Beginner Coral Questions

[LegionaryLeader]

Hi,

I'm doing a lot of research on corals, such as their types and needs. I've even picked out a small handful I like to prepare, I am as well picking a new lighting setup to get ready.

Through my research I've found some confusing information, that I can't seem to find any answers to.

When placing your corals in the tank, some can compete for space via stinging and such. If I got, for example, some Hammer Coral, and also some Zoanthids, won't they eventually grow out to touch regardless of where I place them and sting each other anyways?

How do I know what corals to get and place apart?

Should I just not worry about when they're full taking up my rock?

Any and all advice is truly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[fishski13]

So when placing coral you place them far apart to give both of them space to grow. If you place them far enough it will take years for them to grow and touch each other. If they do than, you can frag or move them.

For your second questions for what coral you get, its all upto personal preference and your capacity to hold them. That depends on space, lights, flow, etc. If this is your first tank you should definitely stick to softies and lps for the first few months until you feel you can and want to take on sps a slightly more challenging coral.

For placing corals, it all depends on light and flow. Every coral has its own needs that you need to research. For placing coral next to each other, that also depending on what coral you have but for examples acan can go near acans, hammer and frogspawns can touch but torches cannot touch either of them

 

[LegionaryLeader]

So when placing coral you place them far apart to give both of them space to grow. If you place them far enough it will take years for them to grow and touch each other. If they do than, you can frag or move them.

For your second questions for what coral you get, its all upto personal preference and your capacity to hold them. That depends on space, lights, flow, etc. If this is your first tank you should definitely stick to softies and lps for the first few months until you feel you can and want to take on sps a slightly more challenging coral.

For placing corals, it all depends on light and flow. Every coral has its own needs that you need to research. For placing coral next to each other, that also depending on what coral you have but for examples acan can go near acans, hammer and frogspawns can touch but torches cannot touch either of them

Thanks for the great advice!

So what happens when everything gets grown out and starts touching?
Will they stop and just fight there? Or will it progressively get worse until one completely kills the other?

I just ask to be cautious with my aquascape, I'm doing all this in a 30 gallon where the scape is mainly one large island for most of everything. I feel like the amount of room I have, with whatever small handful I pick, I'm going to want to be careful long-term.

Also just a follow up question I couldn't finder any answers for. If they get to far and I'm supposed to move or take them out to frag, how does one go about doing that if the coral is glued into place, or attaches itself (if I don't glue it)?

 

[Uncle99]

Same types don’t fight, so hammer gardens, torch gardens and that stuff are one way to go.
Softies fir the most part can touch.
Many will take what room it can and spread into the path of least resistance.
Most of my SPS grow away from each other but always towards the light.
Bad guys, elegance, nem, torches (except other torches) Galaxia, lobos, they should be given more room
Sometimes it’s fun just to watch what they do

 

[fishski13]

Thanks for the great advice!

So what happens when everything gets grown out and starts touching?
Will they stop and just fight there? Or will it progressively get worse until one completely kills the other?

I just ask to be cautious with my aquascape, I'm doing all this in a 30 gallon where the scape is mainly one large island for most of everything. I feel like the amount of room I have, with whatever small handful I pick, I'm going to want to be careful long-term.

Also just a follow up question I couldn't finder any answers for. If they get to far and I'm supposed to move or take them out to frag, how does one go about doing that if the coral is glued into place, or attaches itself (if I don't glue it)?

So once they grown out and start to touch it depends on what corals they are but most will just start to slowly sting each other and which ever is stronger will prevail.

So with a large island make sure you have different height levels that you can put corals. You should also think about doing small single rock islands away from the main islands for any aggressive corals you wish to have like torches etc.

So you cant frag all coral but if it gets grown out so far, you can easily take it off and move it or frag it. Crazy glue holds coral in place but you can easily take it off the rock.