Kessil

Problems associated with mixed species tanks?

Gomer

Gomer

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I head about it from time to time where you shouldn't mix softies and LPS and SPS etc. I know that certain combos of LPS (I think the brains) + leathers don't mix well and is documented, but I haven't come across much on other stuff other then anecdotal information.

My frag tank has a bit of everything. various LPS, various SPS, various softies. Pretty much a zoo. Assuming I meet the nutrient and light and parameter demands of the species, is the whole concept of chemical warfare stunting something I should be worried about? Having never owned a dedicated LPS or SPS or softie tank, I have nothing to compare against.
 
Carbon is your friend, most of my service tanks are mixed and I don't have too many problems with chemical warfare, just the occasional stinging battle. I run carbon in a Phosban reactor on lot of my accounts, if I change it out frequently I don't see any trouble with growth.
 
Well having originally started (and by started I mean slowly migrated towards) a mixed tank, it's really hard to say "it's difficult" I mean I was a newbie as far as knowledge, went by inches of sand, watts per gallon, 10x turn over (WOW THAT'S A LOT!! :roll:). So my success (or lack there of it) might have had less to do with mixed species. However now I run a separate stony tank and soft tank, however you have a frag tank, which doesn't really count as a "reef tank" ;)

Now I think the big issue with mixed species is soft corals simply will grow faster than hard ones, LPS typically have a much more potent sting than any other coral, so you can't really keep them all on the same rock structure but your mileage might vary. With your frag tank this shouldn't be an issue. So like Jeremy says, carbon is your friend. That should take care of most ambient issues like chemicals in the water excreted by certain corals. I'd keep leathers out of your frag tank, but hey who grows out leather frags anyways?? ;)
 
lol. I grow out neon toadstools :p

Thanks for the feedback. I am running carbon now (and am about due for a carbon change)
 
What about skimming more/less which changes the amount of protein in your water? Hasn't that been linked to the ability to maintain certain corals or at least their color?
 
I skim but wish I had larger skimmer. The remora works great, but I think I just get a lot of junk in the water from the feeding etc.
 
wow so its a known fact that brains dont get along well with leathers? i have a huge toadstool leater in the center of my tank that i have placed a few brains around and they tend to die off. I thought it was a shipping thing. But damn. The leather i have is about 10-12in in diameter. Guess its time to find him a new home.
 
what do you mean when you say you are running carbon. you mean in your filter media? i mean, i have a fluval canister filter, and it has a carbon thing, and i always use that. is there something else i should be using too?
 
Its used to keep your phosphates down. I run a two little fish reactor off my sump, and I put both phosban and carbon in it. I change the media once a month. Early for the phosbane, but about right for the carbon. Its a nice little setup for under 100$ just need a rio 400 or 600.
 
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