Candy Cane placement    2/24/12
Hello WWW Crew,
I just had a quick rather simple question, which i thought i would be able to find answers to everywhere but haven't been able to. I was wondering if it was safe to put candy cane corals next to other candy cane corals with out resulting in war and death?
<Mmm, this and other Faviids are more easily crowded than other groups of Cnidarians... I'd rate overall allelopathogenic effects amongst them in the lower half... but IF stressed, compromised, there can be real trouble>
my tank has become pretty stocked with corals and finding space has become more difficult (yes i know i need a bigger tank) so i started grouping certain kinds of coral closer to each other that wont harm each other i.e.: my hammers are next to all the other hammers (really pretty with all the colors) frog spawn is next to frog spawn and many torches next to each other and even touching each other now.
<Caryophylliids/Euphylliids are found as such in the wild at times,
places... but there is of course open circulation there>
i have found information regarding pretty much all of my corals except this particular question.
right now i have a huge candy cane colony  and a frag of 2 heads right next to each other, i do not want to kill the frag.
<Oh! If these are genetically identical, there is much less likelihood of chemical trouble amongst them>
thanks!
Bill
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Candy Cane placement    2/24/12
"Oh! If these are genetically identical, there is much less likelihood of chemical trouble amongst them"  -which I figured but since they are different colors would that make them genetically different enough to where It would be an issue?
<Not an issue... colour largely a function of captive conditions...>
Thanks a lot for the quick response
<Welcome. B>

War declared, Scler. incomp.   1/26/11
Hi Crew,
I have a Candycane (brown with blue centers) with about 30 heads and it is at least 3 years in my tank. Next to it are some blue and grey colored ones that have been there over a year. I used to have a Frogspawn to its left but recently replaced it with a Hammer.
<How introduced? These corals, genera, families don't "play well together" unless slowly acclimated to each other>
Lately I noticed some head dying on my blue and grey Candycanes. It just looked like something stripped the flesh off the head. The past few morning I have noticed some long sweeper tentacles on the brown with blue Candycane. Are they the culprit. And why after all this time would they declare war.
Thanks,
Sam
<Very likely so. Do read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
and here: http://wetwebmedia.com/corlcompfaqs.htm
and: http://wetwebmedia.com/carycompfaqs.htm
and.... : http://wetwebmedia.com/faviidcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above each... Do you have an understanding here? Bob Fenner>
Re: War declared  1/26/11
Yes, I understand and have read these before but I guess I needed a refresher.
Thanks,
Sam
<Heeeeee! BobF>

LPS questions, Faviid hlth. f'    5/23/10
Hello again, I recently bought a candy coral about three weeks ago along with some mushrooms and a polyp I cannot identify. My mushrooms and polyps are doing fine and starting to open up but my candy coral has yet to
extend it's feeders.
<Likely mal-affected by the Corallimorphs>
My tank is a 29 gallon with 96w of t5 12k and 28w of actinics for the lighting I run the actinics for 10 hours and the 12k for 8 hours the actinics coming on an hour early and going off an hour later. I have a Coralife super skimmer the 65 gallon model, I know you prefer a remora so would I if I wasn't a college student and father of six. My water
conditions are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, ph 8.3, sg 1.025, calcium 420, dKH 12, temp 79, and flow rate is around 550 gph the majority of which is pointed away from the mushrooms and candy coral. I do 5 gallon water changes every week and I also dose with iodide and magnesium. The candy coral in question is about 14 inches from the light maybe a little more. Am I giving him to little or too much light is he still adjusting, I know many only come out at night but I have come out with a flashlight at all hours and never seen even one polyp open.
<Good observation>
I have however seen him secret the brown stringy mucus from his polyps that is used algae correct?
<Possibly>
I do run carbon only through my canister filter and clean it every time I do a water change.
<Good>
I also only use RO/DI water I have a four inch sand bed. I know these animals are not completely photosynthetic and I worry that I have not been able to feed him.
I have tried coaxing him out with a turkey baster with Mysis and with brine shrimp. He seems healthy from what I can tell other than he does not open he has 14 good sized polyps and it seems strange that not one has opened. I
have however seen him swell up at night but no feeders any input would be greatly appreciated. Sorry about all of the info on my tank but I didn't know how much you need. Thank you
<Mmm, well... IF you had another established system, or a friend who did, I'd move the Faviid... Do read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
and the linked "Compatibility" FAQs files re 'Shrooms above. There are some other aspects of care that may be employed to reduce probable allelopathy here. Bob Fenner>

Re: LPS questions... Faviids, allelopathy f's   5/24/10
OK, thank you for the linked pages I think I may have messed up. I used to have a bubble tip anemone but found a new home for it after learning that it needs a larger system than the one I own. This anemone has been gone for
about a month but the rock that was his home is the same rock that I attached my candy coral frags to. I noticed before that all of the algae on this rock had died and is slowly returning. After reading about the toxins these animals produce in the linked pages I cant help but wonder if there are still traces of these chemicals on and in this piece of rock.
<Mmm, possibly>
As I said my mushrooms and polyps are doing very well and I got them at the same time I got my candy coral.
<They "win" over Faviids chemically>
If my suspicions are correct other than using ozone is there any other way I might be able to detoxify my system from this anemone.
<Carbon, water changes, time going by>
I don't want to do anything I am unsure of and any input would be much appreciated. Thank you again for all of your assistance.
<Welcome. BobF> 

Crab and Candycane comp.  - 08/27/07 Hi Crew, Yesterday I noticed something on my Candycane. In between the outer brown and the inner green it looked like something got caught on there. So I took a tweezers and it lifted right out but it came out swinging. It is (was) tiny and I doubt if I could have presented a good picture. I usually let things, that I find in the tank, live. But my gut feeling was that this was a bad guy, at least for my Candycane, so my tweezers crunched the perpetrator. It looked like a miniature crab. I do not recall reading about any Candycane pests. I have this candy cane a couple years. But recently I took in a large colony from someone since it was deteriorating in his tank. Maybe it is infected with this pest. I have not found any more yet. Right now the bright green center of the head that had the crab does not look bright and is not very green. The mouth is a large hole and is how many of the heads look in the colony that I took in. Aside for keeping my eyes open for more of these creatures is there anything I should do? Would it be useful to do a freshwater dip to force out any more of these creatures? <Naw, don't do that. It won't help and would probably just stress out the coral.> I did not quarantine the sick Candycane because it came from a tank that is much better than mine and my thought was that the other corals were causing it to decline. <Well, quarantining has nothing to do with how well the tank it came from is/was doing. But anyway… very few crabs reproduce readily in aquariums. So even if this "crab" is a pest, if it's actually a crab, I wouldn't worry about it multiplying. Also, you never know if the crab caused the coral's problems or if it simply took advantage of the coral's decline. Just keep an eye on the coral. If it doesn't recover, then you might have to think more about why it's suffering.> Thanks <De nada, Sara M.>

Brain Coral Stinging BTA?    11/4/06 Have searched around the site (SO MUCH INFO - THANKS) and can't find an answer to this one. I recently got a rose BTA and he found a spot one day later that he liked and has stayed there for three days. It happens to be right behind and slightly under my Brain Worm Platygyra Coral. When I try to spot feed the anemone (clowns aren't paying any attention to him),<for some reason I haven't had any luck with clownfish and rose BTA's either!> the brain's sweepers inevitably come out. I was worried about the proximity for both their sakes,<I would be too!> and today my anemone looks completely shrunken and BAD. Is the brain stinging the anemone? I know brains can sting other corals, but was afraid to move the anemone since he seems happy there (although the spot he lives in is extremely hard for me to reach for feeding - I can only shoot some shrimp in his general direction and hope he catches it - can't spot feed directly in his center due to awkward location). Do I 1) move the brain to another spot; 2) move the rock that the anemone is attached to for easier feeding/safety; 3) leave them alone because something else is wrong with my anemone (like he's not getting the food). All advice appreciated! Thanks so much! Have gotten so much great advice from your FAQs for everything I do. <I would move the brain since it would be more difficult to move the anemone, try feeding him and hopefully he will perk back up!, IanB> Surrogate Anemone? - 07/12/06 Dear Crew, <<Hello Gerald>> I have a clownfish which has taken up commensal residence in an open brain coral, seemingly mistaking it for an anemone.  I have searched the literature but have found no examples of this behavior. Is it uncommon? <<Not at all...I have seen/read about such behavior many times.  But some corals are more tolerant of this than others, do keep an eye on the brain for any signs of damage/stress from the clown's attentions>> Thanks, Gerald <<Quite welcome, EricR>>

The tiniest crab?? ever inside a candy cane coral   4/6/06 I just bought a white/extra gum green candy cane coral and just noticed a small hole in the tissue and what appears to be a very tiny   crab in it (approx. 3mm) is this uncommon and a reason for concern?  I am a wee bit worried- how will I remove the crab if needed? thank you, Russell Thomas <Common (though not often observed) and not a problem... though semi-parasitic in nature, these two organisms live together in the wild. Bob Fenner> Candy Cane and Small White Crab 10/22/05 Hi, <<Hello Ed, Ted here>> I have a candy cane coral in which there are three polyps that have a small crab living within the polyp. The crab is white and about 1/8 of an inch long. The polyp still seems healthy but there is an indent where the polyp has reshaped and the crab is sitting in. I called the LFS but they have never heard of it. Do you know if these crabs will eventually kill the polyp or if they have some type of symbiotic relationship? <<From the description, your candy cane may have Gall Crabs. I have found conflicting information on them with some recommending removal if you can do so without hurting the coral and others suggesting that if the polyps seem normal and feed to leave it be. In my opinion, if you can remove the crab without harming the coral, do so otherwise observe and hope for the best.>> Thanks, Ed <<You're welcome and good luck - Ted>> 

What is my Candy shrimp doing to the mushroom coral? Hi Bob, <Steven Pro in this morning.> I'm a new hobbyist and I have noticed that my Candy shrimp is climbing over my mushroom coral. This does not look good as the coral curls up and lets off a lot of white stringy stuff. It looks like the shrimp is feeding but I need to know if this will damage the coral? <Yes on both accounts, feeding and damage. Try target feeding the shrimp to see if it will leave your mushrooms alone. Many of the crustaceans we keep are capable and willing to eat our other inverts if hungry enough.> Please enlighten me as to what is going on. Many thanks, Dave <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Cladacora- Solitary Cup Corals (Gulf Rock) hello how are you doing today <very well with thanks and hope that you are the same> I found two Cladacora on my live rock I cant find any info I really only need to know if they can sting coral  <they are only weakly aggressive and more likely to suffer in combat with most corals in the trade> I added a new leather coral and I noticed the Cladacora sweeping real close to my leather so please let me know if I should move it some where else <the sweepers are out in defense.. not to attack per se. Do pamper/protect these Cladacora... they are more delicate and harder to come by> thank you for your valuable time once again <best regards, Anthony>

Caulastrea bouquet Hi I'm just wondering if various Caulastrea colonies (aka trumpet, candy cane, etc.) will sting each other or whether I can safely place them in multi-color bunches. Thanks in advance! Adam <they cannot be blended in a bouquet and service long-term, my friend. These "colors" are different species and intolerant of each other. Aggression is not always apparent for the first few weeks/months, but one or both colonies will suffer in time. Best regards, Anthony>

Faviid eating hermit crab! LPS with a big appetite 3/16/02 Woke up this morning and found that my Faviid had found some dinner. Cant believe that there mouth can open so wide. There goes one of my blue legged crabs. <yikes... cool picture though. Shawn... I'd like to use this picture with your permission in a future presentation or article perhaps. If you would be willing to give your permission, could I trouble you to send the original (full-sized) image to me at [email protected] and copy it to here as well in case Bob would like to post/use it? If that suits you, please also include your full name as you would like to have it cited for credit (and an address to mail any possible printed copy to). No worries if you cannot share it, my friend. A very cool shot... indeed large zooplankton <G>. Expensive too if it becomes a habit... Ha! Best regards, Anthony>