Easy to keep but not "invasive" corals

[KonradTO]

Hi all,
In my 32g started in August at the moment I have 1 torch,1 hammer, 1 goniastrea, 1 leptastrea, some zoas (people eater). I tried to add also cyphastrea and an encrusting monti, but they seem not doing too well, I guess it is too early for sps.
Also the hammer has some tissue receding but otherwise looks great most of the time.
Zoas lost one head last week and went through the "umbrella" phase but are producing new buds now so I would say it's happy. Especially leptastrea and goniastrea seems doing great, with the polyps fully out and feeding, nice colors and so on.
I would like to add some more corals but I want to be kinda confident that they will do well with my params. What are some species that are resistant to temporary parameters issues but don't grow too fast so will end up covering everything?
Once I figure out if the hammer is OK and happy, I was planning to get some duncans, fungia, ricordea, clavularia and blasto. Are those good for beginners?

 

[Duncan62]

Hi all,
In my 32g started in August at the moment I have 1 torch,1 hammer, 1 goniastrea, 1 leptastrea, some zoas (people eater). I tried to add also cyphastrea and an encrusting monti, but they seem not doing too well, I guess it is too early for sps.
Also the hammer has some tissue receding but otherwise looks great most of the time.
Zoas lost one head last week and went through the "umbrella" phase but are producing new buds now so I would say it's happy. Especially leptastrea and goniastrea seems doing great, with the polyps fully out and feeding, nice colors and so on.
I would like to add some more corals but I want to be kinda confident that they will do well with my params. What are some species that are resistant to temporary parameters issues but don't grow too fast so will end up covering everything?
Once I figure out if the hammer is OK and happy, I was planning to get some duncans, fungia, ricordea, clavularia and blasto. Are those good for beginners?

Duncans are much more hardy than most hammers. They grow fast enough to be interesting. Has the hammer been damaged? Gotten sand in it? Wall hammer or branching? So many questions. Lol. I'd say if you can keep a hammer of any type happy you can keep most of the stuff mentioned. Keep light in mind. I add acans and micromussa. Medium to lowlights.

 

[GHOSTLY]

Duncans, acan/acantho/scolymia, favia, and chalices

 

[oceanleaf]

I think rhodactis might suit your needs pretty well.
They are soft corals but don't grow too fast. They also come in variety of colors; some of which are very attractive (and also expensive).

 

[davidcalgary29]

Duncan corals will also tell you explicitly when they aren't happy with your water conditions by withdrawing or simply melting away. If your duncans are happy, then chances are your water parameters are just fine. What are you numbers, in any case?

I'd add Grube's gorgonian to the list of easy-to-keep corals. It's an excellent pick, as polyps are almost always open, and even when water conditions aren't great.

Stylocoeniella is one of the most forgiving SPS corals, and is an excellent choice for many tanks. Mine hasn't spread that much, but they can when they're in the right conditions.

Nepthea is an underrated softie that should be everybody's replacement for Kenya Trees. It's got the same treelike form -- and doesn't drop its branches everywhere.

 

[KonradTO]

Duncans are much more hardy than most hammers. They grow fast enough to be interesting.

Nice they also look great!

Has the hammer been damaged? Gotten sand in it? Wall hammer or branching? So many questions. Lol.

I am not sure what is the reason why it started peeling off. It was on the sand so maybe it got some sand inside or some amphipods were irritating it. Not sure. Parameters seems OK I have detectable PO4 and 10-15 NO3 but those vary a lot depending on algae growing around. I have some gha growing but not on the coral itself.. the most likely cause I would say could be light, since each of the 3 heads is fully open all day and in the afternoon they start closing when all the lights are still fully on. So maybe they are getting too much?

I'd say if you can keep a hammer of any type happy you can keep most of the stuff mentioned. Keep light in mind. I add acans and micromussa. Medium to lowlights.

I didn't know hammer corals were in the "more difficult" category, I actually thought it would have done great since my torch looks gorgeous all the time.
Nice acans have a great variety of colors, I love the blue and orange ones

 

[KonradTO]

I think rhodactis might suit your needs pretty well.
They are soft corals but don't grow too fast. They also come in variety of colors; some of which are very attractive (and also expensive).

Good news I thought they were kind of invasive. Maybe I got confused. It's not the one that detaches and spread babies around?

 

[KonradTO]

Duncan corals will also tell you explicitly when they aren't happy with your water conditions by withdrawing or simply melting away. If your duncans are happy, then chances are your water parameters are just fine. What are you numbers, in any case?

I'd add Grube's gorgonian to the list of easy-to-keep corals. It's an excellent pick, as polyps are almost always open, and even when water conditions aren't great.

Stylocoeniella is one of the most forgiving SPS corals, and is an excellent choice for many tanks. Mine hasn't spread that much, but they can when they're in the right conditions.

Nepthea is an underrated softie that should be everybody's replacement for Kenya Trees. It's got the same treelike form -- and doesn't drop its branches everywhere.

I forgot to mention gorgo, they are definitely on my list. I don't know the one you mentioned but I will check them and see if my lfs has them. I like pseudogorgia, also I think it's quite hardy, but very hard to find in shops here

 

[KonradTO]

Forgot to mention, my parameters are:
NO3 10-15 ppm
PO4 0.1-0.25 ppm
Mg and Ca right on spot without dosing (actually Mg is a bit high, over 1500. Ca 540 ppm)
Alk 8.5-9
Temp 25 Celsius all the time with no swings
Salinity 34 ppm
I don't test for ammonia and such because I have a lot of biological filtration and macroalgae so it's not likely to detect it anyway

 

[KonradTO]

Stylocoeniella is one of the most forgiving SPS corals, and is an excellent choice for many tanks. Mine hasn't spread that much, but they can when they're in the right conditions.

Ok in the past 6 months I red countless guides and threads on corals for learning how to keep them and what species need which parameters but I never seen this one! Looks like an ecrousting sps, very interesting! Thanks for the tip I might look for this one as substitute for the low side of the back wall instead of the cyphastrea!

 

[Duncan62]

Nice they also look great!

I am not sure what is the reason why it started peeling off. It was on the sand so maybe it got some sand inside or some amphipods were irritating it. Not sure. Parameters seems OK I have detectable PO4 and 10-15 NO3 but those vary a lot depending on algae growing around. I have some gha growing but not on the coral itself.. the most likely cause I would say could be light, since each of the 3 heads is fully open all day and in the afternoon they start closing when all the lights are still fully on. So maybe they are getting too much?

I didn't know hammer corals were in the "more difficult" category, I actually thought it would have done great since my torch looks gorgeous all the time.
Nice acans have a great variety of colors, I love the blue and orange ones

Hammers and torches are more finicky than some of the things you are moving on to. While a duncan is a good hardy grower if things get a little out he'll close up. Bit definitely more forgiving than hammers. Most Wall hammers are more sensitive than branching. My point wasn't that euphyllia in general are difficult, but that if you're hammers and torches do well the things you listed should do fine also.

 

[Duncan62]

Hammers and torches are more finicky than some of the things you are moving on to. While a duncan is a good hardy grower if things get a little out he'll close up. Bit definitely more forgiving than hammers. Most Wall hammers are more sensitive than branching. My point wasn't that euphyllia in general are difficult, but that if you're hammers and torches do well the things you listed should do fine also.

Try a blue eyed monti as a first sps. Fast grower. Sometime it's called undertaker monti for some reason. Lol

 

[KonradTO]

Try a blue eyed monti as a first sps. Fast grower. Sometime it's called undertaker monti for some reason. Lol

Does it have other names? I cannot find it.
What about bird nest? Are those easy?

 

[dk2nt9]

Your water parameters are common, most of the corals, including hammers, should do well.

If hammers are not doing well, something is going on in the tank, unrelated to measurable parameters. Maybe smelling as algae scrubber, having slime covered rocks or slimy or bubbly growth. Search for reef tank nuisance algae to see how this looks like. Dealing with underlying issue should help. After that most of the corals should do well, as long as activated carbon is replaced regularly.

Hairy mushrooms (rhodactis) are most resilient from mushrooms. Acans, favias, favites, candycane, blastomussa, cyphastreas (lower light and flow), chalices like Hollywood stunner (aggressive, keep it away form other corals and in the flow where tentacles will be pointed where you want them, not at other corals). LPS keep colors better than SPS and have less problems, as long as they are fed.

From SPS, I had no problems with porites, survived even toxic crash. Birdsnest and pocillopora are most hardy and grow well, as long as their requirements are met, followed by montiporas. But they may lose colors or even tissue if there are too much dinos, cyano or other problems.

Not invasive corals are that are not listed as invasive or encrusting. Branching kinds are easy to frag.

But majority of encrusting corals are resilient, only they have to be kept on a separate rock surrounded by rubble rock or epoxy putty strip, for easy removing for fragging or replacing encrusted rock by new. In more safe times LFS would gladly trade LR for a coral.

 

[Duncan62]

Does it have other names? I cannot find it.
What about bird nest? Are those easy?

Just saw this. No birdsnest yet. Get the monti happy first. Found anotherpic. looks nice.

 

[Duncan62]

Does it have other names? I cannot find it.
What about bird nest? Are those easy?

Here's the newest of these. I just had my hand in the tank so he's mad. The polyps project much more. This was a 3/4 inch chip in August. Quite pretty when happy and a good way to see what sps will do. If this one is happy get a birdnest.

 

[KonradTO]

Your water parameters are common, most of the corals, including hammers, should do well.

If hammers are not doing well, something is going on in the tank, unrelated to measurable parameters. Maybe smelling as algae scrubber, having slime covered rocks or slimy or bubbly growth. Search for reef tank nuisance algae to see how this looks like. Dealing with underlying issue should help. After that most of the corals should do well, as long as activated carbon is replaced regularly.

For sure I have some GHA problems, I just ordered some turbo snails and Elysia snail to get rid of some of them ( I don't actually mind some if they don't damage corals).
I change carbon every 2-3 weeks, maybe I can try to change it more often. I didn't think about allelopathy.

Hairy mushrooms (rhodactis) are most resilient from mushrooms. Acans, favias, favites, candycane, blastomussa, cyphastreas (lower light and flow), chalices like Hollywood stunner (aggressive, keep it away form other corals and in the flow where tentacles will be pointed where you want them, not at other corals). LPS keep colors better than SPS and have less problems, as long as they are fed.

My most wanted piece it's a lila cyphastrea but it's not growing or showing polyps for now. I have it on the sand to have the minimum light and flow possible but it does not look good..
I really like each of the ones you mentioned. I will start with some of those plus a duncan and a fungia if it is easy to keep. I also really like the ricordea florida

From SPS, I had no problems with porites, survived even toxic crash. Birdsnest and pocillopora are most hardy and grow well, as long as their requirements are met, followed by montiporas. But they may lose colors or even tissue if there are too much dinos, cyano or other problems.

I will try with porites as well. I thought montipora were very easy but mine (reverse superman) is growing some short algae on it and polyps are not very visible as I see on pictures. Also in 2 weeks I am noticing no growth at all on the plug, but maybe it just needs time to acclimate

Not invasive corals are that are not listed as invasive or encrusting. Branching kinds are easy to frag.

But majority of encrusting corals are resilient, only they have to be kept on a separate rock surrounded by rubble rock or epoxy putty strip, for easy removing for fragging or replacing encrusted rock by new. In more safe times LFS would gladly trade LR for a coral.

 

[KonradTO]

Here's the newest of these. I just had my hand in the tank so he's mad. The polyps project much more. This was a 3/4 inch chip in August. Quite pretty when happy and a good way to see what sps will do. If this one is happy get a birdnest.

Wow that's nice looking! I will see if they can be found here in Germany

 

[KonradTO]

This is the situation right now.. I am no expert but they look OK to me. Apart from zoa which looks a bit weird but is making new buds so I guess it's doing OK.
If there are not obvious problems with this ones I might get some more from the ones you guys suggested above, depending on what my lfs has. We also have in Germany a very nice online shop which guarantees shipping in 12 hours with a lot of choice

 

[KonradTO]

I was at the only lfs with frags in my area but prices where a bit high so I only got 3 frags for now. 1 ricordea florida orange, 1 fungia rainbow and 1 candy cane yellow. Unfortunately no duncans, no gorgo and the rhodactis they had I did not like the color. Next time I will get those online. Reading a bit around I found that my monti should be quite easy and since is not doing well at all I am gonna wait a bit more for sps until I have more control of alk and po4 (atm I have crappy tests so its hard to tell between decimals)