Jump to content
ReefCleaners.org

Best Corals for a Beginner?


CCXGT

Recommended Posts

I have a 2 day old 10G, which I plan on turning into a fully functioning reef.

 

I'll be using Red Sea CP.

 

Using about 3kg Dry Rock, 0.5kg Live Rock (I think this should get to around 9/10lb in the end).

 

Using 15lb Live Sand (about 2" sand bed).

 

Running Chemi-Pure Elite in a HoB.

 

Doing a 20% w/c weekly.

 

It's under a 120w Full Spectrum LED Tile (Blues 12pm-9pm, Whites 1pm-8pm)

 

Circulating using a Koralia 425.

 

Planned stocking would be 1/2 True Percs, a small CUC and the Corals.

 

Blah, blah, blah...

 

 

So.. Any suggestions?

 

I personally love Star Polyps, Hammers, some of the neon Zoanthids...

Pretty much anything that glows in the blue.

Link to comment
  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply
llama roadkill
Once the tank is cycled, I would start with star polyps, cloves, zoas and shrooms. I love shrooms

 

I agree. Other softies like toadstools are good too.

Link to comment

LPS wise: Hammer corals, torches, duncans and acans are all fairly easy. If you feed acans it can be seriously fun to watch them eat.

Soft coral wise: Kenya trees, leathers, devil's hand, zoa's, shrooms are near indestructible, green star polyps, etc

 

I have a couple things to note regarding the soft corals: Kenya trees spread like crazy once happy and they can be a serious pest. I have a green leather frag and it's grown maybe 1/4" in 4 monts. Zoa's are cool because you can collect all the different colors and such, my tank has always done well with zoas. Now with green star polyps, I don't know why but I can't get them to be happy and grow in my tank. Yet I have no problems growing SPS like birdsnest & stylo, nor do I have trouble growing LPS like my hammer or acans.

 

See if your LFS can hook you up with a small variety of $5-$10 frags, I found it helpful to start with a few different things and see how they did.

Link to comment

I would suggest staying away of things that can become pests. Green star polyps are beautiful and very nice to watch but can overgrow a small tank in no time. Blue cloves are just as pretty but they don't creep around they seem to start in one place and then another and another. Pulsating xenia can take over a tank once it decides it likes it. Mushrooms be careful what type you get some can spread fast and leave babies once it decides to move. Kenya tree can drop branches like crazy. I have all of these what l like to call my junk tank. Anything I don't want in either of my other tanks gets put in that tank.

 

Clowns can become a PITA in no time once they start rolling around in your favorite lps. You might want to consider a toadstool they are pretty easy and clowns do like to roll around in them but I have never had one damaged by a clown. Once the clown decides it loves the toadstool start putting in things like hammer, acan and ducans. Hopefully the clown will stay with its first love the toadstool.

Link to comment

I know the Star Polyps will spread a lot and that's really what I want...

The GSP's that I've seen online just look fantastic, I love their colour, their movement, their hugeness... I just can't wait.

 

As far as the LFS goes.. They don't stock many corals and I've NEVER seen frags.

 

I'm not too sure what's meant by 'Clowns can roll all over LPS'..

Link to comment

When anemones are not present clowns sometimes host LPS corals like hammers and torches which can damage their sensitive polyps.

Oh right... Makes sense.

 

Well I'll be using tank bred Perc's so I'll doubt they'll have the incentive to host anything.

Link to comment

Oh right... Makes sense.

 

Well I'll be using tank bred Perc's so I'll doubt they'll have the incentive to host anything.

Mine have yet to even acknowledge my frogspawn, hammer, or duncan corals. I would like to see them host one but I have also heard it can cause dark spots that resemble black ich to appear on the clowns.

Link to comment

Mine have yet to even acknowledge my frogspawn, hammer, or duncan corals. I would like to see them host one but I have also heard it can cause dark spots that resemble black ich to appear on the clowns.

I don't have anything against Clowns that host but in a 10G I just don't see the point in even trying.

Link to comment

I don't have anything against Clowns that host but in a 10G I just don't see the point in even trying.

They either will or won't but you could avoid buying coral they may attempt to host.

Link to comment

IMO, in this day and age most corals are beginner coral with caution. Thanks to advances in filtration and lighting in the last 8 years the only thing I'd avoid if I was brand new are NPS, delicate SPS, clams, and certain LPS with poor survival rates in general. Beyond that everything else is easily maintained with adequate flow, light, and water changes. You can start with montipora/seritopora for SPS, euphylia/acans/blastos/duncans/leptastrea/many more for LPS, and aside from Yumas and certain high dollar zoanthids with a penchant for melting, any thing that isn't true coral will do just fine. If 'Nems are on the to do list, stick with maxis or rock flowers to start. They won't host the clowns, but they are good looking.

 

As others have stated, a lot of the traditional recommendations for beginner coral can become weeds in short order. If you like them, it's not a problem, but be prepared to frag them frequently. That can come in handy when you first start out, since most fish stores will give you credit for the beginner stuff and let you trade up to other corals.

Link to comment

IMO, in this day and age most corals are beginner coral with caution. Thanks to advances in filtration and lighting in the last 8 years the only thing I'd avoid if I was brand new are NPS, delicate SPS, clams, and certain LPS with poor survival rates in general. Beyond that everything else is easily maintained with adequate flow, light, and water changes. You can start with montipora/seritopora for SPS, euphylia/acans/blastos/duncans/leptastrea/many more for LPS, and aside from Yumas and certain high dollar zoanthids with a penchant for melting, any thing that isn't true coral will do just fine. If 'Nems are on the to do list, stick with maxis or rock flowers to start. They won't host the clowns, but they are good looking.

 

As others have stated, a lot of the traditional recommendations for beginner coral can become weeds in short order. If you like them, it's not a problem, but be prepared to frag them frequently. That can come in handy when you first start out, since most fish stores will give you credit for the beginner stuff and let you trade up to other corals.

Well I'm not much of a fan of the colourful sticks (SPS). I'm a flowy, loose kind of guy.

 

I'm not looking for any Anemones as such so I think I'll just avoid them.

 

Pretty much anything with a bit of movement and a lot of colour I'll have a go with.

Link to comment

Well I'm not much of a fan of the colourful sticks (SPS). I'm a flowy, loose kind of guy.

I'm not looking for any Anemones as such so I think I'll just avoid them.

Pretty much anything with a bit of movement and a lot of colour I'll have a go with.

Most people start off that way, the non flowy stuff becomes the focus later on nine times out of ten. Definitely grab some type of Euphylia, leathers add nice movement, and if you can find photosynthetic gorgonian they would be a solid addition. Mushrooms and polyps also fit the bill nicely. I'll see you in one or two years when the LPS/SPS bug hits and you're spending more than you ever intended on the hobby.

Link to comment

Most people start off that way, the non flowy stuff becomes the focus later on nine times out of ten. Definitely grab some type of Euphylia, leathers add nice movement, and if you can find photosynthetic gorgonian they would be a solid addition. Mushrooms and polyps also fit the bill nicely. I'll see you in one or two years when the LPS/SPS bug hits and you're spending more than you ever intended on the hobby.

Please don't say that.... I need a job first :-/

Link to comment

I have a fairly new 10 gallon nano and have done well with a plate coral, snowflake Coral, zoas, Colt coral, blastomussa, Green stars ,Duncan,

Frogspawn, and a rescue bubble coral that I am trying to nurse back to health.

Link to comment

I have a fairly new 10 gallon nano and have done well with a plate coral, snowflake Coral, zoas, Colt coral, blastomussa, Green stars ,Duncan, Frogspawn, and a rescue bubble coral that I am trying to nurse back to health.

I have a fair idea on what I want the tank looking like.

I'd show a pic but I have no clue how to on this.

 

I have a thread on the Aquarium Advice forum in which I'm documenting everything I'm doing.

Link to comment

Apparently so...

 

Anyways, this is what I've got going so far.

 

This might not be the final rock work scape. I've just precariously balanced a bunch of rocks until I pick up some putty.

 

PS - I'm starting to love the pure blue lighting...

Link to comment

mushrooms. always the mushrooms.

i've found zoas sensitive sometimes, but

my mushrooms have survived almost all sorts

of disasters by this noob. they are also beautiful

and many i spot feed!

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions


×
×
  • Create New...