Quick Q

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I have a Zoa polyp that has pop out of a rock near a staghorn.

When it comes to chemical warfare, which coral is more lethal and who will ultimately win ?
 
I would put my money on the zoanthid. But it seems more likely that they'll reach a "standoff"... i.e. I don't think there will be one out-right winner. In any case, I'd kill the zoanthid unless you like watching corals fight (but I know I do).
 
Ditto Sarah & Bob. Also keep in mind, Keep your softies and LPS away from your SPS. SPS are delicate, and will be stung by them.
Also make sure, should you have a SPS above the aqua scaping and a softie or LPS below it, make sure it is stuck well. Should the SPS fall on the LPS or Softie, it will kill all/most of the SPS.
 
To kill is against I believe....... Even if its just a zooanthid.....

There will definitely be a competition for real estate, but whether that justifies killing the zoanthid is another question all together. The zoanthid will attempt to attack the sps by digesting tissue around the base with mesenterial filaments, followed by asexual budding onto any skeletal structure it has freed up for its clones. The rate at which this occurs can of course be slowed by ensuring the zoanthid is up stream from the sps.

The sps is aware of its chemical defenses being ineffective against that of the zooanthid, so it will not even bother entering into a chemical war. It will react by means of physical warfare, i.e. growth. If you provide the correct conditions for sps growth, sps will grow faster than the xooanthid can multiply. It will sacrifice basal encrustment (as it knows it will loose that fight) for vertical growth. Once it has grown to a sufficient height and aquired enough "mass" to ensure its survival, it will focus energy on physically combatting the zooanthid. It will grow branches above the zooanthid, attempting to overshadow it, effectively starving it from light needed for photosynthesis = energy = asexual reproduction. As it shadows itself and the zooanthids, the zoanthids should cease the attempt to encrust the upright stalk (as it is a rather uncomforatble position for zooanthids to grow, think orientation towards light source) and they will spread away from the encroaching shadow.......

So instead of worrying about who to kill, rather make the best of the situation and use their instinctive competitive behaviour to your advantage. Competition will lead to increased growth rate in both parties. Once the sps has grown to a height where you can comforatbly frag it, do so, as by that time you should have a small colony of zooanthids......
 
Now this is what I like to ear, Thanks Ivan.

PS: The Stag is one of your frags

528496e5bded74ef.jpg
 
Killing in the name of

If you are referring to the zooanthids in the pic, You have really nothing to worry about for quite some time...... Or should I say the zooanthids have nothing to worry about.......
 
:)
 
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