A Hardy, Fast Growing, Pretty & Inexpensive Coral...Does it exist?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

A Hardy, Fast Growing, Pretty & Inexpensive Coral...Does it exist?

Is this question a pipe dream? I don't think so but the better question is how rare is this coral combo and more importantly which corals should we be looking for? But then again if it's rare then it must be expensive right? This is turning into something more like a rabbit hole! HA! Nevertheless let's see what you all have up your sleeve. And of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some corals do better in other people's tanks. With that in mind let's try it anyway!


What coral would you say is Hardy, Fast Growing, Pretty and Inexpensive? (must meet all the criteria)

 

[Mike from TN]

Many Reefers LOVE it and many Reefers HATE it but my vote goes to GSP (Green Star Polyps)
Yes they can be very invasive but you have to admit, a back wall, tank bottom, or even a rock island covered with GSP and waving in the current is a beautiful thing.

 

[sp1187]

@revhtree
what's considered inexpensive?

 

[fachatga]

Try looking through corals without names and prices. You’ll find some really cheap ones are your favorites.

 

[tautog83]

Ora birds of paradise , one of my favs . Cheap , grows fast , awesome contrast of green skin with metallic polyps .

 

[redfishbluefish]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I'm sure there are some who find Kenya Tree pretty. I know in talking to an LFS owner a number of years ago, I asked why he didn't have any Kenya Tree. He told me he couldn't keep it in stock....it quickly sold out. So folks are looking for, and buying, inexpensive corals which some might consider pest-like.

I agree with @Mike from TN and @fachatga , I always liked my GSP, watching it wave back and forth in the motion of the tank, and I'm also not a "name-freak" when it comes to buying corals. There are many no-name corals for very little that, by my eye, are beautiful. I just like to watch them grow.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Almost anything in the xeniidae family. Or captain jerk palys.

 

[Twitchy]

I would have to agree with GSP, it is hardy, inexpensive, and pretty... If it was hard to grow, rare, and a challenge, people would be all about trying to get it to grow up the back glass just to show its awesome grass like mats off. I feel like a lot of the easy corals loose their dazzle because we see them so much, and know that they take little effort.

 

[Overboard]

Bubblegum Montipora digitata.

 

[N3mo]

I would say xenia, it really is a beautiful coral with lots of movement that really brings life to a tank.

 

[Auquanut]

Montipora digitata.
Monti cap.
Green slimer.
Birds nest.
Stylophora.
Duncans.
Rasta zoas.
GSP.
All pretty basic and common, but still very nice and all have different colors and growth patterns in the tank.

 

[walloutlet]

My Zoa's and Monti Cap grow like weeds and pretty stand up to every mistake that I make.

**Edit: Xenia definitely, so much so that I use it as a nutrient export mechanism instead of Chaeto.

 

[IKD]

Aptasia. Usually get it for free (unknowingly), requires no maintenance, spreads everywhere, and loves to be the center of attention to the owner...

 

[Gtinnel]

I agree with GSP. To me it meets all of those requirements. It was the coral that got me interested in corals.
Now if only it didn't grow and take over everything, although I think a tank completely covered in GSP would look cool.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Hammerhead, Frogspawn, leather coral, GSP and of course the almighty and beautiful Xenia (I love and hate it, lol)

 

[vpoiu1263]

Red acropora hyacinthus.
Really hardy and nice looking red coral among sps.
And it's inexpensive here.

 

[vpoiu1263]

Red acropora hyacinthus.
Really hardy and nice looking red coral among sps.
And it's inexpensive here.

 

[elysics]

Long tentacled neon green and pink Sarcophyton. Inexpensive, fast growing, almost unkillable, wavy tentacle action, and it GLOWS, even in daylight

 

[Auquanut]

I agree with GSP. To me it meets all of those requirements. It was the coral that got me interested in corals.
Now if only it didn't grow and take over everything, although I think a tank completely covered in GSP would look cool.

I saw a nano tank in an LFS once that had GSP completely covering the substrate. Had a few rocks poking out with zoas and LPS. Looked kinda like a meadow with the grass swaying in the breeze. It looked amazing, but I'm sure it required a lot of trimming.

 

[Intheflesh]

I have a blue staghorn that grew pretty well for the first 6 months, but all of a sudden I can see visible growth on a daily basis lol. Its lived through a pretty nasty alk swing that wiped out most of my tank, so I would say its hardy.

Cheap? I'm not sure. I got it in a BC battle box, and it's not listed on his website so I don't know how much it costs.

this is about 2-3 weeks growth.