Beginner corals - loved today, hated tomorrow?

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

I broke my tank down to rebuild the stand and get rid of these texas trash polys. I had xenia growing out of control but once I lowered my nitrates, it all died off.

 

[Indytraveler83]

I broke my tank down to rebuild the stand and get rid of these texas trash polys. I had xenia growing out of control but once I lowered my nitrates, it all died off.

Aren’t those the really really toxic ones?

 

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

Aren’t those the really really toxic ones?

Yeah, I found out the hard way, it was like the flu with extra body ache. I didnt put the pieces together until a few months later.

 

[Indytraveler83]

Yeah, I found out the hard way, it was like the flu with extra body ache. I didnt put the pieces together until a few months later.

I was at my lfs yesterday and he said he wouldn’t ever bring them in to be shop buy/sell or trade.

Glad you got rid of them and didn’t suffer too much. Those would be the absolute definition of a coral to hate...

 

[Jettareefer223]

Which corals are the usual suspects for beginners that i’ll regret tomorrow. GSP is obvious. But which others should I avoid that will eventually take over?

Thank you!

Kenya trees, trash and green palys, all Xenia, rainbow cloves/ all clove polyps the blue ones are the devil, most mushrooms for that matter especially green fuzzy’s, colt corals, caps, encrusting monti’s, green acros and yeah like you said GSP lol

 

[WetPets]

The coral i end up weeding from customers tanks most offten are palys, kenya tree, and anthelia.
I often frag out red monti cap because it grows to large. It is easy to frag and dose not grow out of control or too fast so i do not consider it a weed.

 

[FishyDP]

The usual suspects are GSP, xenia, kenya tree, anthelia, and blue sympodium. But if GSP and xenia are placed on its own rock surrounded by sand it should keep it from spreading. blue sympodium spreads and grows everywhere but doesn't sting other corals. So if you wait until your tank is full of coral and use it to fill in the bare spots it shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't even put kenya tree or anthelia in my tank because pieces break off and will float around your tank and take hold anywhere and everywhere. Another less obvious is green pocillopora coral. it's been known to break off and start growing everywhere.

I have had GSP and xenia in my tank for about a year. I placed both on islands and they have not reproduced anywhere else but on the island. Xenia doesn't do much for me, I feel that the colors are a bit bland, and the pulsing is minimal, in my tank. I agree with other posters that GSP is a nice addition. It definitely adds motion and color, and is very hardy, ime. It is also very easy to propagate.

 

[Raptor72]

Bump

 

[ReefingDaily]

Xenia forsure. Just keep them isolated and you’ll be alright!

 

[luke fortunato]

I know its not really a coral but anemones can be annoying to a beginner

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

The usual suspects are GSP, xenia, kenya tree, anthelia, and blue sympodium. But if GSP and xenia are placed on its own rock surrounded by sand it should keep it from spreading. blue sympodium spreads and grows everywhere but doesn't sting other corals. So if you wait until your tank is full of coral and use it to fill in the bare spots it shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't even put kenya tree or anthelia in my tank because pieces break off and will float around your tank and take hold anywhere and everywhere. Another less obvious is green pocillopora coral. it's been known to break off and start growing everywhere.

I actually have been looking into buying all of those corals! I would not mind pretty and fast growing coral to hide the fact that I need more rock. Pulsing Xenia is one of my favorites right now. Easy to pull up and a nice space filler.

 

[Phildago]

Everything besides Zoas, acan/micro, Duncan. Theyre colorful, don't overgrown and kill their neighbors, and they do decently in low light, so worst comes to worst you can put them in shaded spots in on the bottom of the tank

 

[clm65]

Xenia forsure. Just keep them isolated and you’ll be alright!

Last spring I put a small frag of xenia on a softball size rock a least 4” from any other rocks. Now that rock is covered and I have xenia growing in at least four other places, the furthest being about 4 feet from the original colony. I wasn’t quite sure how it spread so far, until last week when I saw a 3-headed Xenia cluster floating in the current. A few days later I saw a single head rolling across the sand. Apparently they are ejecting from the overcrowded rock and migrating throughout the tank. Maybe there are other varieties of Xenia that stay put, but mine are getting out of control.

 

[BayouReefer]

+1 on Discosoma Mushrooms they multiply worse than rabbits and will detach float across your tank land right next to your prized coral and begin their warfare.

 

[Gonzo74]

Last spring I put a small frag of xenia on a softball size rock a least 4” from any other rocks. Now that rock is covered and I have xenia growing in at least four other places, the furthest being about 4 feet from the original colony. I wasn’t quite sure how it spread so far, until last week when I saw a 3-headed Xenia cluster floating in the current. A few days later I saw a single head rolling across the sand. Apparently they are ejecting from the overcrowded rock and migrating throughout the tank. Maybe there are other varieties of Xenia that stay put, but mine are getting out of control.

Blast them with boiling water.

 

[Glott3133]

I have had GSP and xenia in my tank for about a year. I placed both on islands and they have not reproduced anywhere else but on the island. Xenia doesn't do much for me, I feel that the colors are a bit bland, and the pulsing is minimal, in my tank. I agree with other posters that GSP is a nice addition. It definitely adds motion and color, and is very hardy, ime. It is also very easy to propagate.

I started my reef with a GSP plug. It's looking good 2 months later, but it's not on an island. If I want to move it to a rock on an island, at what point is it too late. I noticed it's starting to grow, but still is all attached to the original plug.

 

[Bluespottedjawfish1]

Other than GSP, and other softies the ones I have that are causing issues are Sunset montipora, and the worst being green Pocillapora. It deft seeds everywhere and is agressive to other nearby SPS.

 

[SusRenee]

Blue clove polyps. They came on the original rock for my tank with some other freebies, so I didn't kill off the rock. Big mistake. I actually decided that was the silver lining of my tank crash a couple years ago.

 

[Vincent Azzano]

Which corals are the usual suspects for beginners that i’ll regret tomorrow. GSP is obvious. But which others should I avoid that will eventually take over?

Thank you!

I would avoid GSP like you said and Xenia too

 

[Bam327]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I found this through the search function. Why have people said chyphastrea and blasto’s? I just won an auction and included are 2 different cyphastrea frags and a blasto wellsi. I didn’t know these could be problematic