View Full Version : Easiest Coral for beginners?
CGarot87
03/06/2015, 03:21 PM
Just started my tank 2 days ago. I want to put some color in it. What would be the best/easiest way to do that? I was thinking button polyps, is that a good place to start? I bought the tank already established and moved it to my house. My Ph is good, my nitrites are good, my ammonia is good, my salinity is good, but my nitrates are 40ppm. Just did a water change and put in some nitrate filter pads in the sump. Should I wait til they go down, or is it ok to add stuff? Also, the guy had the protein skimmer hooked up wrong so it hadn't been working, solved that though. Sorry, lots of stuff, just trying to figure it all out.
KabayanReef
03/06/2015, 04:41 PM
Leathers of all sorts are easy and pleasing to look at for a beginner coral.
- Mushrooms are unkillable aswell
- buttons , zoas easy growth and care.
- same goes for gsps but tend to be hit or miss for a beginner IMO
Welcome to RC (and the darkside of saltwater tanks!)
thegrun
03/06/2015, 04:41 PM
Here is a good website for easy to grow corals:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/
This one describes many of the common corals found in the hobby and the care they need:
https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets
A word of caution, many of the easy corals can spread to the point they are considered pests.
tidus10
03/06/2015, 04:49 PM
Green star polyps ftmfw!!!
cloak
03/06/2015, 04:58 PM
Here's another link you might want to check out.
http://successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/about-corals/best-beginner-coral-choices/
HTH.
Goldndoodle
03/06/2015, 06:25 PM
Here is a good website for easy to grow corals:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/
This one describes many of the common corals found in the hobby and the care they need:
https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets
A word of caution, many of the easy corals can spread to the point they are considered pests.
Those are AWESOME sites. I'm bookmarking those for sure!!
Reef Frog
03/06/2015, 06:50 PM
I would research tanks that appeal to you and see what it takes to create one, technically & money wise, and estimate if you can and want to do those things to have a tank like the ones you like. Take note of the species in those tsnks and read up on them.
By doing this you can avoid corals you will later regret owning. Let's say you like mixed stony reefs - brain corals, acans, plating montipora, maybe SPS. If that's the case, you may want to go easy on the "Easy" cheap corals like GSP, Xenia, some mushrooms, ugly zoas etc....unless that's what you really want long term.
I would definately avoid putting things in willy-nilly just because they're easy or cheap. I suggest developing a plan. If you're shooting for a colorful hard coral tank, you might make different decisions for example. JMOs. Good luck with your new tank.
Just started my tank 2 days ago. I want to put some color in it. What would be the best/easiest way to do that? I was thinking button polyps, is that a good place to start? I bought the tank already established and moved it to my house. My Ph is good, my nitrites are good, my ammonia is good, my salinity is good, but my nitrates are 40ppm. Just did a water change and put in some nitrate filter pads in the sump. Should I wait til they go down, or is it ok to add stuff? Also, the guy had the protein skimmer hooked up wrong so it hadn't been working, solved that though. Sorry, lots of stuff, just trying to figure it all out.
If you just started your tank 2 days ago you will have plenty of time for research since it will takes weeks for your tank to cycle.
Hitch08
03/06/2015, 11:04 PM
Many thanks for the links in this thread. I'm still in the planning stages, so these are great!
rjdv420
03/06/2015, 11:17 PM
imo palys and mushrooms
supervdl
03/07/2015, 02:10 AM
:headwally:hairy mushrooms - look nice and I was never able to kill them in my tanks. Also, I have the nicest acros and people unfamiliar with reef tanks look at the tank ignore the acros and say how nice the hairy mushrooms look.
bluecoyote79
03/07/2015, 02:21 AM
Toadstools are easy and the thick branched birdsnest coral are like weeds in my tank. I've never had luck with zoas but they're supposed to be easy.
1fstnsx
03/07/2015, 03:10 AM
For me, Duncan's. Zoas, mushrooms and acans what I started off with. I'd start with cheaper ones first, and make sure your parameters are stable.
joesfiddy
03/07/2015, 08:11 AM
Brown Kenya trees are very ez same with mushrooms
EvolutionIsALie
03/08/2015, 07:54 AM
I was looking at the "Sea Mat and Button Polyps"
but it reads
Some of these species contain a strong neurotoxin which can affect humans.
Who has this? Maybe the same person with a blue ringed octopus?
hotelbravo
03/08/2015, 09:46 AM
Green star polyps ftmfw!!!
I threw these in my tank havent done anything to them and they grow like crazy, its my only coral
Tin Man
03/08/2015, 10:06 AM
Picking corals is ten times harder than picking fish IMO. I keep reading and reading and still have no idea what will (in no particular order) 1) not grow like weeds 2) be fairly easy to start with 3) make a nice compatible group in a 29g biocube with standard lights 4) not be poisonous and 5) look nice, at least to me.
JoelA7
03/08/2015, 06:25 PM
Great thoughts and suggestions above. I'd add something that is you really need to look at the tank and animals closely. There's an art to this and it takes a while to be able to see the subtle changes that indicate health or not.
Harbour
03/08/2015, 06:41 PM
Know that some corals can grow so fast the they quickly overtake everything! I'll never have GSP or another mushroom in one of my tanks. OK, never say never. Bought both because they were reasonably priced and regretted it latter. But your mileage may vary and each to their own. :-)
They are very colorful.
Harbour
delor-02
03/08/2015, 08:15 PM
:headwally:hairy mushrooms - look nice and I was never able to kill them in my tanks. Also, I have the nicest acros and people unfamiliar with reef tanks look at the tank ignore the acros and say how nice the hairy mushrooms look.
My hairy mushrooms, Xenia, and gsp get more comments than anything else, just because they sway in the current....:debi:
delor-02
03/08/2015, 08:16 PM
Know that some corals can grow so fast the they quickly overtake everything! I'll never have GSP or another mushroom in one of my tanks. OK, never say never. Bought both because they were reasonably priced and regretted it latter. But your mileage may vary and each to their own. :-)
They are very colorful.
Harbour
I'm to the point I am basically giving away gsp, Xenia, and Kenya tree!
\Clownfish/
03/08/2015, 08:19 PM
ill take them :bdaysmile: hehehehe
mandarin_goby
03/08/2015, 08:42 PM
For me, xenia, kenya and GSP grow the best. Almost too well! Thankfully my GSP has stayed put on a softball-sized rock but the xenia is everywhere and refuses to be stopped. I like the movement though, so no worries. I noticed my kenya tree sheds small pieces that take root elsewhere when it blows in the current...sneaky thing.
delor-02
03/08/2015, 09:23 PM
For me, xenia, kenya and GSP grow the best. Almost too well! Thankfully my GSP has stayed put on a softball-sized rock but the xenia is everywhere and refuses to be stopped. I like the movement though, so no worries. I noticed my kenya tree sheds small pieces that take root elsewhere when it blows in the current...sneaky thing.
My experience exactly! My Kenya tree has become a Kenya forest! :ape:
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