Toxic coral warfare???

[rook]

Howdy all.
I have a question for all of you sps keepers and knowledge reef keepers.
I have been reading quite a bit about certain soft corals, and supposedly certain large polyp stonies that emit toxins into our tanks that can harm and potentially kill small polyp stonies, and certain large polyp stonies, and potentially fish an invertabrates.
Since I don't know a great deal about this, as I am just learning about it now, I will just leave the question open and hopefully start up a discussion about what is going on with this and how much is really true.
So, any one have any thoughts on this??

 

[bang guy]

All of the softies have some form of defense ranging from nematocysts that require direct contact to toxins that can be carried downstream.
Most LPS have sweeper tentacles packed with nematocycts that can kill on contact. I don't know of any that emit toxins but I don't doubt it's possible.

 

[rook]

Do you, or do you know anyone who keeps a mixed reef successfully with sps/lps/softies? BTW, I mean well over a year, if not longer.
I currently have a mixed reef, but now I am thinking maybe I should rethink my corals collection and sell off the leathers so they wont effect my sps/lps.

 

[rook]

I asked Eric and he said the research really has not been done for sun corals to really say they emit a toxic that will effect your corals or not. But many kinds of leathers and other types of softcorals do. Supposedly the effect may be hard to even dectect. Such as the coral just not growing as well as it should, or as drastic as tissue damage, rtn, and death of the coral. Also, fish and inverts can supposedly be effected inadvertantly by the chemicals.
Supposedly.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Rook
Supposedly.
Anything Eric says about corals should be taken as fact IMO.
I have a mix of softies and Stonies. I also have a large volume of water to dilute any toxins.

 

[rook]

Originally posted by Bang Guy
Anything Eric says about corals should be taken as fact IMO.

Agreed, but even he himself told me that this is still not entirely understood and he is not sure about the effects of all of them.
I have a mix of softies and Stonies. I also have a large volume of water to dilute any toxins.
What types of softies? Leathers? How much water do you have? Eric also said that you might have negative effects and not even realize it. The effects could be a little as stunted coral growth.
Do you think that having leathers mixed with stonies (large and small polyp) is not a good idea, and maybe I should remove them from my tank??
I do have a galaxea coral (not sure if that is a stony) this is receeding, but I have not really seen any other effects.

 

[bang guy]

I have neon green Nepthia, Yellow Sarcophyton, Xenia, and a few others as well as a ton of mushrooms and polyps. My water volumes are listed in my signature, about 1000 gallons of water.
Galaxia is a stony LPS. If it's not doing well I would look at light (moderate-high), current (moderate), temp (80-85), and Salinity (35-36ppt).

 

[nm reef]

I keep a large assortment of LPS corals...several leathers...xenia...colt....numerous polyps and assorted 'shrooms...even a few successful SPS types...all this in a 55 reef with a 20 gal volume sump and an additional 60-70 gal volume in the refugium.
I've heard of the "potential" for toxins and such...but I've also heard that a heavy/random circulation/current combined with adaquate filtration and a good skimmer will help prevent or reduce the potential for chemical/toxin warfare causing damage. I also run carbon once a month for a few days to help clean up any toxins that may be causing problems. Soi far I've not seen indication that the guys ain't playin friendly...except for the damage to my favia from the stingers of my trumpet coral....now that got uuuuuuuugly. They just couldn't get along. Come to think of it the sweepers from my torch and hammer and bubble always are looking to kick butt of neighboring corals.