A cluster of interacting coral.

I am continually fascinated by the goings-on in Joe Yaiullo’s massive aquarium. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this tank, and its mature age, 14+ years, allows for some dynamic interactions between coral species. I’m impressed with the way Joe is willing to push the envelope, and will often recreate coral combinations that have worked for him the past.

Several types of Stylophora nestled on top of Porites

Joe has found that in his tank, he can place Pocillopora and Stylophora directly on top of Porites. The different SPS seem to be equally matched; it prevents one coral from completely destroying the other, which can happen with many long-term coral interactions. These successful groupings may just provide you with inspiration as you aquascape your own aquarium.

Here is a close-up of the interactions between the Pocillopora and the Porites. There is small no-man’s land between them, yet neither is completely dominating

The picture on the right shows how the coral grew into each other and then died back a bit; the process worked to cement them together. I can spend all day staring into Joe’s tank and I always find interactions I’ve never noticed before. I look forward to sharing more of my observations with you in the future.