Coral Placement

[ViTToRiO]

I have a 55gal aquarium set up currently with 4 different corals. My main question is for the aquarist who have been doing this for awhile. The fact that corals will attack other corals. When i place corals how do i know if they will sting other corals and such? I have seen corals that have been placed practically on top of each other on other sites and these corals seem to be doing very well. The tanks look amazing, and it basically looks like a reef. I am trying to build my tank up with more coral and liverock and my thoughts right now are how do i know what corals can touch and or what can not? Any help is appreciated.

thanks,
Wayne

 

[Gooseman]

I would suggest getting a Coral book and reading as much as you can find. I am still reading and learning myself. Books are a great resource.

 

[RyanG]

wetwebmedia.com is also very informative.

 

[ViTToRiO]

i have been on wetweb already as well. I am reading some books, but the fact that coral aquariums are setup still touching. Can i have things touching, or is it only certain things can touch? i just want to get a quick opinion on how people setup there tanks, so i do not hurt any of my coral or get "dangerous" coral for my tank.

thanks,
Wayne

 

[daugherty]

liveaquaria.com tells how agressigve corals are.

Saltwater Aquarium Corals for Marine Reef Aquariums: Trumpet Coral

 

[ViTToRiO]

Thank you

Wayne

 

[Bifferwine]

It all depends on the coral. For example, mushrooms can touch other mushrooms and zoanthids can touch other zoanthids. Euphyllia corals (frogspawn, torch, hammer) can touch each other, but not unrelated corals. Galaxea appear to have 1/2 inch tentacles, but then you turn off the lights and they have 8 inch sweepers stinging everything in its path. It depends on each individual species.

Tell us what kind of corals you have and we can tell you how aggressive they are and help with their placement.

 

[yote]

Biffs nailed it.
If you'll notice all those corals that are touching are all the same species.
Some soft corals will engage in chemical warfare to compete with and knock out the LPS and SPS corals.Its just something you have to research.

 

[ViTToRiO]

thanks,
so if its in the same general species i can keep it next to each other basically? I am saving up to get a new set of lights. as of right now i have a few polyps, 2 different types of mushrooms, and a kind of pink leather. i adopted my 55 gal from my mom. i wanted to set up a salt tank and she just didnt have time to keep up with hers anymore. so she gave it all to me. so now i am just trying to improve a little. any help is much appreciated. but as long as i know the stuff i have can touch each other i can have the tank in some what better arrangment.

thank you
Wayne

 

[Bifferwine]

Not all like-species can touch each other. It's specific to each kind of coral.

 

[ViTToRiO]

Thanks,

Do you know of any good websites that show exactly what coral families and/or species can touch? Or even a website that will tell me what corals are hostile or not? I read about the coral that has the long sweeper tentacles and such; im looking for corals that can touch in general or be close and not try to kill each other.

Wayne

 

[Bifferwine]

Check out Saltwater fish, seahorses, corals, inverts, live rock, reef, marine life — Marine Depot Live. They generally have pretty detailed and accurate descriptions of all the corals they sell.