Beginner corals

[CD_Scapes]

I am looking to get a reef started in a year or two and want to get some funds started to do it right the first time. I am looking at a 10 gallon with a 3 gallon built in refugium. I am looking for corals that can survive some abuse form being gone on breaks or if I forget a water change or 2. I was thinking GSP, Xenia and Blue clove polyps

[Csalt]

They're easy to keep but become a nuisance if you ever want to keep anything nicer. Xenia will break off and spead, gsp will grow over sps. Clove takes over any open real estate. 

[CD_Scapes]

1 hour ago, Csalt said:

They're easy to keep but become a nuisance if you ever want to keep anything nicer. Xenia will break off and spead, gsp will grow over sps. Clove takes over any open real estate. 

So should I just do one of those? I was also thinking of doing a sort of pest style tank too

[Csalt]

Just dont put the gsp on the main rock and watch for the xenia when it breaks off the colony. I think clove polyps spread through the water column.

 

 

[Tamberav]

Get some green nepthea!! I still have a frag of my original which mean it has survived being with me for over 10 years!!!!!!! Survived every crash and every move I have ever had. Out-survived all the corals on your list, so bright green and not invasive

 

When something has been with you that long... it has such a special place in my heart. 

 

I can probably think of other good ones but I'm sleepy...

 

 

On 2/11/2018 at 4:18 PM, 9darlingcalvi said:

I am looking to get a reef started in a year or two and want to get some funds started to do it right the first time. I am looking at a 10 gallon with a 3 gallon built in refugium. I am looking for corals that can survive some abuse form being gone on breaks or if I forget a water change or 2. I was thinking GSP, Xenia and Blue clove polyps

 

[Clown79]

I love xenia and honestly, they are so easy to prune and frag which means you can trade them in or sell the frags.

 

Blue polyps are pretty, same with clove polyps.

 

You can isolate these fast growing corals on 1 rock or even the back wall of the tank and if you like them, there is nothing wrong with letting them grow out and fill up areas.

They can be pruned at any time

 

 

Green nepthea. I second that. Really pretty leather that stands out. Fast grower but easily fragged. 

 

Toadstool leathers- the tyree is really pretty

 

Ricordea and rhodactis mushrooms- just simply beautiful with so many options

 

Hammers, frogspawn, blasto

 

I love acan lord and I have always had great experience with them

[jambon]

Green symposium is a nice soft coral . It is similar to G S P but forms more of a clump. As clown79 said mushrooms are a good choose. Both of these will not require feeding. The mushrooms come in many colors and textures so they add a lot of interest to the tank. If you use more smaller pieces of live rock in your aqua scape they can be managed as they grow. Florida ricordia has a nice bubble texture and colors. They will split and can be traded off .

[NanoRox]

candy canes are nice. 

[Andy the reefer]

Honestly, one coral that never makes the top 10 list of easiest is beyond me?‍♂️ is the Kenya tree. Kenya tree is prefect starter coral and honestly you won't find another that stronger then Kenya tree. Had a second nano biocube 14 and nothing could survive in it not even fish, yet had a Kenya tree in there alone for years. Tank over heated once and Kenya was not effected. Gave up on the nano aquarium and moved Kenya in my main display tank.. It's huge now and very happy. Words of warning they are mean corals and need space! They also don’t like to be moved at all. If you move them slightly they will shift there body's to the spot they were in. I love my Kenya tree best 15 bucks I ever spent. Easy starter coral they are tuff and will look pretty in any tank. Ps Kenya trees don’t like to be missed with so no fraging and try not to move that much. There also aggressive so keep others out there reach in a moderate to slow flow area. Super pretty in less flow!!