Favorite beginner/forgiving coral?

[mommahen]

Looking to add a coral or 2 to my tank within the next 2 weeks.

What is YOUR must have, favorite beginner coral? Preferably something that is reasonably forgiving? Don't really have my heart set on anything, just shopping around...


90g, started 1/9/18.
T5/LED hybrid lights. Only t5 running right now. 2x coral plus. 2x blue plus. Radion XR15's will be added soon
Skimmer RO Essence S130

Currently housing 2 blue reef chromis, jester goby and very small CUC group (just got these this week)

Ammonia 0ppm
NO2 0
NO3 10
PH 8.0 - this keeps fluctuating from 7.8-8.0

That is all I'm testing for at the moment. Getting some Salifert test kits in on Monday. I will check Ca, Mg & Alk before anything is purchased.





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[Sk8r]

Soft coral is easiest, things like leathers, gsp, xenia, shrooms, zoas---they spit, and running carbon is a good idea.

LPS stony is next: needs that good light: needs calcium to be at 420 and supplemented to stay steady, and some has tentacles 6" in reach. I favor lps because some softies can get too enthusiastic and take over everything.

Both have predators: dip softies, qt, observe and dip again because of eggs...
Dip stony and look them over with a magnifying glass for predators.

Things ride in on what they eat.

 

[Crooked Reef]

I have a 90 with two gen 4 xr15 pros. Current corals are some palythoa grandis, two different color morphs of zoanthid, a lobo, multiple euphyilia (hammer, frogspawn and torch, a cabbage leather, a fuzzy mushroom, another mushroom, acans, blastos, brains, Duncan’s, montiporas, a war coral and a galaxia. I may be missing a few from that list. Also a derasa clam, but that’s not a coral. Some More I have lost have been a real unique torch, a Hollywood stunner chalice that was getting great growth but has something land on it and started to rtn and never recovered, and a favia. I’m sure there are more. My biggest mistake was running the lights too strong. I have had significant growth from a red montipora and little growth from a green though they are in two different lighted areas. Good growth also from hammers and zoanthids. The galaxia is thriving as well, but it is a slow grower. They do put out some vicious sweepers so you need to space them correctly.

 

[Crooked Reef]

Just keep in mind you should research each coral. Leathers will start chemical warfare and you need to run carbon. Some put out sweepers and you need to account for that. Some are nonphotosynthetic and you need to feed them. Some require different lighting and water flow. The ones I would tell you to stay away from like the plague are Xenia, anthelia, blue cloves, and Kenya trees. These will take over your tank and are hard to rid of them sometimes. Sometimes it’s impossible without a complete tear down. I’m on my fourth tank. Ask here before you add anspecies. I also wouldn’t worry about your ph. It can fluctuate that much depending on time of day or lighting schedule. Some people light their sump opposite of their main tank to control this. If you get huge swings you have an issue, but that amount is likely just timing and the human factor.

 

[lapin]

Hammers are good for beginners. Good color and some movement. Will not over run your tank. Will let you know if not happy by not opening fully. Pretty hard to kill as long as you keep water in check and have some good lights which seems like you do.

 

[nereefpat]

Easiest stony corals, in my experience, are the branching LPS:

branching hammer
frogspawn
candycanes
duncans

 

[Jekerry]

Our frogspawn has been very reliable. Same for the hammer, just make sure it is branching not wall type.

 

[ryeguyy84]

Easiest stony corals, in my experience, are the branching LPS:

branching hammer
frogspawn
candycanes
duncans

These are good choices, I went through a pretty rough tank upgrade and had to leave the tank with very little life support for about a month due to having flooring installed in the new house. 90% of my SPS died, only survivor was the stylo but my candy canes, frogspawn and Duncans were just fine. Zoa's could be a good choice as well.

 

[Uncle99]

Nereefpat choices are excellent!

 

[CRJ]

#1 that is nearly impossible to kill is a mushroom. I still have the very first one I ever bought, 6 years and 3 tanks later.

 

[mommahen]

Sweet! Thanks guys!! You gave me some ideas and choices to look into.
As always, greatly appreciated!!


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[gonioporagirl]

Soft corals are definitely the best ones to start with. I would try zoanthids, xenia, clove polyps, leathers, and things like that. As for lps the easiest for me have been trumpet corals and blastomussa. Blastos literally live through everything.