SPS touching softies questions??

[duganderson]

I have several SPS (3 birdnests, 3 monti digi, 1 monti cap, and 1 red planet)on my rockwork on my 28 cube. I would like to fill in the space betweent the SPS with softies (ricordia, leathers, toadstool leather, zoas, palys) and photosynthetic gorgonians.

Which softies or gorgonians are OK to touch SPS as they grow and which ones are not.

If SPS and softies or gorgonians touch, what happens? If they fight, who wins?

[footballdude2k3]

softies will usually win, I wouldn't try what you want personally. I know that rock is kinda annoying, but give it some time and the SPS will grow out.

[duganderson]

softies will usually win, I wouldn't try what you want personally. I know that rock is kinda annoying, but give it some time and the SPS will grow out.

Do softies tend to win because they are touching at the middle or top of the coral OR because the softie encrusts onto the sps near the rock?

[AdamSabina]

softies will usually win, I wouldn't try what you want personally. I know that rock is kinda annoying, but give it some time and the SPS will grow out.

Even gorgonians?

[ros_sco]

I have an Ora Grubes gorgonian bouncing against my Chip's Acro with no trouble so far

[NewbyReefer]

I would say you would be okay with some zoa's and paly's. If they look like they are going to start growing over your SPS just cut them back.

[Bpb]

Softies will normally win via nematocysts and chemical warfare. Most sps have defensive abilities of their own but by and large softies are alot tougher and more potent. Unless you're talking about hydnophora. That kills all...except pulsing Xenia.

[duganderson]

Any other sofites, in addition to zoas and palys that may be OK close to SPS?

[AdamSabina]

My local fish store As a large quantity of blue Star polyps. They don't seem to bother anything. They're very small

[NewbyReefer]

Any other sofites, in addition to zoas and palys that may be OK close to SPS?

Don't know if you have ever concidered LPS but I have some acans near some digi with no ill affect. Acans aren't the fastes of growers and don't have crazy long sweepers as other LPS.

[homegrowncichli]

Agree
mushrooms and ricordia will sting and clear the sps, but won't kill the whole coral, just where there is contact. Zoos and palyzoas are OK, but they do need to be trimmed back otherwise they over grow the base of the SPS.

[duganderson]

Don't know if you have ever concidered LPS but I have some acans near some digi with no ill affect. Acans aren't the fastes of growers and don't have crazy long sweepers as other LPS.

Yes, I'm planning to add some LPS too. I just bought a nice Duncan. I've considered acans and am open to other colorful lps.

Agree
mushrooms and ricordia will sting and clear the sps, but won't kill the whole coral, just where there is contact. Zoos and palyzoas are OK, but they do need to be trimmed back otherwise they over grow the base of the SPS.

How do you effectively trim them back? Don't they just grow back right away?

[Duna_]

I cut the zoas with a small part of the rock when are really close to the SPS (touching the base) and they don't grow for a month or so.

I had an acro frag that fell over a small piece of eagle-eye zoas for four hours and almost destroyed them. They melted and it's taken more than a week to recover.

Trachyphyllia can also touch other LPS and zoas with no problem. Acans, too.

[homegrowncichli]

Acans are actually pretty agressive to neighbors, once they feel someone, they'll sting them from inside the mouth, and the tenticles somehow work they way over to the neighbor and attacks.

[miggs76]

I wouldn't add a leather to such a small tank. I removed my toadstool from my 60 gallon and saw that my sps are now doing much better.