sweeper tentacles

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ThatNewFishGuy

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May 4, 2010
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The corals I have are

Hammer
Bubble
Brain (not sure which type), Im pretty sure its considered "open" though
mushrooms
frogspawn


I have read that some of these corals like bubble and hammer have "sweeper" tentacles that come out at night and these may sting other corals next to it. I have waited till the lights go out in my tank to try and see if I can view any of these sweeper tentacles, but i havnt seen anything...Also in many of the reef tanks, these kinds of corals are placed so close to other corals, how is this possible?
 

greech

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May 13, 2009
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Graham
There is no black and white answer to this. With the exception of shrooms (and maybe the brain, depending on what species), all of those corals have the potential to unleash a sweepers and they may or may not do so all the time. The lights don't have to be out for sweepers to be present but that is typcally when you have the best chance of seeing them (natural defense time). Sweepers can be used to feed (catch food) or sting neighbors that are encroaching on their territory. I have read theories that some corals will tolerate others if they are purchased as small frags and grow in together but I don't put a lot of stock in that one. Certainly, you stand a better chance of reducing warfare when you place like species near each other. Acans with acans, shrooms with shrooms, etc. However, I would never place an acan echinata next to an acan lord so individual species do matter in some cases. The lord would have zero chance of surviving an attack by the echinata. Your frogspawn, hammer (both should be perfectly fine next to each other BTW) and bubble probably have the longests sweeper. The bubble can also inflate to maximize its reach. They could easily sting corals several inches away. Water flow will play a role in their extension and reach as well.
 

ThatNewFishGuy

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May 4, 2010
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Ok. I guess I will continue to take caution in placing corals appropriate distances from each other.
 
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