Which corals can touch?

Ian Baxter · Jun 5, 2020

I have a bunch of corals on my frag racks that I would like to place on my rocks. I know LPS have sweepers that can sting other corals, so which corals can touch each other and be okay?

Current coral list:
Tons of diff zoas (I know they can touch)
Firework cloves
Orange acan lord
Rainbow acan lord
Acan echinata
Duncans
Indo gold hammer (already stung my Duncan)
Mummy Eye Chalace
Jack-o-lantern lepto
WWC Bizarro Cyphastrea
Blasto
Favia
Red montipora
Green Montipora
Rainbow ricordia shroom

I plan to add more Euphyllia in the future.

tsouth · Jun 5, 2020

Typically, assuming the corals are from the same Family, then some Species can touch, but not Genus.
Example:
Family = All Mushrooms: Ricordea, Discosoma, Rhodactis. Ricordea + Disco + Rhodactis is not okay.
Genus = Ricordea Florida + Ricordea Yuma is not okay.
Species = Ricordea Florida + Ricordea Florida is okay. Disco + disco is okay. Rho + rho is okay.

I would advise keeping safe distances between all corals while you figure this out. A little tip is to monitor your corals in the middle of the night after lights have been off for about an hour or two. You'll be able to see the distance of sweepers among corals. This will allow you to gauge their needed spaces for the long run.

PicassoClown04 · Jun 5, 2020

Euphyllia van and will burn the hell out of everything it touches. I know that there are cross breed of frogspawn and hammer but idk about touching each other. Hammer + hammer is okay for sure. Torches may not play nice. Acan lord+ acan lord is okay. Lord + enchinada = bad idea. Enchinata + anything = bad idea. Monti’s are fine together and clove wont hurt anything.

Ian Baxter · Jun 5, 2020

tsouth said:
Typically, assuming the corals are from the same Family, then some Species can touch, but not Genus.
Example:
Family = All Mushrooms: Ricordea, Discosoma, Rhodactis. Ricordea + Disco + Rhodactis is not okay.
Genus = Ricordea Florida + Ricordea Yuma is not okay.
Species = Ricordea Florida + Ricordea Florida is okay. Disco + disco is okay. Rho + rho is okay.

I would advise keeping safe distances between all corals while you figure this out. A little tip is to monitor your corals in the middle of the night after lights have been off for about an hour or two. You'll be able to see the distance of sweepers among corals. This will allow you to gauge their needed spaces for the long run.

This is very helpful. Definitely going to check them out at night. Thanks.

Ian Baxter · Jun 5, 2020

footgal said:
Euphyllia van and will burn the hell out of everything it touches. I know that there are cross breed of frogspawn and hammer but idk about touching each other. Hammer + hammer is okay for sure. Torches may not play nice. Acan lord+ acan lord is okay. Lord + enchinada = bad idea. Enchinata + anything = bad idea. Monti’s are fine together and clove wont hurt anything.

Yeah, my hammer almost burned the head on my Duncan. Half of it died off. I do want to get a big torch eventually, so it will need a ton of space then. Thanks.

Billdogg · Jun 5, 2020

tsouth said:
Typically, assuming the corals are from the same Family, then some Species can touch, but not Genus.
Example:
Family = All Mushrooms: Ricordea, Discosoma, Rhodactis. Ricordea + Disco + Rhodactis is not okay.
Genus = Ricordea Florida + Ricordea Yuma is not okay.
Species = Ricordea Florida + Ricordea Florida is okay. Disco + disco is okay. Rho + rho is okay.

I would advise keeping safe distances between all corals while you figure this out. A little tip is to monitor your corals in the middle of the night after lights have been off for about an hour or two. You'll be able to see the distance of sweepers among corals. This will allow you to gauge their needed spaces for the long run.

Get a red LED flashlight - the corals won't see the red light at night so you can view them without disturbing them.