite go this way and the two corals are almost touching. Do I leave it alone? Put something thin between them? Or what? Rock structure glued so cannot take out.
PS- hydrophora and candy canes in this example.

 

[Dmitri]

I haven’t had experience with hydrophora overgrowing candy canes, but I would put money on candy cane holding it’s own. Candy cane has longer tentacles and to me it seems more active than hydrophora. Probably can defend itself better.

I wonder if anyone in the club had experience with those two battling it out ?

 

[lizzyann]

I don't have any experience with these two specifically but when I started I tried to keep a lot of space between things and when an encrusting coral like the hydrophora started encroaching on something else's territory, I would put a strip of epoxy over it at the edge of where it was growing. This would slow it down some, kill what was underneath, then the coral would grow over the epoxy and I could break it off easily and have a frag or two, and be left with a couple inches of buffer, at least temporarily. Here's a pic:

The leptastrea was killing back the cyphastrea, while the meteor shower cyphastrea was just kinda growing over the bizarro cyphastrea above it. After doing this a couple times it started to feel like too much work and I decided I just would let them all have a free-for-all . That was with different encrusting corals that didn't seem to get too hurt when they came in contact though, one would just outcompete/overrun the other. I've had ricordea that just barely got stung by another shroom and suddenly the whole colony started melting away, so obviously some corals don't do as well and you NEVER want them to touch I guess? Maybe the candy cane could sting the hydro and kill off parts, but if the hydro gets some healthy tissue closer in it might just start creeping up the base and cause issues? It probably just all comes down to how precious they are to ya!

 

[ichthyoid]

The allelopathic interactions among corals can take multiple forms, besides simply stinging one another. One major means is due to the microbial communities unique to each type of coral. There is evidence they produce substances which can either benefit/attract or harm/repel other corals & various organisms.

This phenomenon has been of great interest to me for several years. I am also keen to know what those microbes are & their individual requirements. Those things, I believe, may be the holy grail of coral care.

 

[Adam]

Hydrophora < All. Period.

Placement: Mount the Green Hydnophora using IC gel glue, or putty, on an exposed rock or ledge in the aquarium where it will receive direct flow and light. Leave 2-3 inches between it and other corals as it has a potent sting.

Hydnophora Care:
Horn Corals of the Genus Hydnophora are a relatively hardy small polyp stony coral (SPS). They have a very powerful sting and we highly recommend giving it plenty of space. If a colony comes in contact with another SPS, it is very likely that the Hydnophora is going to win and kill off what it touches. Hydnophora have small mouths called hydnophores but has the ability to capture medium-sized food particles. This SPS feeds more aggressively than most and will happily consume small pieces of shrimp and other frozen foods. Please see below for additional care tips for Hydnophora as well as checking out our Top 5 Tips for setting up a reef.

From LA:
Its behavior is often labeled very aggressive; it will kill most other corals that comes in close proximity with it. It is important to provide plenty of room between itself and other corals.

 

[sharis100]

Hydrophora < All. Period.

Placement: Mount the Green Hydnophora using IC gel glue, or putty, on an exposed rock or ledge in the aquarium where it will receive direct flow and light. Leave 2-3 inches between it and other corals as it has a potent sting.

Hydnophora Care:
Horn Corals of the Genus Hydnophora are a relatively hardy small polyp stony coral (SPS). They have a very powerful sting and we highly recommend giving it plenty of space. If a colony comes in contact with another SPS, it is very likely that the Hydnophora is going to win and kill off what it touches. Hydnophora have small mouths called hydnophores but has the ability to capture medium-sized food particles. This SPS feeds more aggressively than most and will happily consume small pieces of shrimp and other frozen foods. Please see below for additional care tips for Hydnophora as well as checking out our Top 5 Tips for setting up a reef.

From LA:
Its behavior is often labeled very aggressive; it will kill most other corals that comes in close proximity with it. It is important to provide plenty of room between itself and other corals.

Yes We did mount it on a ledge on its own separate. But now the corals have grown close together, so how do we keep them separate? They were separated by 6+ inches when installed in tank

 

[Adam]

Yes We did mount it on a ledge on its own separate. But now the corals have grown close together, so how do we keep them separate? They were separated by 6+ inches when installed in tank

 

[Trizzino]

Unfortunately...Time to move the candy canes. They will lose that battle quickly. Or intentionally kill the hydrophora growing close...

 

[sharis100]

Unfortunately...Time to move the candy canes. They will lose that battle quickly. Or intentionally kill the hydrophora growing close...

We got a big system just to avoid this guess we will have to reach in a get wet and cut some things or shift things.

 

[Adam]

We got a big system just to avoid this guess we will have to reach in a get wet and cut some things or shift things.

Stop doing so good keeping coral!!!

Seriously though. With the Hydrophora you're either going to need to keep trimming to keep it in a space you want it to stay in or you're going to have to remove it. If/when you trim don't let any pieces fall onto other corals either. Think Bonsai

 

[sharis100]

Stop doing so good keeping coral!!!

Seriously though. With the Hydrophora you're either going to need to keep trimming to keep it in a space you want it to stay in or you're going to have to remove it. If/when you trim don't let any pieces fall onto other corals either. Think Bonsai

Great had no idea about this coral when we picked it up at the prepandemic frag swap the ARC had over a year ago. Silly me thought it would stay on the rock and curve to the shape of the rock it was on - not reach for the candy canes.... learned something new, thank you! And now to figure out how to cut it down without sticking my whole body in the tank..... need a waterproof underwater dremel.....

 

[Adam]

Great had no idea about this coral when we picked it up at the prepandemic frag swap the ARC had over a year ago. Silly me thought it would stay on the rock and curve to the shape of the rock it was on - not reach for the candy canes.... learned something new, thank you! And now to figure out how to cut it down without sticking my whole body in the tank..... need a waterproof underwater dremel.....

Shoulder length gloves and a pair of bone cutters.

 

[sharis100]

Shoulder length gloves and a pair of bone cutters.

For those of height challenged, shoulder length gloves and my short appendages don’t reach without me getting wet up to my neck

 

[Adam]

For those of height challenged, shoulder length gloves and my short appendages don’t reach without me getting wet up to my neck

There aways this.