The same battle for turf can be going on in your reef tank, too. A majority of the elements involved in reef survival are concentrated in a reef aquarium. By planning coral placements in your tank and being aware of developing turf conflicts, a majority of problems can avoided or controlled.
Coral Toxicity to Fish shows the potential affects of coral toxins on fish while Signs of Coral Competition shows what the indications are that your corals may be competing for turf in your tank.
Corals acquire and maintain space on a reef by:
- Reproducing rapidly.
- Competing for available food.
- Having offensive and defensive weapons.
- Having the ability to sustain damage and still continue to reproduce.
It has been estimated that, on the reef, between 22% and 38% of all coral colonies are engaged in battle or are within range to engage. Fortunately, more corals are passive than aggressive. Unfortunately, a good defense does not always win. Most corals must be aggressive in order to survive. Four levels of engagement have been proposed (Rinkevich and Loya, 1985): See the Four Levels of Engagement
