Beginner Corals

[tgfitz1]

I've recently set up and had a new tank running for 5 weeks, and it completed it's cycle about 2-3 weeks ago as I seeded it with Bio-Spira.

I have kept fish-only before but I am very excited about starting a reef but want to start in the shallow end with some nice looking but forgiving corals. I am particularly interested in LPS.

My tank is a 33g with dimensions 36L"x20H"x16D"

Water params are in check, I am yet to check Calc, Mag and Alk. I do have supplements for all 3 elements but I do not have or intend to purchase a dosing pump just yet.

Does anyone have any recommendations, and some tips you find useful with keeping corals that you're willing to share with me [emoji3]

Thanks guys

Tom

 

[FL_Reefer]

Do not buy pulsating Xenia, it is a great ''starter coral'' but it will soon be the only thing you have in there. If you do want it, put it on a rock by itself. Same with GPS and most common mushrooms. Good things come in time, don't rush anything or make drastic changes. Congrats and good luck! Don't hold back on questions either, this forum is a great place

 

[Dunnman39]

Also interested to hear some tips

 

[FL_Reefer]

Make sure temp and salinity stay stable! If your going to keep corals, buy a refractometer. Best purchase you can make!

 

[LetItReef]

Look into Favia- moderate flow, sandbed placement.
Hammer and Frogspawn- low-moderate, indirect flow.
Give some space. These have sweeper tentacles and might sting a nearby coral.
Also test Phosphate level.

 

[jamie callard Verified Sponsor]

Duncans are a good starter as well.

 

[Nibejeebies]

I started in December 27th, I haven't lost any corals that I have added and all are growing, some by double their size.

Pulsing Xenia is a great looking Cora but as others have said it grows rapidly. I started with a single small stock and in one months time it's up to 5 separate stocks and starting to overtake the small rock I put it on.

Ricordia mushroom is another small coral that looks like well, a mushroom. It's tripled in size in the month and a half I have had it, I have it on a rock by itself.

Green Hammer coral which has given me a little grief as it kept deciding where I put it wasn't go enough and either wouldn't open or opened so much that it looked like it was dieing, once I found a spot it liked it's starting to sprout a new head. And it looks awesome under The blue lights.

Octaspawn witch to my understanding is either a morph or a cousin to the frogspawn, this thing is amazballs. It has multiple suction cup looking things on its tenticals and resembles an anemone. It's done very well and has distinctive blue and green hues.

And my personal Favorite...

Zoathids and Palythoas. (Pardon spelling)
I know I'm still new to the hobby but I really don't think you can go wrong with Zoas.

There's a TON of different colors and morphs, they have slightly different t look to them at night under a moonlight, and generally speaking you can get them fairly cheap. Did I mention that they are resilient little boogers?
They can hold up and withstand parameter swings and they grow for there size rapidly.

You can start with a single polyp for some where between 3-10 bucks and in a month have 5-7 polyps in a colony.
I started with a tiny little zoa frag that had just two polyps on it, and as I type this I'm counting 11 or 12.

I'll post some pics after this post to show you said corals...

 

[DeniseAndy]

You mentioned you liked lps. Any particular styles? It is such a broad category. For instance, you may like torches, euphyllias (hammer/frogspawn) types that require more flow and light. Trumpet corals that are not as wavy, but more upright in look. You could go with more sandbed types like scolymias, lobos, acans, favias, etc that require all varieties of light and little flow. Also, most of those are not beginners. Just trying to get an idea of the look you want before I recommend anything.

As far as beginner LPS, duncans are a nice choice as are trumpets and hammer. Some favias are great and easy too. I would not want to suggest something that is going to fail due to conditions. No fun for you.

On a side note: we always change our minds. It is part of the hobby. Embrace never knowing exactly what you want. Heehee

 

[Nibejeebies]

Octaspawn.

Green Hammer

Mushroom

Xenia

Zoa farm, the one on the left started just over 5 weeks ago with two little polyps.

Palythoas


I find that half the fun of coral husbandry is taking something small, keeping water quality and parameters in check and then growing something beautiful and amazing that and the fact that I like cheap stuff so I buy frags small and watch them grow over time.

 

[tgfitz1]

You mentioned you liked lps. Any particular styles? It is such a broad category. For instance, you may like torches, euphyllias (hammer/frogspawn) types that require more flow and light. Trumpet corals that are not as wavy, but more upright in look. You could go with more sandbed types like scolymias, lobos, acans, favias, etc that require all varieties of light and little flow. Also, most of those are not beginners. Just trying to get an idea of the look you want before I recommend anything.

As far as beginner LPS, duncans are a nice choice as are trumpets and hammer. Some favias are great and easy too. I would not want to suggest something that is going to fail due to conditions. No fun for you.

On a side note: we always change our minds. It is part of the hobby. Embrace never knowing exactly what you want. Heehee

Well, I love the movement you get from torches and hammers etc, but I also love the colours you get from acans and scolymias! So I guess I love all shades of LPS [emoji38]

I want my reef to have as much movement as possible, that it makes the whole aquarium look alive!

That's true. I love the look of SPS also but not quite ready for that yet. I do enjoy soft corals too and I'm a big Zoa fan!

 

[Bpultz]

Unpopular opinion: I like Xenia. It's low maintenance and if kept isolated it's a cool addition. Any euphyllia are awesome. Those two are what catches everyone's attention in my tank(once they get over my puffer lol)

 

[tgfitz1]

Unpopular opinion: I like Xenia. It's low maintenance and if kept isolated it's a cool addition. Any euphyllia are awesome. Those two are what catches everyone's attention in my tank(once they get over my puffer lol)

I think Xenia is really interesting and I would be pushed to get some if I knew that it wouldn't take over my tank!

 

[tgfitz1]

Unpopular opinion: I like Xenia. It's low maintenance and if kept isolated it's a cool addition. Any euphyllia are awesome. Those two are what catches everyone's attention in my tank(once they get over my puffer lol)

I think Xenia is really interesting and I would be pushed to get some if I knew that it wouldn't take over my tank!

 

[Bpultz]

I think Xenia is really interesting and I would be pushed to get some if I knew that it wouldn't take over my tank!

That's why I've got two islands(one is mostly intended for faster growing/more invasive corals) and my Xenia is on a rock I can easily move if I need to.

 

[tgfitz1]

That's why I've got two islands(one is mostly intended for faster growing/more invasive corals) and my Xenia is on a rock I can easily move if I need to.

Sounds like a plan.

If I ever go for Xenia or GSP I'll make sure to incorporate a similar method.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Hammers and frogspawns will give nice movement and are good in the beginning. Not fool proof, as if an infection occurs they can perish fast. Torches I would wait for a more mature tank. More food in the water column and feet wet with other two.

Scolys wait a long while since they need good stability and lots food. Acan I would wait a bit to see how water chem goes. These both need lower flow and no noxious corals near them.

It is so fun to begin stocking. Go slow, make sure to research corals and fish.

 

[Maritimer]

Love the movement and flow of Euphyllias; hammers, frogspawns and octospawns, IIRC, can all touch and flow one into another, but torches should only touch other torches. (The good news is that they come in lots of colors!)

Duncans have a great reputation as well - I haven't worked with them, but don't plan to come home from this weekend's "Frag Farmer's Market" without one!

Less movement, but a different texture from my Micromussa corals, including the ones commonly known as "Acan" lordhowensis. (The taxonomists just recently reclassified them as a Micromussa)

Brilliant, don't-forget-your-sunglasses colors from Blastomussa corals.

You'll find the same from zoanthids and palythoas (Be aware, they can hold a potent toxin in their tissues and mucus - research precautions for "palytoxin", and then go ahead and get them. They're worth a few precautions.), brilliant colors in unending patterns and combinations, they'll spread slowly across your rocks, pushing together in patches of awesome.

All of the corals above enjoy a snack now and again - I'll pour in some prepared phytoplankton or zooplankton, or set the Gyre to "feed" mode, and target-feed mysis, brine, or LRS with a turkey baster. It's astonishing how much meat a blasto or acan can put away!

Not so much movement from Favia and Favites, but wonderful colors, blends and patterns, especially under the blue lights.

These are the corals which seem to thrive in my tank, only set up since the beginning of December, by someone who had no real reefing experience, but was eager to read and absorb everything he could find on these forums. (I've had less luck with mushrooms - some thrive, others just kind of hang in there. The only corals I've lost so far have been 'shrooms.)

I'm told that when you're ready for SPS, Montipora are a pretty hardy step into that realm. I think I might be just about ready to step into SPS . . .

~Bruce

 

[tgfitz1]

Hammers and frogspawns will give nice movement and are good in the beginning. Not fool proof, as if an infection occurs they can perish fast. Torches I would wait for a more mature tank. More food in the water column and feet wet with other two.

Scolys wait a long while since they need good stability and lots food. Acan I would wait a bit to see how water chem goes. These both need lower flow and no noxious corals near them.

It is so fun to begin stocking. Go slow, make sure to research corals and fish.

Well I'm going to my LFS this weekend and I'm hoping to pick up a couple of things so we'll see [emoji38] I'll check my parameters tonight to make sure everything is ok.

What sort of flow, position in tank, and lighting would you recommend for Hammers and Frogspawn?

Also, how do you recommend the acclimation process is best carried out? I have picked up Coral Rx dip for parasites and hitchhikers.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Coral Rx will not get many of the parasites off. You will need to grab some Flatworm exit too. This in combination with rx will be a good start. Soak for at least 5 minutes up to 10. Then move to a rinse bowl (water from tank that matches parameters of bag). As long as parameters are close, I would not worry about acclimation from a short trip. Although qt is preferred, many so not and this is your first coral, so it will not damage others.

 

[Nibejeebies]

Keep us posted!! Do you have a tank build thread? If so post it up and if not start one and I'll follow along and we can share discoveries together