Favorite flowy corals

porcupinepufflover · Aug 1, 2024

Hi

I am looking for suggestions on flowy corals that I can add to a 20 gallon tank! I will be breaking down what we have and starting fresh. I really like the flowy corals like hammers and torches and frog spawns but interested in what other options I have. I’m a beginner so preferably something easy to maintain!

Formulator · Aug 1, 2024

Goniopora. I don’t know if I would call it easy, but if you keep things stable I don’t think any more difficult than torches.

mh0ward · Aug 1, 2024

I really like torches too, but my understanding is that their sweepers are long enough to potentially cause problems in a nano if you want to keep something other than Euphyllia. Hammers and frogspawn are more doable since their sweepers are generally shorter. A couple easy to keep “flowy” coral are GSP and pulsing Xenia, but they do grow relatively fast and can take over a tank if you don’t keep them in check. In a 20 gal, I don’t think it would be a big task to make sure they don’t spread beyond where you want them. I have them in my 20 gal tank but I keep the GSP on its own small rock and keep the Xenia in a low flow area (more pulsing) that will be easy to control.

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 1, 2024

Formulator said:
Goniopora. I don’t know if I would call it easy, but if you keep things stable I don’t think any more difficult than torches.

Definitely would never reccomend goniopora for a beginner. Long polyp/snowflake polyp toadstool leathers and some good flow should look "flowy", though if you're wanting something that grows EXTREMELY quickly and will be *IMPOSSIBLE* to remove, green star polyp, firework clove polyps and pulsing xenia Definitely have alot of flow to them, though be warned, make sure you are ready for the likelihood that they will dominnate your rockwork.

littlefoxx · Aug 1, 2024

Waiving hand coral

Formulator · Aug 1, 2024

Reefkeepers Archive said:
Definitely would never reccomend goniopora for a beginner.

They mentioned torches which I have a harder time with than goni. I don’t think they are as hard as folks like to talk about. Just speaking from my own experience. Really nothing soft or LPS is “hard” IMO. I wouldn’t call them “easy”, but I reserve the words “hard” and “difficult” for acropora. Other SPS = medium. Softies and LPS are different degrees of easy-moderate. Take it or leave it, but that’s been my 9 year experience. Note there is zero science behind those statements and they may or may not hold true for everyone LOL.

ScottJ · Aug 1, 2024

Duncan corals. Hardy, flowy, nice colors.

thomas_neil · Aug 2, 2024

Weeping willow toad stool!

Gumbies R Us · Aug 2, 2024

Duncans! Relatively easy to keep, and look great too!

porcupinepufflover · Aug 2, 2024

mh0ward said:
I really like torches too, but my understanding is that their sweepers are long enough to potentially cause problems in a nano if you want to keep something other than Euphyllia. Hammers and frogspawn are more doable since their sweepers are generally shorter. A couple easy to keep “flowy” coral are GSP and pulsing Xenia, but they do grow relatively fast and can take over a tank if you don’t keep them in check. In a 20 gal, I don’t think it would be a big task to make sure they don’t spread beyond where you want them. I have them in my 20 gal tank but I keep the GSP on its own small rock and keep the Xenia in a low flow area (more pulsing) that will be easy to control.

Yes I’ve had Xenia before and they definitely spread quickly I think I’ve only ever seen purple Xenia but they are easy to care for I will have to see what other colors there are!