Nuisance Corals, but are they really?

[D'sreef]

So on here, reddit, facebook, and really any social media site, you always find people saying throw that away it's a nuisance. Are they really though? Leathers, mushrooms, Zoas, Palys, and the dreaded GSP are some of these so called nuisances. I would argue that its not really the coral that is the issue, it's our maintenance. Like any good environment these mini eco systems do require us to cull them from time to time. We do this in our local ecosystems without thinking about it, like from hunting/fishing to wild fires these are functionally population control. We do the same with our aquariums already, we frag the corals. So, why is it the nuisance corals the issue when we should be managing the population of these animal just as humans have done for centuries, sometimes successfully. I do understand that sometimes we get busy and neglect our duties, and that some of these are coral can be dangerous to handle and frag due to the toxins they carry. I am just interested in hearing everyone's point of view.

 

[Ron Reefman]

For a beginner, these corals are OK. But in a mature sps tank, they can become a real nuisance. And it's a matter of degree. On a scale of 1 to 10, some, like Kenya Tree Coral is a 10, but cool zoas may only be a 2 or 3.

 

[ColorMeGone]

I luv all my nuisance corals!

 

[kevgib67]

My nuisance corals have been on rock islands for more than four years, they are beautiful and not a nuisance.

 

[Reeferbadness]

kenya tree 10, blue clove polyps 12! GSP 8

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Kenya tree? Really? That one on the list surprised me. Some say pocilopora is a nuisance but when one spontaneously showed up in my tank, i welcomed it as i felt like it had to be a sign that my tank was finally being friendly to sps corals

 

[NeedAReef]

the people complaining about corals reproducing are the elitists....same ones complaining about "the people" reproducing...fact is those "nuisance" corals are the very ones that bring in new hobbyists.

 

[D'sreef]

the people complaining about corals reproducing are the elitists....same ones complaining about "the people" reproducing...fact is those "nuisance" corals are the very ones that bring in new hobbyists.

Oh I absolutely agree, I have had Fowlr tanks since the the 90s, but just started with corals a little of a year ago. I have absolutely fallen for softies. I have green palys, CPT jerks, Pandoras, GSP, Kenya trees, finger leathers, and a devils hand (that I am never sure it's doing well or not). I imagine that to someone who hates nuisance corals my tank looks like a plague.

 

[twentyleagues]

I think you are correct @D'sreef. The problem with the "nuisance" corals is that they grow well for most (I cant grow Xenia for the life of me) and quickly overpopulate. Once peoples taste in corals change and they can get some of those high-end nubs of sps to mostly survive they dont want the kenya tree spontaneously depositing babies near their new favorites or the zoas or gsp to over grow them. Some are easier to control than others. Purposely setting up your tank to house these corals along side of your new favs would require forethought and the knowledge that your tastes may change. I never liked kenya tree kinda boring, but zoas, gsp and pulsing xenia are still some of my favorite corals.

 

[EricR]

I think I need to rename my tank thread to "Nuisance Coral Habitat" or something like that:

 

[X-37B]

Depends on your definition of nuisance coral.
Disco mushrooms are the worst I have had.
They release land on another coral and kill them. My old 120 was overrun by them and I took it down because of them.

 

[D'sreef]

I think I need to rename my tank thread to "Nuisance Coral Habitat" or something like that:

Yeah mine is pretty much the same, Pandoras, mushrooms, palys, Kenya trees, and GSP. Great looking tank by the way