SPS vs. Leather? Huh?

[kernyboy]

I have a mixed reef tank with a bunch of polyps, an a few pieces of leather coral. I recently started adding more SPS coral. I've noticed my leather corals not extending their polyps. Are they fighting? Any advice? Can one not have leather and SPS together in one tank?

I read on the SPS board about this...and my leathers and SPS have room between each other...none are touching. I have a 30 gallon tank and all my water params are on point. What gives?

[Rae C.]

SOmetimes leathers just rest for a couple days. How long have they been on strike?

I've got a macropora and two large leathers, neither one bothers the other, 2+ years.

[greggnyce]

If you are worried about chemical warfare, run some carbon it will take the toxins out.

[kernyboy]

how long should i run carbon for? a couple hours? couple days?

[lvpd186]

I have a mixed reef tank, with both sps and leathers. I run carbon 24/7 and it seems to keep any of the chemical warfare under control.

[crvz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13816881#post13816881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kernyboy
how long should i run carbon for? a couple hours? couple days?

Carbon can be run (better in a small reactor, such as a phosban) 24/7, but it's effectiveness is limited to about a week or two at most. I'd swap it out twice a month if you're planning on using it for the reasons above.

[E.intheC]

When you mentioned the distance, it is mostly for corals that have sweeper tentacles that can sting.. (like my beloved frogspawn). I would add carbon and Polyfilter to help with the chemical warfare which will happen. Softies are typically pretty noxious

[tmz]

Leather corals give off alelopathic metabolites which are toxic to other corals particualrly sps. This is worse if they are very close to one another. Carbon will remove many of these if used 24/7 and changed at least every 3 weeks.