Recommended encrusting LPS corals?

[ben01]

What sorts of hard corals have encrusting forms that are also reasonable easy for a semi-noob to keep and commonly available? BTW, I tried Google but didn't get much help there.

The tank is 65g with a Maxspect Razor 10K 160 watt fixture and has good flow. It is still young at about four monts old and has only live rock, a shrimp, snails and a couple fish in it. Parameters test good with nitrate still at about 10ppm but falling.

Thanks.

 

[MondoBongo]

really most stony corals will encrust to some extent given enough time and the right placement. i've had acans do it, as well as chalices, platygyra, and even euphyllia.

if placed on a rock in the right way, most will eventually fuse to, and begin to grow on, the rock surface.

here in the upper right hand corner, you can see where my platygyra has encrusted on to the rock it is sitting on. keep in mind that this has been with me for over two years at this point:

however, when i first got it, it looked like this:

same story with these acans:

when i got them, they were all individual frags, but now they're part of the rock they're growing on.

here they are when i first got them:

however, usually when i hear someone talk about encrusting, my first thought is montipora. there are many kinds of montipora that will encrust, and while they're not LPS, they're not all that hard to keep either.

just make sure you put a lot of thought in to what you let encrust on to where. i have some hollywood stunner encrusting on a bunch of rocks that i wish i could easily get rid of.

 

[aromano]

echinophyllia are nice encrusting LPS

 

[Bpb]

Leptastrea
Cyphastrea
Favia
Chalices

 

[ben01]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I should be able to find some nice corals I like out of that group.

 

[Reef Frog]

echinophyllia are nice encrusting LPS

I saw some stunning morphs yesterday in a new shipment at a local coral seller. Vibrant oranges, true rainbow varieties. Pricing matched the beauty.

 

[stscream4187]

Favia have some great colors and I find them very easy to keep.

 

[deaddat]

As Bpb said, Leptastrea. They are very easy to take care of and I think they grow at a good rate, and come in some interesting colors. I keep mine at the top of the tank.