Too many people envision the reefs of the world to be some aquatic equivalent of "Bambi crossing a meadow" with some sort of miraculous "balance" amongst the life that occurs there. This is a dangerous precept for aquarists, as these areas are veritable battle zones with the life competing for space, food, mates... at a "tooth and claw" level. Most all benthic life we keep continues with this behavior in captivity. Overgrowing, shading, poisoning, stinging, eating its neighbors... Sometimes at great distances. Herein will be my statements re approaches to alleviate the major thrusts of this issue with stinging-celled life... All out competition is an omnipresent situation in captive reefs. Proper set-up... Starting with smaller specimens, placing the less noxious to more in order, careful maintenance... and observation are all useful tools here.

Up to 85% of hard structure cover MANY predators in addition to competitors MANY mechanisms for securing, retaining habitat IMPORTANT implications for reef aquarium keepers
•Growth Means Overshadowing Overgrowing Physically blocking   •Physical Means Digestive Dominance Stinging Mechanisms Proximal: Nematocysts/Cnidocysts More Distal & Specialized: Acrorhagi Most Distal: Sweeper Tentacles   Chemical Allelopathy Toxins produced that are deleterious to cnidarians, other invertebrates, often fishes and even algae.

Parts: 2, 3, 4, 5,