What are some good starter corals?

[Tango Tangy]

I am a newbie when it comes to the saltwater aquarium world. I have a new 50 gallon setup with a 70 gal aqua clear hang back filter, and a power head in the tank. I was curious to see what a good starter coral would be? One that would be more hardy than another and easier to maintain to get some experience when dealing with coral.

 

[Tahoe61]

Mushrooms, Toadstool, Cabbage Coral, Kenya Tree all cheaper and good starter corals. Most people include Xenia and Green Star Polyps on their list of beginner corals but they tend to take over if not watched closely.

 

[Tango Tangy]

Thanks Tahoe!

 

[Oscaror]

Welcome to R2R! It honestly hurts me a little when people recommend leather corals (Except for the green ones) and kenya trees, the point of corals is to add colour I don't see why people bother to clean diatoms only to add more brown to the tank :/

Try zoanthids, they always add colour to a reef

 

[Tahoe61]

Welcome to R2R! It honestly hurts me a little when people recommend leather corals (Except for the green ones) and kenya trees, the point of corals is to add colour I don't see why people bother to clean diatoms only to add more brown to the tank :/

Try zoanthids, they always add colour to a reef

The Sarcophytons come in a lot more colors than brown, take a gander at a Fiji yellow or green variety. They display beautifully under flow and will be a host for clowns, easily propagated and hardy. The cabbage comes in blues and pinks. The point of corals is to add diversity, enhance the experience. There are fabulous and stunning tanks that are based around those corals, don't cut them short because they are not high end expensive Zoanthids and others.

 

[Oscaror]

The Sarcophytons come in a lot more colors than brown, take a gander at a Fiji yellow or green variety. They display beautifully under flow and will be a host for clowns, easily propagated and hardy. The cabbage comes in blues and pinks. The point of corals is to add diversity, enhance the experience. There a fabulous and stunning tanks that are based around those corals, don't cut them short because they are not high end expensive Zoanthids and others.

I'll remind you that I set aside green leather corals from what I was saying. And yellow leathers are significantly harder to keep than their green and brown counterparts. Also, I never said anything about cabbage corals. I said kenya trees

Also I'm not excluding low end zoas, all zoas (besides button polyps and the such) add an amazing splash of colour to a tank, and colonies of any kind can become the centerpiece

 

[thefuz]

Zoa's and Paly's are the way to go. Just make sure you're wary of some of the more runaway varieties like Nuclear Greens and such.

Lobophyllia, hammers, and frogspawn can be good starters also. I'd avoid SPS, clams, anemones and such until you're sure you've got parameters rock solid and feel relatively comfortable you're keeping the easier stuff happy and growing. Anemones can be especially problematic when you're starting out as they're prone to wandering and have a unique affinity for chopping themselves up in powerheads.

Good luck!!