A pointer please

[alexkharden]

I'm definitely not going to ask someone to explain everything about corals to me, that would be silly.

What I will ask is, could someone please point me in the direction of a good, comprehensive resource to read about corals please? Something understandable by a newbie, but explains the different kinds of corals, intercompatibility with other corals and fish, different water parameters, etc...

For clarification, by "different kinds of corals" I don't necessarily mean the genus and species, per se, just something like a chart that lists softies, and then under it lists the different kinds of softies we work with in reefs; zoas, chalices, acans, etc...(see, I bet at least one of those I listed isn't even a softie!) Same for mushrooms, LPS, SPS, etc...

The problem I'm having is like I'm looking at say, an online auction, and it says "CB Rainbow Chalice" or whatever. I don't know if its a softie, an LPS, or something completely different.


Yes, I've read bits and pieces of most of this stuff already, but it's all so spread out that by the time I've found the fifth thing I've forgotten the first. I'm just hoping there's an all-in-one stop shop for information concerning corals.

Just trying to plan my tank correctly.

Thanks!

 

[chefbill]

Most online retail sites have their corals seperated into catagories: SPS LPS Softies, then further (sometimes) into species. At times, mushrooms and zoa/paly/polyp is a catagory, but both groups are 'softies'.

As far as interaction, this gets complicated. IN GENERAL SPS need/like much more light and flow than LPS. SPS and softies are problematic together because of chemical warfare. Most softies require less light than do stonies. SPS require much stricter parameters than LPS, and some softies thrive in dirty water.

You will eventually learn some specifics, such as hydnophoras have very long sweepers, or the GSP grows almost too fast and can become a weed.

But back to your question, and easy way to tell oftentimes is simply to look: does it have a boney stoney base? Yes? Then it isn't a softy. Are the individual polyps large (say 2.5 cm or larger-ish)? No? Then it must be SPS.

The above will usually work, research and experience will get you the rest of the way.

 

[jsnrho82]

Pickup this book: "Corals a quick reference guide" by Julian Sprung. It breaks the corals down in the way that you are looking for.