Can You Overstock A Reef?

[KonvictKeeper]

This may be a dumb question (freshy here), but can you overstock with corals?
My buddy has this awesome SW tank with tons of corals.
Here's what he's got:

Fiji Leather
Mushroom rocks (x 3)
Favia coral
Lobophyliia coral
Trumpet coral
Duncan x 2
Ricordias / Ricordia Yuma (colonies)
1ft x 1ft zooanthid rock / palythoa rock
Branching and encrusting Montipora
Large Frogspawn
Bubble Coral
Large colt coral
Assorted mushrooms (green furry/
Turbinara (pagoda cup)
Turbinara (scroll coral)
Frags:
Australian Acans (x4)

It may not sound like TOO much but if you see the tank its a lot.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

At first when I read the thread I thought this was about fish and I would say "of course" but then it's corals...whoops!

I have heard-but have no experience, freshie noob here also-that some corals are aggressive growers and will like sting or take over corals that are not like that. IDK to be honest.

 

[Gti_Leo]

you can't really over stock with corals as they don't produce alot of "waste" but it can get demanding on the trace elements and calcium supplementing when you get into the LPS and SPS corals

 

[davePM]

I think it depends on the type, some corals are aggressive and can sting others, some require different care, so I would imagine with some planning you could have quite a collection in a tank, I'm not sure if you could have too many, if they are the right ones! (I'm an SW newb, so I'm not 100% sure either!)

 

[KonvictKeeper]

Ok thanks!
BTW, he's definitely not overstocked fish-wise either.
He only has these :

Coris Wrasse (juvenile)
Australian Black/White Clown fish
Gold Stripe Maroon Clown fish
Bi-color Pseudochromis

 

[KonvictKeeper]

Also, its a 55g.

 

[joy13]

You have to consider there are several different defense corals use stingers is easily seen but there are also things like toxins that zoa give off. Leathers give off toxins of some sort to prevent lps from growing. I have actually seen a ricordia eat a mushroom. I had an acan that nearly killed a leather by stinging it it was actually pulling it into its mouths.

So it possible to overstock corals.

 

[MikeYQM]

I wouldn't say "overstock", but certainly you can poorly stock a reef.

 

[Greenturtle]

Ok thanks!
BTW, he's definitely not overstocked fish-wise either.
He only has these :

Coris Wrasse (juvenile)
Australian Black/White Clown fish
Gold Stripe Maroon Clown fish
Bi-color Pseudochromis

Tell him to get rid of one of the clowns. They will fight.

 

[KonvictKeeper]

Will do.

 

[TyTy98]

Yes you can