Every now and again someone starts a thread wrt corals that is easy to keep. I thought of starting this to help newbies identify easy to keep corals. Some experienced reefers might differ with me, but this is my own experience. Feel free to add if you think I am not on the right track:
Reef tanks take a while to mature and so do reefers. We all have to go through the learning phase in which monitoring and responding to changes in our reef tank become second nature. Until then, it’s better to stick with easier-to-keep corals.
There are some corals still regularly offered for sale that give even expert reefers problems (particularly non-photosynthetic soft corals, but also certain large polyp species). Avoid those and you’ll avoid seeing a beautiful creature die in your tank.
This thread is only directed towards easy to keep coral. If I have time I’ll cover the basics in reef setups- again- this is all according to what I have achieved and experienced in the “Softie” field.
Here is 12 Coral in easy to keep order, meaning, the 1st ones are easier than the last ones:
1. Mushroom corals (Discosoma)
The ideal starter coral. Mushroom corals lie flat on the live rock in colonies ranging from one to hundreds of individuals. They come in all colors, can also be striped or spotted, and grow to about two-inches across. In the aquarium they prefer indirect light and very little water motion – the best place for them is towards the bottom and sides of a typical reef aquarium. They are much more tolerant of nutrient-rich water than other corals, and are at their best in very natural systems.
2. Leather corals (Sarcophyton)
Commonly known as Leathers, Pin Cushions and Mushrooms, these are excellent starter corals, being adaptable to most light & current conditions. Moderate light & current is usually optimal for these beautiful species.These corals, which can grow up to two-foot across, are much taken for granted. Their undulating bodies sprout delicate polyps, and they make a great focal point for almost all aquariums. Even the brown forms are beautiful. (The bright yellow specimens are stunning, though harder to care for). Leather corals do well with normal reef lighting (the bottom of the tank is fine) and low currents, preferably with an occasional surge to clear their polyps of the film they shed. They are very easy to propagate. Just brush over to retract their polyps, snip off a corner with sharp scissors, and you’ve a new colony.
3. Zoanthids or button polyps (Zoanthus)
Some of these species contain a strong neurotoxin which can affect humans.Commonly known as Zoos, Zoas,Sea Mat or Button Polyps, these corals are tolerant of both intense and low level light as well as a range of currents. Being sensitive to iodine & aluminum oxide which are found in some phosphate removing sponges, caution should be taken when adding these materials to your tank.These easy-to-keep corals like a lot of light, but will survive on a moderate regime if required. Strong currents aren’t vital, but a nice pulse from a wavemaker helps keep them free of detritus. In good conditions Zoanthids will propogate naturally from the colony base. They grow particularly fast if fed small meaty foods once a week.
4. Kenya tree, ‘Nephthya’ (Capnella)
If these soft corals were difficult to keep there would be thousands of threads devoted to them on [FONT="]Reef Central[/FONT]. In reality, these delicately branched fairy tale corals will grow like weeds in good conditions. They like bright, preferably indirect light and a gentle current; halfway up the sides of a well-lit reef tank is ideal. Keep one in good condition and you’ll soon find babies springing up around it. Be aware of the new corals growing and swelling to overshadow other species such as mushroom corals beneath it. Personally I had a few issues wrt these Coral- main reason I suppose is that they tend to “sulk” if the flow in your system is not right. And from experience they do not like to be too close to sharp rock edges etc, resulting in damaging their skin, hence not opening to their fullest.
5. Anthelia, or waving hand polyps (Anthelia)
Easier-to-keep than the similar looking Xenia species (which is not hard, but is a bit more hit-and-miss), the graceful Anthelia coral likes bright light and strong preferably pulsed water motion that really gets its polyps waving. They will spread rapidly across the rocks and glass in your aquarium. Be sure to add regular trace elements and/or conduct regular water changes, as colonies can crash if important elements are depleted from the water. You’ll probably end up trading, giving away or even trashing your excess Anthelia polyps, unless you want to keep a tank full of it.
6. Ricordea Ricordea Florida
Ricordia species are related to mushroom corals. They’re not as tough but they’re even more attractive, looking almost like small flat anemones and coming in all kinds of flourescent colors. Ricordea need more light than mushroom corals, but not too much – about halfway up the tank is be ideal. (If your ricordea starts to fade, try moving it.) Ricordea also benefit from being fed with mysis or other frozen foods. Propagation can be sped up by cutting them in half with a razor. Beware of the species Ricordea Yuma, which is more difficult to maintain.
7. Xenia Xenia
Experienced marine aquarists have a love/hate relationship with Xenia. We can all remember when we first added it to our tank and watched transfixed as its delicate polyps opened and closed before our eyes like little fists grasping the water. At some point amazement gives way to dismay, either because the coral has overrun the tank, or because it has crashed to a mush. To keep it in good condition, Xenia likes bright light and pulsing clean water. Thinning out thick colonies may stop it crashing, and regular additions of iodine are vital. As for it spreading, your best bet is to install it on a rock and scrape off and suck up any offshoots that threaten to move onto the rest of your reef. Xenia spreads so readily in good conditions it can often be got for free from fellow reefers.
8. Moon, Pineapple, Star (Favia & Favites)
Common names include: Moon Coral, Pineapple Coral, Brain Coral, Closed Brain Coral and Star Coral. These corals prefer bright lights, however they will tolerate much lower levels. Preferring a gentle current, some Favites will attach to substrate if not moved for several months. Favites can be fed and seem to appreciate a squirt or two of brine shrimp at night.Care should be taken with placement of these corals as they can send out transparent sweeper tentacles at night. Considered by many to be an easier coral to keep.
9.Closed and Dented Brain (Symphyllia)
Common names include: Closed Brain Coral, Dented Brain Coral, Meat Coral, Brain Coral and Pacific Cactus Coral. These corals are highly successful in captivity, being very tolerant of different light and current conditions, but prefering bright, indirect light and moderate to low currents. These corals are sensitive to the presence of some soft corals, i.e. Xenia and Litophyton and are very reactive to food (Zooplankton, Phytoplankton and algae) in the water.
10.Lobed, Flat, and Open Brain (Lobophyllia)
Common names include: Lobed Brain Coral, Flat Brain Coral, Open Brain Coral, Meat Coral, Modern Coral, Large Flower Coral. These corals do best with bright direct light and calm currents however if minimally adequate light and water movement is provided, it will grow well in a tank. This coral normally feeds actively at night, however the tentacles occasionally extend during the day and readily take food offerings feeding almost exclusively on zooplankton and bacterioplankton which consists of free-living bacteria, detritus, particulate (POM) and suspended organic matter (SOM).Lobophyllia are not normally aggressive however there have been reports of sweeper tentacles being formed when they come in contact with other corals.
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Reef tanks take a while to mature and so do reefers. We all have to go through the learning phase in which monitoring and responding to changes in our reef tank become second nature. Until then, it’s better to stick with easier-to-keep corals.
There are some corals still regularly offered for sale that give even expert reefers problems (particularly non-photosynthetic soft corals, but also certain large polyp species). Avoid those and you’ll avoid seeing a beautiful creature die in your tank.
This thread is only directed towards easy to keep coral. If I have time I’ll cover the basics in reef setups- again- this is all according to what I have achieved and experienced in the “Softie” field.
Here is 12 Coral in easy to keep order, meaning, the 1st ones are easier than the last ones:
1. Mushroom corals (Discosoma)
The ideal starter coral. Mushroom corals lie flat on the live rock in colonies ranging from one to hundreds of individuals. They come in all colors, can also be striped or spotted, and grow to about two-inches across. In the aquarium they prefer indirect light and very little water motion – the best place for them is towards the bottom and sides of a typical reef aquarium. They are much more tolerant of nutrient-rich water than other corals, and are at their best in very natural systems.
2. Leather corals (Sarcophyton)
Commonly known as Leathers, Pin Cushions and Mushrooms, these are excellent starter corals, being adaptable to most light & current conditions. Moderate light & current is usually optimal for these beautiful species.These corals, which can grow up to two-foot across, are much taken for granted. Their undulating bodies sprout delicate polyps, and they make a great focal point for almost all aquariums. Even the brown forms are beautiful. (The bright yellow specimens are stunning, though harder to care for). Leather corals do well with normal reef lighting (the bottom of the tank is fine) and low currents, preferably with an occasional surge to clear their polyps of the film they shed. They are very easy to propagate. Just brush over to retract their polyps, snip off a corner with sharp scissors, and you’ve a new colony.
3. Zoanthids or button polyps (Zoanthus)
Some of these species contain a strong neurotoxin which can affect humans.Commonly known as Zoos, Zoas,Sea Mat or Button Polyps, these corals are tolerant of both intense and low level light as well as a range of currents. Being sensitive to iodine & aluminum oxide which are found in some phosphate removing sponges, caution should be taken when adding these materials to your tank.These easy-to-keep corals like a lot of light, but will survive on a moderate regime if required. Strong currents aren’t vital, but a nice pulse from a wavemaker helps keep them free of detritus. In good conditions Zoanthids will propogate naturally from the colony base. They grow particularly fast if fed small meaty foods once a week.
4. Kenya tree, ‘Nephthya’ (Capnella)
If these soft corals were difficult to keep there would be thousands of threads devoted to them on [FONT="]Reef Central[/FONT]. In reality, these delicately branched fairy tale corals will grow like weeds in good conditions. They like bright, preferably indirect light and a gentle current; halfway up the sides of a well-lit reef tank is ideal. Keep one in good condition and you’ll soon find babies springing up around it. Be aware of the new corals growing and swelling to overshadow other species such as mushroom corals beneath it. Personally I had a few issues wrt these Coral- main reason I suppose is that they tend to “sulk” if the flow in your system is not right. And from experience they do not like to be too close to sharp rock edges etc, resulting in damaging their skin, hence not opening to their fullest.
5. Anthelia, or waving hand polyps (Anthelia)
Easier-to-keep than the similar looking Xenia species (which is not hard, but is a bit more hit-and-miss), the graceful Anthelia coral likes bright light and strong preferably pulsed water motion that really gets its polyps waving. They will spread rapidly across the rocks and glass in your aquarium. Be sure to add regular trace elements and/or conduct regular water changes, as colonies can crash if important elements are depleted from the water. You’ll probably end up trading, giving away or even trashing your excess Anthelia polyps, unless you want to keep a tank full of it.
6. Ricordea Ricordea Florida
Ricordia species are related to mushroom corals. They’re not as tough but they’re even more attractive, looking almost like small flat anemones and coming in all kinds of flourescent colors. Ricordea need more light than mushroom corals, but not too much – about halfway up the tank is be ideal. (If your ricordea starts to fade, try moving it.) Ricordea also benefit from being fed with mysis or other frozen foods. Propagation can be sped up by cutting them in half with a razor. Beware of the species Ricordea Yuma, which is more difficult to maintain.
7. Xenia Xenia
Experienced marine aquarists have a love/hate relationship with Xenia. We can all remember when we first added it to our tank and watched transfixed as its delicate polyps opened and closed before our eyes like little fists grasping the water. At some point amazement gives way to dismay, either because the coral has overrun the tank, or because it has crashed to a mush. To keep it in good condition, Xenia likes bright light and pulsing clean water. Thinning out thick colonies may stop it crashing, and regular additions of iodine are vital. As for it spreading, your best bet is to install it on a rock and scrape off and suck up any offshoots that threaten to move onto the rest of your reef. Xenia spreads so readily in good conditions it can often be got for free from fellow reefers.
8. Moon, Pineapple, Star (Favia & Favites)
Common names include: Moon Coral, Pineapple Coral, Brain Coral, Closed Brain Coral and Star Coral. These corals prefer bright lights, however they will tolerate much lower levels. Preferring a gentle current, some Favites will attach to substrate if not moved for several months. Favites can be fed and seem to appreciate a squirt or two of brine shrimp at night.Care should be taken with placement of these corals as they can send out transparent sweeper tentacles at night. Considered by many to be an easier coral to keep.
9.Closed and Dented Brain (Symphyllia)
Common names include: Closed Brain Coral, Dented Brain Coral, Meat Coral, Brain Coral and Pacific Cactus Coral. These corals are highly successful in captivity, being very tolerant of different light and current conditions, but prefering bright, indirect light and moderate to low currents. These corals are sensitive to the presence of some soft corals, i.e. Xenia and Litophyton and are very reactive to food (Zooplankton, Phytoplankton and algae) in the water.
10.Lobed, Flat, and Open Brain (Lobophyllia)
Common names include: Lobed Brain Coral, Flat Brain Coral, Open Brain Coral, Meat Coral, Modern Coral, Large Flower Coral. These corals do best with bright direct light and calm currents however if minimally adequate light and water movement is provided, it will grow well in a tank. This coral normally feeds actively at night, however the tentacles occasionally extend during the day and readily take food offerings feeding almost exclusively on zooplankton and bacterioplankton which consists of free-living bacteria, detritus, particulate (POM) and suspended organic matter (SOM).Lobophyllia are not normally aggressive however there have been reports of sweeper tentacles being formed when they come in contact with other corals.
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Really easy reference and some great pics!