Can hammer and toadstool corals touch?

[Goshawk]

Just asking this question because there's two chunks of branching hammer coral that I would like to move to the front of the tank. Because right now they're in the bottom were no one can see them. I have one clear spot for one of the chunks but the other spot that I want to put the other one is close to the toadstool. I just want to make sure before I move them tomorrow.

[Stacef]

Tagging, I would like to know also.

[dobejazz]

The toadstool will lose that fight - I'd keep them seperated Hammers can extend powerful sweeper tenticles to protect their turf

[T_kuemmet]

exactly what are the rules of corals touching! can a torch coral touch another euphyllid? like a frogspawn? can frags of the same coral once they are seperated for a while?

[chunky]

As far as I've experienced frags of the same coral can touch no matter if they've been seperated for a time or not.

With euphys, I've had different kinds of frogspawns touching each other and also different kinds of hammers touching with no problems. I've even had hammers touching frogspawns with no problems (though this is might not be the case for all frogspawns and hammers). I have also had a hammer get pretty pissed after being stung by a torch (though no where near as bad as if another type of coral had been zapped by the torch). I just moved the torch away a little bit and all was fine. They don't seem to actively want to kill each other at least. Hope this helps.

[Octoman]

As Kelli said, the hammer will use it's sweepers to sting the toadstool. Then the toadstool will most likely react by releasing toxins into the water to fight back. I'd say keep a good buffer between them, those sweepers can get pretty long.

[BEELZEBOB]

it depends on the CORAL'S SPECIFIC SWEAPER TENTICLES.

hammer, frogspawn, torch, galaxia all have long very aggressive, very devistating sweapers.

[nikkipigtails]

It's a pretty long read, but try this one out
coral placement reference

[BigAl07]

Torch, Hammer, FrogSpawn are all fairly closely related and will tolerate each other very well. I have all three in close proximity in one of my tanks. The thing you have to keep in mind (As mentioned) are the sweepers. They can really stretch way out and sting further away than you would think. I lost a closed brain that was about 12" from a Hammer. I kept seeing "Dead" spots on it and had no idea why until I came in at night and saw it actively stinging the brain. Just keep in mind what's "Down Stream" from any Euphies.

[Goshawk]

Thanks guys. Is there a video of a hammer with its sweeper extended. I'd love to see it. Well I've got a good spot for the big one. Nothing in the way for about 10". I can't find a spot for the small one so I'm thinking of fragging it and selling it.

[BigAl07]

I don't have a video but I thought I had a still shot of it. When you see it you'll know it. It's a long thin wavy tentacle that looks like you took a normal one, heated it up and stretched it WAY thin. They have no real "control" over it's direction but it always "drifts/waves" down stream. I've seen mine put out one sweeper and then I've seen it put out many (5+) at a time. If I can locate the pic I'll come back and post it.

[BigAl07]

Here is a pic from the web of some sweepers.... (Not from my tank but Google Tank )

[T_kuemmet]

i have never seen my froggy put out sweepers...ever! i even loook when its dark with a flashlight. do branched frogspawn possibly have less agressive tendencys?

[lcstorc]

They all do it.
I lost an open brain that I thought was far enough away. They can really stretch out.
I believe they only do it when another coral is too close but I am really not sure.

[BigAl07]

I think Lynn's correct. When they "sense" another coral around they are more likely to do this. In my 90g I had an open brain on a rock ledge just below my FrogSpawn and even though it never REACHED it we noticed it put out sweepers each and every night.... luckily the current and distance prevented it. I eventually move the brain because I knew eventually it would reach the brain and kill it. Since moving the brain to a lower location the FrogSpawn has "settled down" and I've not seen a sweeper since. I would imagine proximity, current and TYPE of coral makes a difference.