Coral Compatibility? SPS and Softies?

[Sea Serpent]

Hi all,
I have just upgraded my lighting to 2 250 MH with 2 55w VHO actinics. I am really excited about finally being able to keep some sps corals. But, I have some beautiful lobophytum, sarcophyton, discoma and a sinularia which I have had for over a year under my pc lights. Eric Bornman's book says that they are very toxic and should not be kept with sps corals. Boy am I disappointed

. I don't want to give them up because they are gorgeous specimens, and I am already giving up my huge galexea and huge bubble coral for space considerations. Has anybody kept softies and sps coral together successfully? Wwould it help to run carbon to try to cut down the toxins? I guess you win some, you lose some, and some get rained out . . . But I want them ALL!!!

Thanks,
Sea Serpent

[ September 19, 2001: Message edited by: Sea Serpent ]

[ September 19, 2001: Message edited by: Sea Serpent ]

 

[Bob Gardner]

I keep both SPS,LPS and many soft corals together in my 200g reef and they sem o'k to me. I have had corals fighting each other and some have got burned but it's mostly been LPS burning others, not Soft corals causing the problem. I did once cut pieces of of an African tree coral and all of the fish didn't like it. in fact my shoal of Green Chromis all died but the others were o'k. I would suggest that you try it and see what happens. just ensure that the Soft corals do not touch the hard corals.

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, practically nobody limits themselves to just one type. I have always had a mix of sps and softies, with no particular problems. Well, actually the main problems have been green star polps growing over sps and mushrooms burning them- but I haven't detected any problems from compounds released by the softies.

Carbon would help to minimize the issue also.

 

[cubera]

Mixed reefs are more natural and most reefers I know keep a variety of corals together in captive systems. Borneman's advice should be considered very carefully. Try to keep more sensitive SPS upstream from more toxic soft corals and consider running high quality carbon periodically along with high efficiency skimming on mixed reefs and your problems will probably be more with SPS stinging each other rather than toxic effects on SPS from soft corals. Add slowly and observe carefully. HTH

 

[Anonymous]

Is that advice from Bournemann in the old book or the new one?

 

[Sea Serpent]

Thanks for all of your thoughtful replies - I think I will go for it and try to keep them together - I really like my toadstools . . I will run carbon occassionally to minimize the toxicity of the softies.
As for the reference, I have it right here in Eric Borneman's NEW book on page 112 under Husbandry Considerations.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>
"Some stony corals seem infinitely more sensitive to the chemicals produced by certain octocorals. . . . and it is in the coral keeper's interest to have soft corals and hard corals minimally intermixed, if at all." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I consider Eric Borneman to be an expert, but I value all of your advice very much because I can identify with all of you . . .and I have learned so much from this board.
Thanks!
Sea Serpent