Best Corals for a beginner?

[Chris918]

Hello everyone. I'm looking for some advice for picking out my first batch of corals. I'd say my tank has average lighting and medium flow. I'm definitely attracted to corals that provide a lot of color and movement, but being able to ensure the coral thrives is my top concern. Any suggestions? What did you guys start with?

Thanks

 

[anthonys51]

try fake ones it be easier and cheaper. lol
only joking try softies

 

[Greybeard]

Try Xenia. If your lighting can't keep that alive, it's not likely to be able to support anything else.

 

[roostertech]

green star polyps!

 

[Dogshowgrl]

Gsp, Xenia, toadstools, leathers, zoas, mushrooms. Softies are a great stepping stones.

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[jayball]

Hello everyone. I'm looking for some advice for picking out my first batch of corals. I'd say my tank has average lighting and medium flow. I'm definitely attracted to corals that provide a lot of color and movement, but being able to ensure the coral thrives is my top concern. Any suggestions? What did you guys start with?

Thanks

If you provide what lights you have and how much flow you have with what size your tank is we will be able to provide better recomendations.

Generally speaking for lots of color Zoa's and Ricordia are a good bet and hardy. Green star polyps and Xenia both flow with the current but are invasive and should be isolated on their own rocks. Some toadstool leathers have fairly long polyps that sway. The various Euphillia will provide both but are more delicate, they need their flow just right and not too much light.

 

[Chris918]

I only have a 20 gallon long. The flow throughout the tank is around 500 gph. I think Xenia and Green Star Polyps look nice but yeah I was definitely worried about the invasive factor. If I isolate them on their own rock what is the likelihood that they could spread to the other rock? When they spread to they kill all other coral that may already be present?

 

[AlSimmons]

They're all pretty much the same IME. If the lighting, flow and parameters are all within reason you can keep a wide variety of corals without any problems. You might have to move them to different spots within the tank, but the majority of corals respond pretty well to the same conditions.

 

[thegrun]

Here is a good website showing several easy to keep corals, but be warned some of the easy corals can spread to a point of being a problem.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/

 

[Chris918]

Here is a good website showing several easy to keep corals, but be warned some of the easy corals can spread to a point of being a problem.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/

What would be the best course of action for avoiding uncontrollable spreading?

 

[Reincarnate]

Isolation, epoxy, stiff brushes etc. Research first though.

 

[thegrun]

Ask here if the coral in question can spread too rapidly. I keep a couple of corals that I like that can be problematic (Green Star Polyps and Clove Coral) on separate rock "islands" surrounded by sand and just clip off runners if they start trying to spread across the sand.

 

[Chris918]

Ahh I see. Alright. Sounds good. I definitely like Xenia's look and I hear it is a great starter coral but I don't want it taking over EVERYTHING. lol

 

[thegrun]

It can spread quickly. I would either keep it on its own island or at least up high on your rocks as it is much more likely to grow up towards the light than down.

 

[Kremis]

GSP should probably be isolated, it will spread fast. As for beginner corals, frogspawns are relatively easy to take care of, and look nice and "flowy" as listed above, other options include leather corals, mushrooms, more or less all soft corals are pretty easy. If you want to try some SPS, go for birdsnests. They are some of the easier SPS, but they are still an SPS, which means they need a little bit more careful water monitoring and dosing.

 

[SeaCucumberFan]

I'd say the best are mushrooms, they never die and are very hard to kill

 

[anthonys51]

Go with gsp. Just put in on a rock in the sand it will slowly cover the whole rock and aim some flow on it it looks great imo. Mushrooms are easy but hard to isolate Xenia aren't as easy but still easy and keep on top the won't spread down as fast


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[Sk8r]

THere are 2 kinds: stony, which develop skeleton, rarely get 'invasive' and need calcium in your topoff water; or softie, which have no skeleton and spread rapidly, even too rapidly, in good water. For stony, you need to monitor alkalinity, calcium, magnesium; for softies, monitor alk. Stony takes bright light; softie not so much. Water quality and stability are key to success. Read up on each type of coral you want: google the names.

 

[nmotz]

Honestly, the easiest coral I have ever tried to grow is my red montipora capricornus (stony coral). It's practically bullet proof in nearly every light/flow combination I've put it through. The other stony corals are best left alone right now IMO.

You'll probably find that your individual tank will grow different corals better than others. Why? Almost impossible to say, but i've read a lot on this site and it just seems that some set-ups are better for certain corals than others. For example, Anthony said Xenias "aren't as easy" but in my tank they are just about impossible to kill. GSP on the other hand, will not grow for me. It's crazy, just won't grow, and has been steadily receding in fact. I have zoas, a gorgonian (type of soft coral), and multiple species of stony coral living and growing (albeit slowly) in my tank, but GSP will not grow, lol.

 

[Nickmcc]

Mushrooms, Xenia, acans and zoanthids