The question is simple. For those keeping "mixed" reefs, do you find that cutting leathers causes trouble?
I've always heard leather corals produce toxins to create space for themselves. This is well known and understood (scientifically). The jury seems confused however on whether these toxins actually end up being problematic in our aquariums. I want to prune a sinularia in my tank but I'm paranoid because of horror stories. Leathers crashing tanks seem to me like another one of those things that people say happens but doesn't happen ever or very rarely and under extreme circumstances. There sure are a lot in the hobby.
I've heard everything from people blaming a whole tank crash on a leather coral that looked bad one day to people cutting their leathers back next to acropora without issue. I personally have a huge sinularia basically hugging a stylo. The polyps even touch sometimes and neither coral seems to care. The stylo has almost tripled in size. There's also an acro "downstream" from the sinularia that looks great to me. I haven't changed my carbon in almost a year. At this point I'm not sure the stuff even does anything that matters. Maybe I'll put some in if I prune the coral just to be safe.
I've always heard leather corals produce toxins to create space for themselves. This is well known and understood (scientifically). The jury seems confused however on whether these toxins actually end up being problematic in our aquariums. I want to prune a sinularia in my tank but I'm paranoid because of horror stories. Leathers crashing tanks seem to me like another one of those things that people say happens but doesn't happen ever or very rarely and under extreme circumstances. There sure are a lot in the hobby.
I've heard everything from people blaming a whole tank crash on a leather coral that looked bad one day to people cutting their leathers back next to acropora without issue. I personally have a huge sinularia basically hugging a stylo. The polyps even touch sometimes and neither coral seems to care. The stylo has almost tripled in size. There's also an acro "downstream" from the sinularia that looks great to me. I haven't changed my carbon in almost a year. At this point I'm not sure the stuff even does anything that matters. Maybe I'll put some in if I prune the coral just to be safe.