Noob question about corals growing into each other

[The_Skrimp]

Hi folks.
My tank is finally growing in to the point where I have to start worrying about corals growing into each other. Since this is my first go at this I wondered what would you guys do in this situation? Any suggestions?

The first is an acan echinata that is right next to a RBTA. I love where they both are and my clownfish call this nem home. Is it safe to leave these alone hoping they’ll settle next to each other or should I start thinking about moving one? You can see where the nem is already stinging the acan on the bottom left. I don’t want it to die so I’ll move the rock it’s on if I absolutely have to.

Next this monti cap is starting to grow into my hammer. They’re about an inch away from eachother now and the monti seems to want to grow in that direction. Should I frag a chunk off of the monti? Will one kill the other or will they eventually start growing in different directions?

Finally, I have a few acans and stilos/birdsnests up top that you can see in the previous photo. They haven’t grown into each other yet but when they do how close can I let them get before having to frag them?

thanks so much for the info!

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

That bubble tip will probably end up killing the acan if you don’t move it. Nems are the king of coral wars

 

[Thor2j]

The hammer will kill the ends of the monti cap as well turning the touched area white.

 

[The_Skrimp]

Thanks for the responses. That’s about what i figured for the acan and nem. I’ll move one of them tomorrow.

any tips on getting a clean frag off of that montipora? I was thinking of using one of my scraper blades to press against it and chip it off using some pressure.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Thanks for the responses. That’s about what i figured for the acan and nem. I’ll move one of them tomorrow.

any tips on getting a clean frag off of that montipora? I was thinking of using one of my scraper blades to press against it and chip it off using some pressure.

I wouldn’t move the nem. It’ll just move itself back if that’s the spot it likes. Best to leave them where they settle

 

[Dom]

On the open reefs in our oceans, no one is there to make sure nothing gets in the way of anything else. I have corals growing into each other and never worried about it.

Let it be and allow things to happen as they would ing the wild.

 

[The_Skrimp]

I usually take that approach @Dom

Thanks for the responses and advice everyone.
I was able to flip the rock with the acan around. I think I’ll leave the monti for now and see how it grows. I’m worried about shattering it trying to frag it. I should still have a little while before it becomes a problem. Thanks again folks.

 

[muzikalmatt]

On the open reefs in our oceans, no one is there to make sure nothing gets in the way of anything else. I have corals growing into each other and never worried about it.

Let it be and allow things to happen as they would ing the wild.

While I personally like and use this approach for the most part, it will eventually result in coral damage or loss. I've actually enjoyed watching things play out in my tank as this my first reef tank and it's helping me learn a lot about coral growth habits.

However, if you have expensive corals that you're not looking to lose, you should definitely be proactive when it comes to pruning and/or moving your corals.

The other posters are spot-on for who would win these coral battles. The acan should be easy to move and you can just frag back to Monte. They are fast-growing anyways.

 

[Dom]

 

[PeterC99]

The issue with an aquarium is that it’s a defined space. If corals are not moved/pruned back then a domino effect occurs:

Corals on top of the aquarium grow large and block light from lower corals

Certain corals will kill other corals

The aquascape will get overrun by the dominant corals.

 

[Dom]

The issue with an aquarium is that it’s a defined space. If corals are not moved/pruned back then a domino effect occurs:

Corals on top of the aquarium grow large and block light from lower corals

Certain corals will kill other corals

The aquascape will get overrun by the dominant corals.

I find this to be true.

A few years ago, I purchased a 1" square of Zoa. Eventually it carpeted the bottom of the tank in which it was placed.

It became a pest and was necessary for me to cut it up and remove some.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The issue with an aquarium is that it’s a defined space. If corals are not moved/pruned back then a domino effect occurs:

Corals on top of the aquarium grow large and block light from lower corals

Certain corals will kill other corals

The aquascape will get overrun by the dominant corals.

I agree. In the wild, evolution has eliminated the corals which are not compatible with corals in that area, it looks like they grow together peacefully, but thats thousands of years of evolution. In our tanks where we mix and match, we have to be mindful.

 

[Billdogg]

I let the corals decide who the winner will be and who will have to start going another direction. IMHO, it looks way more natural than a bunch of carefully spaced flowers in an arrangement.