Frenemies - or who is doing what?

[Michelle]

Not sure where to post this. Issue: Several LPS who were happy and got along with neighbors are now stinging. My 2 small hammers are the biggest culprits but now my 2 Aussie hammers are joining the fray. Background: I have a tree leather that loves to drop babies. Some have grown up by the LPS and gotten along just fine until the last 4 weeks. The Frogspawns still touch the leathers and both are happy but the Hammers and torch are defending everything within reach. And I mean everything. Mushrooms, leathers, palys - everything. Today the small purple hammer nailed a Mind Blowing poly that has been there for months. Possible issues/changes in tank: One of my RBTA moved 4 weeks ago and is now on a rock that has silver Anthelia. This has resulted in a not so happy Anthelia with several small polys melting. I also fragged the MB palys, silver Anthelia, GSP, and pulsing zenia - all out side the tank but now in the tank at the bottom. Answers to questions: Charcoal - yes and run Purigen. Water parm - no nitrite, nitrate, PO4. DKH 12, CA 410, Salinity 1.0245, PH 8.2, Mag 1250. Temp 78.5. Tank is 156 gal with 30 gal sump. Skimmer running normal so it is not picking up anything out of the norm. I know toxin exchange is the "dark area" of the hobby so wondering if the Anthelia is the problem.

 

[melev]

Maybe these corals were getting along fine for a while because they were smaller but over time they have grown in mass, thus fighting for more space now?

 

[Michelle]

Hmmm, I thought of that but they do not touch all day. There is space between them. Only when the fish swarm does the current bring them in direct contact and is brief. And the Frogspawn all touch the little leathers and happy. It just seems that over the last 4 weeks something has the hammers and torch on alarm. Toxin exchange or "cross-talk" is all I can think of. My Aussie gold wall hammer has shrunk away from the Anthelia before so I removed it from that area. The Aussie immediately claimed the area and expanded. Now he is raising sweepers although no Anthelia is near him. My tank has layers so softies and LPS have space. SPS are kept at the far end away from the LPS and softies. Nems pretty much reside below the SPS area with just one GBTA in the LPS area. Removing the leathers and palys are not a problem. Just hate to sell/give away if I am missing an element.

 

[bimmerzs]

They don't have to touch, allelopathy is a normal phenomenon among coral types/species with leathers, palys and nem's, all being big contributor's to this "war". Your nem relocating could now be allowing the others to "man-up". Carbon is your friend in mixed reef's for sure. [smilie=smile.gif] YMMV

Cheers,

 

[FuDz Cwerner]

None of my corals get along. They all fight all of the time. My torch killed my Octopus Frogspawn. My candy canes catch torch tentacles and eat them. Acros kill montis, etc... Too bad they all can't kill my Blue Clove Polyps. That would be a blessing.

 

[Michelle]

@bimmerzs wrote:

Thank you, Ron. I suspected I had an allelopathic interaction going on. So starts the great Anthelia and leather removal from the LPS section and from the RTBA. I also need to seriously think/plan a separate frag tank.

 

[Michelle]

@FuDz Cwerner wrote:

Have you experienced any tissue loss or growth issues with the corals?

 

[FuDz Cwerner]

@murphyme wrote:

My corals all seem to grow without issue, but when they contact each other, one starts to kill the other. I've seen some tanks at stores that have Torches, frogspawn, bubble coral etc in the same tank contacting each other without issue. I don't have that luck. My blue/green frogspawn is the worst. It kills everything it touches. I have 3 acro's that have grown together over the last year and they are killing each other where they contact. So I've started trimming them back in the contact area.