Coral habitat for fish?

[ichthyogeek]

In my research for finding habitats for fish, I'm quite stumped on finding a good coral species to provide cover. I know that chromis, smaller cardinalfish, and damselfish all like a branching coral cover to dart into when scared. What I'm looking for, is a good coral species that is like this in the wild. I'm thinking probably birdsnest coral is what I'm looking for, right?

[reeferstace]

It is easier to create hiding places for fish via aquascaping, IMO. Overhangs and caves made from placement of my liverock work well for my fish.

[ca1ore]

Once it grows in, the playing monti can be cool as refuge for smaller fish.

[Winwood]

Green slimmer is a great branching acropora. I put a 4-5 inch colony in my tank and all my small fish gravitated to it. By small fish I mean cardinals, dottybacks, chromis, humbug damsels. My lyretail anthias seemed relatively indifferent.

[o2manyfish]

I have a large colony of red cap which currently has a pair of lubbocks wrasses, a pair of borbonius and a yellow clown goby living in it.

I have a lokani colony which hosted a pair of baby bangai for a few week. When I say baby I mean freshly released from an adult in the tank.

To provide enough coverage for the fish to dart in and out of you need a fairly large colony. Building an area of aquascaping created from a bunch of thin branching live rock - and using it like firewood to build a standing pile will give you probably the most affordable and easiest to get coral hiding places for your fish.

Dave B

[ichthyogeek]

Hmm..all I have at the moment is pukani and tonga shelf rock....I may buy a coral colony for the fish though. My mind's pretty set on the bird's nest (seriatopora hystrix, not pocillopora damicornis) coral. Unless, there's an easier to keep branching coral?