Overwhelmed by Coral

[ericwithac]

Hey All! So I am new to the Salt Life. I am not new to fish keeping, so that seems like the easier part.

I have NO IDEA about corals though. I've looked around on here and I am just getting more confused. Zoas, SPS, softies, what on earth is going on!

Whats a very basic beginner guide to learning about corals!

Thanks in advance!
E

 

[ndrwater]

Wow!! That's kind of a big question... My best suggestion is to go to each if the forums here discussing corals, both SPS and LPS, Softies, and Zoas. At the top of the forums are posts listed as *Stickies. Read those, and go from there.
Another tip is to ask a specific question. Like, "what is the difference between SPS and LPS?" You are much more likely to get a specific answer that way. Keep the questions coming, and there is no such thing as a dumb question.

 

[ericwithac]

Wow!! That's kind of a big question... My best suggestion is to go to each if the forums here discussing corals, both SPS and LPS, Softies, and Zoas. At the top of the forums are posts listed as *Stickies. Read those, and go from there.
Another tip is to ask a specific question. Like, "what is the difference between SPS and LPS?" You are much more likely to get a specific answer that way. Keep the questions coming, and there is no such thing as a dumb question.

Thanks! I was hoping there was some "Ultimate Guide to Corals" on here! Haha! Ill keep reading!

 

[DangerDave]

Thanks! I was hoping there was some "Ultimate Guide to Corals" on here! Haha! Ill keep reading!

There is actually. Try finding a local reef club. You’re likely to meet a bunch of people with years of experience to learn from...

 

[ericwithac]

There is actually. Try finding a local reef club. You’re likely to meet a bunch of people with years of experience to learn from...

Yea, ive tried, sounds like the CTARS is going through some rebuilding so I don't have one around here haha.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

A local reef club is great idea and worth looking into.

My additional advice: Subscribe to ("Watch") the following forums and just read the daily posts every day for a while:

• Reef Aquarium Discussion
• General SPS Discussion
• General LPS Discussion
• Soft Coral Discussion

When I started with reef keeping and this forum those four provided the most information and helped me to gain a basic knowledge.

 

[Coralreefer1]

There is also a plethora of reference books and websites that can answer any question you might have regarding corals, no matter if your a newbie or advance aquarist.

Calfo, Sprung, Delbeek, Borneman, Fenner and Thiel are some great authors who are pioneers regarding the saltwater hobby and corals.
Check them out... plus R2R has great articles and an awesome group of hobbies to to guide you and help you too, to break the hobby down so it’s not too overwhelming like going to Walt Disney World for the first time knowing little about it!

 

[PatW]

Corals come in a number of categories.

First off are hard and soft corals. Hard corals build skeletons from calcium carbonate, aka limestone. They get this by taking calcium and alkalinity from the sea water. Soft corals are don’t use calcium carbonates.

Second, there are photosynthetic and non photosynthetic corals. Actually, the corals are not photosynthetic. The have algae in their cells called zooanthellae that do the photosynthesis and provide carbohydrates to the coral. If you want to grow these corals, you will need really powerful lights to mimic sunlight for photosynthesis. Most photosynthetic corals are also hard corals but there are photosynthetic soft corals like gorgonians.

Generally, soft corals get their energy from filter feeding stuff from the water. So they need to be fed. On the plus side, they are tolerant of relatively high nitrates and phosphates. They compete with other corals by releasing toxins into the water. The toxins generally do not affect fish or snails or crustaceans.

In the hard corals, there are LPS corals, Large polyp corals. They can take nutrient loads. They like being fed. They generally do not need high levels of light.

Then there are SPS corals. These are the major reef building corals. They like low nutrient water, high water flows, strong light, and very stable conditions. These things make them challenging to keep. But an SPS tank can be stunning.

Many people start with soft corals and never go beyond them.

 

[Mikedawg]

Hey All! So I am new to the Salt Life. I am not new to fish keeping, so that seems like the easier part.

I have NO IDEA about corals though. I've looked around on here and I am just getting more confused. Zoas, SPS, softies, what on earth is going on!

Whats a very basic beginner guide to learning about corals!

Thanks in advance!
E

A classic by Julian Sprung: https://www.amazon.com/Corals-Quick-Reference-Guide-Oceanographic/dp/1883693098 Details characteristics and flow, light, placement, requirements etc.

 

[Super Fly]

you can visit Liveaquaria here https://www.liveaquaria.com/category/597/coral and search corals based on care level and coral temperament from the left dropdown menu "Narrow Results" .

 

[Katrina71]

Let me cut down your reading time...pick something you like visually, and ask questions.

 

[rhastareefer]

I'd really recommend BRS's 52 Weeks of Reefing. Might skip some of the basics but it has everything you need to know about corals and how to keep them happy. Enjoy the addiction!

 

[Super Fly]

Just beware of the following corals that are very INVASIVE and can overtake your tank; Kenya Tree, Green Star Polyp (GSP) and Pulsing Xenia. Kenya tree and Xenia will drop branches and spread, resulting in u having to manually prune/remove them often. Many have regretted adding these corals, myself included. U can keep GSP from spreading by isolating it on an island.