Mixing corals

[rthomas]

I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. I've heard its not a very good idea to mix softies, LPS with SPS. Any truth behind this.

I currently have Xenias, Open Brain, Claim, Frogspawn, Finger leather, green star polyp. I would like to add a couple of Acros and montis, maybe 4.

 

[returnofsid]

Even though mixing soft corals with SPS isn't a good idea, there's several of us who do it with no ill effect. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't say no ill effect because I'm sure it exists. I would guess that those of us who do it would probably have healthier SPS corals without the presence of the soft corals. The two you'll want to watch out for the most are the Finger Leather and GSP. These two are the most toxic towards SPS. To help the toxicity issue, you could run carbon in your sump on a regular basis. Also keeping any SPS "upstream" from soft corals can help.

 

[rthomas]

Great thanks. About the carbon in the sump how do you set something like this up? Thanks you

 

[returnofsid]

I use a filter sock in the sump. Make sure you clean it often or it'll become a nitrate trap.

 

[mmkeeper]

Make sure you keep some distance with your sps from the Frogspawn due to their sweepers that sting other corals.

 

[rthomas]

What about any suggestions on carbon reactors. I've heard about the Phosban reactor 150. Any other you woud suggest that would work in my sump/Refugium.

 

[dpaynter]

I have a mixed tank and run carbon all of the time. I use a Phosban Reactor and just fill it with carbon instead of putting in the Phosban media. I think any kind of canister filter would work.

If you are mixing softies and SPS, I would recommend active filtration (have water flow or be pumped through the carbon) instead of just having a passive bag of carbon laying in the sump.

 

[RockyHeap]

Ever dove in the real ocean?, mixed corals exist there all the time..........sometime watching the corals interact and have teritorial wars is half the fun of watching nature in the tank. Turf wars do exist, and it's survival of the fittest.

 

[returnofsid]

RockyHeap....if you've ever dove in the real ocean, you've noticed that mixed corals don't really exist there all the time. Usually you won't find Soft corals near SPS. In nature they require different water and lighting conditions. Also, GSP have been known to be able to kill SPS in the real ocean at a distance of 50 feet. You're talking millions of gallons of water in between the two and it still happens. Turf wars do exist in the ocean and it is survival of the fittest. However, in our tanks, that's not how it should work. In our tanks we don't have millions of gallons of water or thousands of pounds of natural rock for filtration and dilution. Instead, we have a small piece that we have to continuously work with just to keep it somewhat pure.

The idea of using carbon in a reactor would probably work. I've also used a Magnum Canister filter with no media other than Carbon. Works great and polishes up the water nicely as well.

 

[RockyHeap]

Happy bubbles

Yes I agree the open ocean and our reef tanks are two different worlds.

Here's a few of my many thousand dive photos showing the real underwater world and its density of life.

intermixed quite heavily as you can see.

The only rule, is there is no one set rule. Even every one of our reef tanks are different.

Enjoy the pictures. Welcome to fiji and Belize.

 

[RockyHeap]

Crowded and more crowded

Thought I'd share a couple more of my favorites pics.

The clam photo shows how close thing grow and crowd each other.

Awesome.

 

[returnofsid]

Wow, amazing pictures and I stand corrected. Beautiful!!

 

[rthomas]

Great pictures. Man I'd love to get involved in diving. Did it once in mexico with my wife. Thanks all

 

[packer]

As an ex Navy deepsea diver who spent 6 years on an icebreaker all over the world, diving as I went, I agree the ocean is packed with mixed life in all areas. But the main issue is the quantity of water to disperse the chemical output from the corals in defense. In our tanks it is sooooooo small in comparison. But running carbon does do a great trick to help with the chemical warfare. I run it in a canister filter as it is the easiest way to change it out for me, which should be done more often than less.

 

[gman0526]

Open water vs. Closed system, that's all there is to it.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

I agree with Gman. Its about dilution... massive dilution. Which we do not have in aquaria.

I have been keeping, watching, traveling to see reef aquaria all over the world for over 20 years now... and mixed aquaria rarely work long term (3+ years) undisturbed. The few success stories always have an explanation (tanks moves that required massive water changes, etc)

Most folks will try this and things will look good for 12-18 months before not -so-mysterious "mystery" deaths start occurring.'

Our tanks are toxic soup for noxious corals and algae unless we do extraordinary jobs with large and frequent water changes.

Please focus on biotope tanks if not species tanks for best results.

 

[mmn_usn]

I know that I have both in my tank.. and they seem to get along... I also have seen another tank in the NW area that has both in very close proximity and the tank look wonderful.

On another note... and I don't mean to thread jump.. but Mr. Calfo... could you lend me some guidance (http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30979)

 

[BradB]

I have heard about this a lot, but seen a lot of successful tanks that mix softies and SPS and LPS. I have never heard first hand of anyone with a nice tank adding a "different" coral and having trouble, or removing their leathers and suddenly the SPS do better. The bottom line is there is a lot we don't know, each individual coral is different, and either you play it safe or give it a try.

 

[BradB]

I will 2nd Anthony (I posted before I saw his) that I am not aware of anyone running this kind of mix successfully for 3+ years. But this could be just my limited experience - not many people do this, and not many people run systems for 3+ years without changing what they keep.