Acropora Encroachment

AKL1950 · Jun 14, 2023

Question on Acro encroachment. I’ve got one on steroids and it’s outgrowing the ones around it. If it keeps encrusting at its current rate, it will be touching the ones around it with its base In a few months. What are some options, or do I just not worry about it and see what happens. It’s started growing vertical in the last month, so does that mean it will stop spreading? I think it’s a plating Acro and I was hoping it would plate toward the back of the tank which is where most of the new vertical growth is. Should I move it’s neighbors?

Sisterlimonpot · Jun 14, 2023

It's hard to provide a definitive answer to this because the acros can act differently in these circumstances.

There are a few things that can happen. One, they will grow together and set boundaries without harming the other. Two, one acro will be the dominant one and sting the other to the point there is local die off, or worst case, it can spread throughout killing the acro completely. Three, they will sense each other and keep their distance.

There are a few things you can do. Let nature take its course or you can step in and use kalk paste to kill off the spreading encrustation while constantly monitoring it.

I tend to take the natural approach and allow the chips fall where they may. But that also means that I've lost quite a few colonies of acros because of this. While it seems in my experience that most of them live in harmony, there are some exceptions to that.

AKL1950 · Jun 14, 2023

Sisterlimonpot said:
It's hard to provide a definitive answer to this because the acros can act differently in these circumstances.

There are a few things that can happen. One, they will grow together and set boundaries without harming the other. Two, one acro will be the dominant one and sting the other to the point there is local die off, or worst case, it can spread throughout killing the acro completely. Three, they will sense each other and keep their distance.

There are a few things you can do. Let nature take its course or you can step in and use kalk paste to kill off the spreading encrustation while constantly monitoring it.

I tend to take the natural approach and allow the chips fall where they may. But that also means that I've lost quite a few colonies of acros because of this. While it seems in my experience that most of them live in harmony, there are some exceptions to that.

I’ve heard of some putting up a barrier with tile to try and stop the progression toward a neighbor. Have you ever tried that. Basically make the intruder go vertical.