|
|
FAQs about Pocilloporid Corals Compatibility
Related Articles: Pocilloporids,
SPS Corals, Related FAQs:
Pocilloporids 1, Pocilloporids 2,
& FAQs on: Pocilloporid Identification,
Pocilloporid Behavior, Pocilloporid
Selection, Pocilloporid Systems,
Pocilloporid Feeding, Pocilloporid
Health, Pocilloporid
Reproduction/Propagation, &
Stony/True Coral, Coral System Set-Up,
Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral
Identification, Stony Coral Selection,
Coral Placement, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition,
Disease/Health, Propagation,
Growing Reef Corals, Stony
Coral Behavior, SPS
Identification, SPS Behavior,
SPS Compatibility, SPS Selection,
SPS Systems, SPS Feeding,
SPS Disease, SPS Reproduction, | 
|
Coral Aggression: Galaxea 1/7/04
Brant here again,
<cheers>
I really appreciate having such an informative site. I wanted
to mention in reference to my last e-mail about white band that I also
got a Galaxea at the same time. I placed it on the top of a rock in
the center of the aquarium with some distance between corals.
<grumble, grumble... would rather have heard it was placed properly in a
QT tank first for 4+ weeks. We might not be having this exchange if so
<G>>
The Stylophora is only 3-4 inches away and is somewhat
'downstream' from the Galaxea.
<Yikes! The Stylo
is soon to be Galaxy coral food>
I've read a lot about sweeper
tentacles
<eventually 10" long from Galaxea... they are one of the
worst>
and was wondering if this had anything to do with my
Stylophora
problem.
<very easily so>
My salt
level is low also, at about 1.019.
<do get this up to 1.023-1.025
for corals>
Besides the Stylophora problem, I was wondering if I
could/should place my Galaxea directly on the floor of the tank at the
farthest distance from everything else?
<perhaps... they
are one of the most aggressive corals in the trade>
Your help is
greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Chris Brant
<best of luck, Anthony>
Pocillopora
Hitch-hikers! Yep, two of them. 7/27/05
Hello Crew. Let me
start off by thanking you for being here, and I thank you for your
consideration of my issue.
<Welcome>
I have a 117 gallon
reef tank with the following statistics:
Hardware:
Dimensions: 85" X 18" X 8"
<? eight...>
Pumps: 3 Eheim
1260s and 1 Mag drive 5
Lights: 3 250 Watt MH w/14K Bulbs
Photo-period: 10 hours/day
Chiller: 1/3 hp Arctica
Water
Quality:
Temp: 78 degrees F, + or - 1 degree
Specific
Gravity: 1.025, top off done with dosing pump and float valve in
sump.
Calcium: 420, achieved through daily Calcium Hydroxide
Slurry Shots. Corals deplete Ca by 10 ppm/day.
<About right>
dKH: 12
pH: 8.0 - 8.2 (I'm currently working on more frequent,
twice weekly, water changes to bring this up. I will also soon add
a refugium with macro-algae to help maintain a higher pH.
<Eight
is fine>
Iodide: 0.03 ppm
Magnesium: 1350 ppm (I had to
supplement to get it above 1300)
Strontium: 10 ppm
Ammonia:
0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Phosphate: 0.075 ppm
Saltwater: Instant Ocean mixed with RO/DI
Water Changes: 15
gallons every Sunday.
<All sounds, looks good>
Tank
Inhabitants:
Fish:
1 Clown Goby; 1 Citron Goby; 1 Bi-color
Blenny; 1 Firefish; and 1 Watchman Goby
Invertebrates:
1
Tridacna Maxima Clam; 1 Montipora sp. (plate form); 1 Pocillopora
damicornis; 1 Seriatopora caliendrum; two Zoanthus sp. colonies; 1
Parazoanthus gracilis colony; 2 Xenia Fragments; 2 Ricordea sp.; 1
Lobophyllia sp.; 1 Nephthea sp; 1 Haliclona sp.;
<Wow, not
easily kept>
20 Nassarius Snails; 2 cleaner Shrimp; and a coral
that is either a Pectinia sp. (what the dealer ID'd it as),
Symphyllia sp., or Oulophyllia sp. I have attached a picture to
help with ID.
<Please see my pics re these genera in turn, on
WWM>
My system was converted to a reef tank in March. The
corals have been added at a rate of approximately one every couple
of weeks, and the fish have only been in the tank for one month. I
am getting very good growth from the Montipora, Nephthea, Blue
Sponge, and Green Star Polyps. The Lobophyllia has been in the tank
for a couple of weeks, and the Pectinia (?) a little over a
month. Both get fed every morning with pieces of krill, scallops,
silversides, or mysis shrimp. I can't say that I see growth in
them, but I am hopeful as they eat a considerable amount daily.
<Do grow... hard to tell when you see often... a pic is often very
useful...
The coral that presents an issue for me at the
moment is the Pocillopora. I've had the coral for about 2 months,
and it has just started to show signs of tissue necrosis along the
backside of the coral. Also, many of the polyps deep inside of the
branches are now failing to expand. I don't know if the tissue loss
is due to a lack of food (I feed Cyclops-eeze, live phytoplankton
and Selco 3 times/week), or if the
hitch-hikers are stressing
the coral? My two hitch-hikers are a red colored crab and some kind
of small Goby. I have never seen the crab do damage to the coral,
and to be honest, I just saw the Goby for the first time last
week. What makes this so amazing is the fact that I stare into the
tank for at least an hour every day. How the Goby has managed to
keep hidden is beyond me.
<Happens...>
The Goby has a black
back half, and I believe that the front half is a dull yellow. It
is hard to get a good look at him, as he is always hiding behind the
crab (and I mean right next to it) or on the side of the coral that
faces the rear of the tank. Also, I notice that my Clown Goby is
constantly hovering in the coral's branches, and he sometimes nips
at the polyps. It is either a territorial thing with the
hitch-hiker Goby, or he wants to mate. One of my fish books
mentions that Clown Gobies will nip SPS polyps during mating, but
that it does little damage. I am also noticing that the clown Goby
is now nipping at my Bird's Nest coral. Should I be concerned about
the nipping behavior?
<In this size, well set-up, maintained,
fed and stocked system, I would not be concerned>
Should I try
to rid the Pocillopora of its hitch-hikers? If yes, then how do you
recommend that I do it?
<I would not get rid of this stony
coral, nor worry re the crab, goby... likely the Pocillopora is
still just "settling in", but I would make sure that other
cnidarians are mal-influencing its health... make sure other
"corals" are placed far enough away, use some activated carbon in
your filter flow path...>
Lastly, could you take a look at my
picture and let me know which species of coral I have? I would
greatly appreciate it. I've also attached a picture of the
Pocillopora for your review.
<Might be a Symphyllia...>
Thank you once again for your kind service. You guys and gals
always seem to pull me through when I need assistance.
Lou
<Glad to offer my input. Bob Fenner> | Re:
Pocillopora Hitch-hikers! Yep, two of them. 7/28/05
Thanks for the response Bob. Of course it would happen that
after I wrote this letter to the WWM, my Pocillopora extended
its polyps fully each day since.
<Heeeee!>
I will take
your advice and leave the hitch-hikers alone. I will also go
with Symphyllia as the Genus for my unknown coral.
As
always, I appreciate the time and consideration.
Regards,
Lou
<Thank you... for sharing... and writing so well. Bob
Fenner> |  
|
Crabs in my reef? Yes a Coral Crab (Trapezia ferruginea) 3/10/07
Hello Again Bob,
<Hi Brian, Mich here tonight!>
I found some
crabs hanging out in a couple of my Acropora corals last night. I have
pulled them out of the reef, but still have no clue what kind of crab
they are. There are 3 photos below if you could tell me what you think
they are it would be greatly appreciated.
<This looks like a Coral
Crab (Trapezia ferruginea). They are reef safe and eat mucus off their
host coral. They usually hitchhike on stony corals and are typically
hardy when provided a host, which is usually a Pocillopora spp. or a
Stylophora spp. If you want them to live, and you should, they need to
be returned to their respective corals.>
Thank you!
<Welcome! -Mich>
Brian |
|
|
|
