Best corals for beginner reef tank

[astillwell]

Hello all. I am building a 60 gallon reef tank and would like to get your thoughts on the best starter corals. Something that would provide a broad range of color and shapes.

 

[AC indochinese]

Zoas. I would say it's the best beginner coral out there. It's hardy and technically indestructible, there's tons of colours and varieties to choose from, isn't boring and fast growing. Doesn't require lots of flow and light, and tolerates wide range of water chemistry. I would personally have zoas in any tank.

 

[EricR]

I vote zoas and ricordea,,, just 'cause my daughters like them and they've been easy enough for me so far.

 

[RandomUser7]

Zoas, mushrooms, green star polyps, and xenia are some of the hardiest coral.

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Had more luck with SPS than Zoas.

Maybe my Angels were nipping when I wasn't looking.

 

[Phil Steel]

Zoas and mushrooms are colourful and small so as not to not take up much retail space and great starter colours. Toadstool to add some height.

You can then move some hammers and torches which happen to be my fave!

To each their own, but I’d stay away from gsp and xenia because unless they’re isolated, will overrun your tank!

 

[WavyAquatics]

Hello all. I am building a 60 gallon reef tank and would like to get your thoughts on the best starter corals. Something that would provide a broad range of color and shapes.

Hi! I find zoas, florida ricordea mushrooms, and Xenia's to be a great pack of starter corals. Just be careful with Xenia's since they can take over a tank mighty quickly. you would want to place them on it's own rock away from other rocks.

 

[snorklr]

when i put xenia in the tank i think i had it in an area with more flow than it wanted...it proceded to drop off tiny branches that floated all over...i figured i.d never be able to find them all and the tank would be quickly overrun so i got it all out of there while i still could....

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

when i put xenia in the tank i think i had it in an area with more flow than it wanted...it proceded to drop off tiny branches that floated all over...i figured i.d never be able to find them all and the tank would be quickly overrun so i got it all out of there while i still could....

I think that's just how they reproduce. Kenya trees do the same thing in my tank, one frag turned into 10. Same with my toadstool.

 

[Lavey29]

Since you are starting new, I recommend keeping lights off the first 4 months to allow your tank to develop biodiversity and microfauna. Fish don't need light. Then when you add coral and turn your lights on the ugly phases over the first year will be much more manageable for you.

 

[907_Reefer]

Strangely, Zoas have been difficult to keep in our newer tank. Ricordia Floridas, other mushrooms and GSP have been great, along with Duncans and a Frogspawn. Acans are hit or miss, Favia is doing well, Euphyllia generally not fantastic.

Also sharing a recent article on choosing corals here:

Choosing Corals for Your First Reef Tank

Corals have beautiful colorations, whether you are after soft corals, LPS corals, or SPS corals, we believe there is a coral out there for everyone! When choosing corals, you want to ensure they are healthy so they get the best start to their new...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[fish farmer]

Zoas and mushrooms are colour and small to not take up much retail space and great starter colours. Toadstool to add some height.

You can then move some hammers and torches which happen to be my fave!

To each their own, but I’d stay away from gsp and xenia because unless they’re isolated, will overrun your tank!

Depends on the mushroom. I have two types of discomas, green striped and reds. The green striped killed a disk of gsp and a frammer frag. The green striped have been budding off for several years and winding up everywhere and recently the reds are starting to overtake the greens, even killing off some brown button polyps.

They are bulletproof and have taken over half my rockwork.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Almost any soft coral, and when you're new/running a messier tank you'll honestly regularly grow them better than some of the showstopper tanks you see on here as they seem to thrive in dirty water.