Water current: low to high
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: moderate to high
Care level: beginner
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: This plate coral is easily confused with other plate corals and there is no easy way of distinguishing it from the others for the hobbyist. It should be placed on the sand bed.
Description: This coral is often confused with Scolymia sp., but is much fleshier than the aforementioned coral. It is extremely hardy making it a great beginner coral.
Description: Symphyllia sp. typically has a contorted brain look to it and can be very colorful like the specimen below. Its' ease of care makes it a good beginner coral for those looking for a splash of color.
Water current: moderate to high
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: Moderate to high
Care level: Experienced
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: Echinopora sp. comes in many shapes from branching to plate-like scrolls. Corallites stand above the coenosteum. It is not a super-hardy coral and so should be kept by experienced to expert reefers,
Sea mat
Submitted by: Russellaqua
Scientific Name: Palythoa sp.
Family: Zoanthidae
Behavior: Passive
Hosts Zooxanthellae: yes
Color variations: Nearly any color
Needs:
Water current: low to high
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: no
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: low to high
Care level: Beginner to expert
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: All species produce a powerful neurotoxin known as palytoxin. Some form such dense mats that they may overgrow corals. Some have long stalks, although others barely protrude from the mat. Because of the varying conditions they're found in in the wild a great variety of conditions must be met in the aquarium, making some hard to keep, others very easy.
Mushroom
Submitted by: Russellaqua
Scientific Name: Actinodiscus sp.
Family: Discosomatidae
Behavior: Passive
Hosts Zooxanthellae: yes
Color variations: Nearly any color
Needs:
Water current: low
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: no
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: low
Care level: Beginner
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: Many species exist but are difficult to classify other than A. striata, the striped mushroom, and A. mutabilis, the spotted mushroom. High light and flow causes the coral to stay partially closed, so lower flow and light tanks are recommended to capture the full beauty of these animals.
Actinodiscus striata
Photo courtesy of TritonsGarden
Pulsing coral
Submitted by: Russellaqua
Scientific Name: Xenia sp.
Family: Alcyoniidae
Behavior: Passive
Hosts Zooxanthellae: yes
Color variations: brown, blue
Needs:
Water current: low
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: low
Care level: Beginner
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: Many species exist but the aquarist cannot differentiate them. The tentacles pulse when sufficient calcium is available in the water. Xenia sp. possesses the ability to move and is one of the first corals to colonize a reef.
Water current: moderate to high
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: moderate to high
Care level: Beginner
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: This coral is both colorful and rugged, making it a great beginner's coral. Several species exist giving it both encrusting and pillar-forming growth forms. Tentacles are more obvious on P. decussata than many of the other species.
Pavona maldivensis
Photo courtesy of The Nomad. Note the sweeper tentacles.
Behavior: passive
Hosts Zooxanthellae: yes
Color variations: green, purple, red, white, blue. many color variations
Needs:
Water current: moderate
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: water change
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: high
Care level: easy
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: Beautiful plating corals that are very fast growers. Adding multipe colors of this coral together can creating beautiful multi-colored swirling growth patterns. Monti. caps can also be easily fragged with broken pieces easily encrusing and forming new colonies. Placing monti. caps to the lower portion of your tank can keep them from shading out all of your other corals.
Behavior: semi-aggressive
Hosts Zooxanthellae: yes
Color variations: multiple colorations
Needs:
Water current: moderate
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: no
Trace Elements Supplement: water change
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: moderate
Care level: moderate
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: Clove polyps are beautiful polyps that will flow in the tank flow. Place them along the bottom half of the tank. Clove polyps will grow quickly under proper additions, give them plenty of space to expand their colony.
Behavior: passive
Hosts Zooxanthellae: yes
Color variations: multiple colorations
Needs:
Water current: moderate to high
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: water change
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: high
Care level: easy
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: Beautiful coral that once its acclimated will grow quickly. It received its name from looking similar to deer antlers.
Water current: moderate to high
Iodine supplement: yes
Calcium Supplement: yes
Trace Elements Supplement: yes
Needs meaty foods: no
Needs Phytoplankton: no
Needs Microplankton: no
Lighting: moderate to high
Care level: Experienced
Likes meaty foods: no
Likes Phytoplankton: yes
Likes Microplankton: yes
Description: As an SPS coral it is generally recommended for experienced to expert reef keepers. It is hardy though. It can be confused with birdnest, but has thick, blunt tips, and hoods that the polyps emerge from.
Photo courtesy of H@rry. Typical pink color of S. pistillata.
Photo courtesy of H@rry. More unusual green form of S. pistillata.
Description: The pipe organ coral is a soft coral but is often mistaken for a hard coral due to its pipe like calcareous skeleton. Sometimes it is mistaken for other similar lookiing corals such as daisy polyps or clove polyps. Items such as oyster eggs and the like are great foods for this coral.
