Pocillopora gone rogue

[Calm Blue Ocean]

A few days ago, I had a pocillopora frag (yes it has totally encrusted that frag plug and is even growing on the underside of the frag rack) make contact with a monti cap on the same frag rack and it pretty much melted the monti where it made contact.

I moved the monti but the poci has been really weird ever since, sending out wild tentacles every evening. I've never seen one of my poci's do anything like it, it's almost like it's been on a seek and destroy mission ever since it had a taste of monti cap! It seems to be able to reach further each night.

Is this normal behavior for regular green pocillopora? The picture doesn't really show the extent of its reach (at times it can about touch the next frag plug over). It's only doing it in the area where it had made contact with the monti, the rest of the coral is its usual green shag carpet.

I'll say one thing, it's motivated me to maybe scrape it off the frag rack before it takes over the world!

 

[phillybean]

As someone who is struggling with it taking over the entire tank, I recommend burning it with fire.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

As someone who is struggling with it taking over the entire tank, I recommend burning it with fire.

Funny I was just having a similar thought. ;Hilarious

I knew they could have aggressive growth (my frag rack would agree) but had no idea they could also be just plain aggressive. Not just an easy SPS after all.

 

[flagg37]

I’ve heard some pocillopora grow very quickly like you’re seeing but the one I had was more reasonable and didn’t have any problems. I think it just depends on the particular strain.

 

[phillybean]

It's not the growth that is really the issue with this coral, that can be managed by fragging, it's when it spawns or has Polyp bail out and spreads thru out the tank. I've read different thoughts on if it is spawning or Polyp bail out, doesn't really matter how, but I literally have at least a hundred various sized "frags", some of which sting other corals, others that lose the battle, but all of them a pain in the butt.

 

[Matthew varble]

I may absolutely be wrong, but from the picture I see, it looks closer to galaxia than it does pocillopora.
in saying that, I just took out a colony the size of a basketball, and have noticed 100s everywhere. One actually destroyed my wavemaker blade by growing inside and breaking the gyre fan.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I may absolutely be wrong, but from the picture I see, it looks closer to galaxia than it does pocillopora.
in saying that, I just took out a colony the size of a basketball, and have noticed 100s everywhere. One actually destroyed my wavemaker blade by growing inside and breaking the gyre fan.

This is what used to be attached to the frag plug (pouting a bit since I just fed the tank). It started from a tiny nub that encrusted before starting to grow up. It came in an order of horribly damaged corals (cold and leaking) so a few coral IDs were guessing (sometimes hard to tell one white skeleton from another) but I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be the green pocillopora. Definitely correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pocci is a tough coral and should recover. The tentacles may be feeders.

 

[Spieg]

One of the most invasive corals ever. I'd get rid of it ASAP.

 

[sfin52]

A few days ago, I had a pocillopora frag (yes it has totally encrusted that frag plug and is even growing on the underside of the frag rack) make contact with a monti cap on the same frag rack and it pretty much melted the monti where it made contact.

I moved the monti but the poci has been really weird ever since, sending out wild tentacles every evening. I've never seen one of my poci's do anything like it, it's almost like it's been on a seek and destroy mission ever since it had a taste of monti cap! It seems to be able to reach further each night.

Is this normal behavior for regular green pocillopora? The picture doesn't really show the extent of its reach (at times it can about touch the next frag plug over). It's only doing it in the area where it had made contact with the monti, the rest of the coral is its usual green shag carpet.

I'll say one thing, it's motivated me to maybe scrape it off the frag rack before it takes over the world!

Yes they have sweepers hopefully your monti will recover. My green digi got hammered by a hydrophora and made complete recovery.

My pocillopora just nuked a fireworks clove frag. It did the exact same thing with sweepers.

 

[sfin52]

@Calm Blue Ocean what type of monti was it.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

@Calm Blue Ocean what type of monti was it.

RRC Red Roses Monti Cap which is fortunately a good grower for me. Not too much harm done, it just caught an edge, but the part it touched was destroyed.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Yes they have sweepers hopefully your monti will recover. My green digi got hammered by a hydrophora and made complete recovery.

My pocillopora just nuked a fireworks clove frag. It did the exact same thing with sweepers.

Did it eventually calm down and rein in the sweepers? It's been days and the darn thing is still waving like mad.

 

[jp_75]

Get rid of it while you can. It grows everywhere in my tank! WEED!!! Very hard to rid of….

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Get rid of it while you can. It grows everywhere in my tank! WEED!!! Very hard to rid of….

Definitely having concerns about invasiveness but the side curiosity is whether or not it's going to eventually stop waving the sweepers around or if making contact with an enemy coral "flipped a switch" so to speak. All worries aside it's been fascinating to watch.

 

[sfin52]

Definitely having concerns about invasiveness but the side curiosity is whether or not it's going to eventually stop waving the sweepers around or if making contact with an enemy coral "flipped a switch" so to speak. All worries aside it's been fascinating to watch.

Move corals away from it. It will calm down

 

[sfin52]

RRC Red Roses Monti Cap which is fortunately a good grower for me. Not too much harm done, it just caught an edge, but the part it touched was destroyed.

It may come back

A few months later

 

[Ancient Mariner]

I have 11 Pocillopora colonies! It’ll be fine . It won’t take over the world.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

It may come back

A few months later

Wow, that's some warfare!!! Interestingly enough, I noticed the illegal contact because the monti was sliming like crazy but yours is on a much larger scale! It's only been days but the monti is already showing new growth in the area of the damage. Wish I could make other montis grow but that's another story!

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Get rid of it while you can. It grows everywhere in my tank! WEED!!! Very hard to rid of….

Would you suggest i get rid of all my Pocillopora? Check out my build thread. I appreciate your opinion.