Love or Hate: Do you keep invasive coral in your tank?

[AlyciaMarie]

Okay, maybe "invasive" is a strong word...Perhaps we should use "fast-growing" or "has a chokehold on your tank"? No matter how you phrase it, we all know there are those corals that have the potential to outgrow everything in your tank and create their own salty empire. But we still love them! Well, some of us do.

Do you keep invasive coral in your tank? (i.e., Xenia, GSP, Hairy Mushroom, etc)

If you keep these guys, are you trying to control their growth? Let's discuss it!

Photo Credit: @bg2311

 

[Slocke]

if a coral threatens to be invasive in my “main” tank it gets put in the “FOWLR”

 

[AlyciaMarie]

Personally, I LOVE the look and flow of GSP in a tank. I don't have any currently, but I would like to get some.

 

[Slocke]

Personally, I LOVE the look and flow of GSP in a tank. I don't have any currently, but I would like to get some.

DM me if you want some for free fellow Georgian

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I might take you up on that @Slocke, haha

 

[Dburr1014]

Well, I bought the metallic green pocillapora a long time ago. I didn't know it was invasive at the time. Fast forward, I yanked it out but could never get rid of the base.
Fast forward again, when I transfered my 75g to the 150g 2 mouths ago, I tried to scrape it all off. Well, I see it's still growing.

That stuff is hard to kill!

 

[JamesZ.]

My biggest mistake was adding GSP to my tank. I lost 4 different Zoa's, Birds Nest, and a Green Elegance to this nasty stuff. It just plows over anything and everything in its path. Still fighting the fight, picking and peeling it out of my tank every week.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

I’m more concerned that I put my GSP on too small a rock island. The one on the picture above is glorious!!

I have Xenia on my main rock work and if it took over the entire thing I wouldn’t shed a tear- their pulsing is so relaxing to watch!

Then again, my most expensive frag in the entire tank is $20, so I may have a different tolerance level. The real question is, if all I put in my tank are ‘invasive’ corals, who will win when they battle it out once there’s no more space?

 

[Narideth]

I've tried to grow GSP numerous times with the intent of it taking over whatever island I've got it set up on, but it never flourishes. I keep a plethora of other corals from soft to hard but my tanks are the GSP killers.

I'm trying to get it to cover the back wall of my pico tank right now, and it goes through periods of real healthy looking growth and then dieback.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

For some reason, GSP needs to be in a tank, especially if you only have one up and running. I keep it on a rock. I will never keep any other invasive coral. The GSP is actually a favorite of non reef keepers that see my tank, lol.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I've tried to grow GSP numerous times with the intent of it taking over whatever island I've got it set up on, but it never flourishes. I keep a plethora of other corals from soft to hard but my tanks are the GSP killers.

I'm trying to get it to cover the back wall of my pico tank right now, and it goes through periods of real healthy looking growth and then dieback.

thats so interesting. I thought GSP would grow in any tank.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I have what some call “invasive” sps coral. But I thought the point of reefing was to successfully keep coral, not just the hard ones. When they get too big, I just frag as necessary and give them away. I also have pulsing Xenia and GSP in other tanks.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I have what some call “invasive” sps coral. But I thought the point of reefing was to successfully keep coral, not just the hard ones. When they get too big, I just frag as necessary and give them away. I also have pulsing Xenia and GSP in other tanks.

Which ones do you reckon are the most invasive? Looks like you have some Stylophora there?

 

[Reefer Matt]

Which ones do you reckon are the most invasive? Looks like you have some Stylophora there?

That’s actually Pocillopora (the green ones). It grows everywhere, even on the glass! Lol.

 

[shakacuz]

used to have GSP, and monti cap. i wouldn't be opposed to keeping them again, just very isolated on the sand.

 

[paragrouper]

Short answer: yes

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

A great think to do is surround your GSP by "sharks" like hammers, froggie, torches, and other corals that will keep them in their place.

 

[Narideth]

thats so interesting. I thought GSP would grow in any tank.

Yeah, that's what I thought too!

I've had 3-4 frags of it now, different types it seems with short and long tendrils, and I've tried it in two of my three tanks. I might try it again in the 15 cube actually since I tore down and restarted it. It just seems to languish before eventually giving up the ghost.

 

[MnFish1]

Okay, maybe "invasive" is a strong word...Perhaps we should use "fast-growing" or "has a chokehold on your tank"? No matter how you phrase it, we all know there are those corals that have the potential to outgrow everything in your tank and create their own salty empire. But we still love them! Well, some of us do.

Do you keep invasive coral in your tank? (i.e., Xenia, GSP, Hairy Mushroom, etc)

If you keep these guys, are you trying to control their growth? Let's discuss it!

Photo Credit: @bg2311

I think it's fairly easy to control GSP etc.

 

[kevgib67]

I’ve my gsp on a rock island for over two and a half years. Occasionally it grows arms reaching for something to spread to, I perform surgery with bone cutters and take the new frags to my lfs.