Chalice Reaks Havoc?

[nvrEnuf]

So I leave town last Thursday to a clean, well prepped tank due to return on Sunday. Only one feeding anticipated Saturday morning.

Get home Sunday about noon and can't figgure out why %75 of my zoa colonies are %75 closed up (why are watermelons so tough?) and %50 of my Torch is withdrawn.

Took me a day to figgure it out; or at least I think I do...

The torch is directly above and behind a chalice which has been growing like crazy for awhile now. The torch has grown striaght out toward the front of the tank more than I thought it would. I beleive Thursday or Friday they reached a point the polyps of the chalice could reach the torch. the torch now only has the two upper of four branches living.

The chemical warfare seems to have the zoas not too happy....at least that's my theory.? I moved the torch to another area of similar light and flow yesterday.

a couple questions:

Should I change out carbon? last change was 1 week and I usually run it for 4.

Been doing 10% water changes daily...should I keep that up until zoas return? My turf scrubber has some serious capacity so I'm not concerned about a bloom.

OR do I do a couple large changes? I'd prefer not to as it is a lot more work with just my 5 gal bucket system.

Thanks!

(OH! because someone is bound to ask: 78.4F, 8.1PH, 9KH, 380 Ca (ya, I did something about it, and it's not affecting the zoas), 1210 Mg, 0A,0N,0Po (I measure PO by algal growth which is only where it is supposed to be).)

[victoly]

I would advise against making lots of rapid changes. While It's possible that it's chemical warfare, it's also possible it's something else entirely.

I'd go with carbon change, whatever water change you normally do, and dosing some magnesium. Your mag is a scooch low (shoot for 1400).

[Neon Reefer]

Chalice corals can be very agressive towards other corals and may even produce sweeper tentacles. Others will likely be the losers if they come into contact with other corals and can become damaged in fights with the likes of a torch which is considered agrresive. Your chalice must be a beast! Best to take some care when placing these corals. Howwever, there is no real hard data on bio-chemical warefare for hard coral (LPS & SPS) coral fights for proximity issues. These corals only throw sweeper tentavles to help keep a no grow zone in between their neighbors and themselves. One SPS coral like pachyseris or Elephant Skin coral has been rumored to utilize bio-toxins since they have no stinging or feeding filiments. However they are considered a peaceful coral with no ill affects and no proven bio-toxins; unlike toadstool leathers that have no acontial or mesenteric filaments and defonitly use chemical warfare to deter enemy growth. If they are large enough they can release enough chemicals to compromise the health of an entire tank. This is why I won't keep them in a mixed reed tank. If you do then always have a carbon reactor in the sump to absorb those toxicities. And of course Palys and Zoas can utilize these toxins as well but not in a strong enough manor to anilalate a whole tank.