What Are The Best Beginner Coral?

ReefStable · Apr 7, 2023

I put together a list of what I believe are the BEST beginner coral!
If you have some others you think belong on the list, let me know!

The Best Coral for Beginners

New hobbyists often look for the best beginner coral. So I made this list of coral I would personally recommend for newer reefers starting out their coral collection!

reefstable.com

Pistondog · Apr 7, 2023

Xenia and kenya tree. Green star polyp.
Should be on a list of easy corals, unless we consider them invasive.

ReefStable · Apr 7, 2023

Pistondog said:
Xenia and kenya tree. Green star polyp.
Should be on a list of easy corals, unless we consider them invasive.

Kenya Trees fall under the Nepthea/Sinularia category. I don't consider those invasive because they are at least removable.

I have been debating on Xenia and GSP... They are very easy coral, but when beginners get them, it usually takes over and can't be removed when it is on main structures. Maybe some more people will chime in... I've been wrestling with that one for months.

Gumbies R Us · Apr 7, 2023

ReefStable said:
I put together a list of what I believe are the BEST beginner coral!
If you have some others you think belong on the list, let me know!

The Best Coral for Beginners

New hobbyists often look for the best beginner coral. So I made this list of coral I would personally recommend for newer reefers starting out their coral collection!

reefstable.com

Great information for those looking into getting coral for there tank!!

doubleshot00 · Apr 7, 2023

Hammer corals are on your list.

Should of been favias, duncans or candy canes.

No euphylia should be listed as a beginner coral.

exnisstech · Apr 7, 2023

In my tanks hammer - died, micomusa - died, green sinularia hanging on, nepthea was doing well and attached then one day it vanished without a trace,clove polyps - died, mushrooms do well, leathers do well, zoas - all died but they now after 7+ years I have a small patch hanging on. I've come to the conclusion that there for sure are difficult corals but easy corals are tank specific and what is easy in one tank may not be easy in another. I have four tanks running and each seems to have differences but nothing detectable. I even ran ICP tests on two tanks because lps would thrive in one tank and deflate for weeks in another and reinflate within 24 hours of moving them back to the original tank. So for me there are coral that may be easy but blanket statements the xx coral are easy has not been the case for me. Oh and gsp died as well but like the zoas after 7 years I have a patch doing well so maybe it's tank maturity

Shibaken3 · Apr 7, 2023

definitely, duncans should be in there.

mike550 · Apr 7, 2023

ReefStable said:
Kenya Trees fall under the Nepthea/Sinularia category. I don't consider those invasive because they are at least removable.

I have been debating on Xenia and GSP... They are very easy coral, but when beginners get them, it usually takes over and can't be removed when it is on main structures. Maybe some more people will chime in... I've been wrestling with that one for months.

I’d suggest Xenia and GSP but only with a warning about how invasive they can be. Speaking from newbie experience I had a GSP mat that ended up taking over 1/4 of my main rockwork. Xenia took over another 1/4. So while they are fun and easy please recommend that they keep them on “islands”.

davidcalgary29 · Apr 7, 2023

That list should really contain Grube's gorgonian, which is both remarkably easy to cultivate and remarkably non-invasive.

Stomatopods17 · Apr 7, 2023

How do we feel about plate corals?

Not sure if this is a hot take or not, but plates seem very minimally demanding, for a beginner learning placements its as simple as.... laying it on the bottom of the tank lol. No gluing, don't compete with space on rocks for our zoanthids and such, just place on the bottom and under decent lighting and let it exist.

Unless I'm missing something about them, I don't see plates brought up enough in any discussions.

ReefStable · Apr 7, 2023

davidcalgary29 said:
That list should really contain Grube's gorgonian, which is both remarkably easy to cultivate and remarkably non-invasive.

Is that o e photosynthetic?

ReefStable · Apr 7, 2023

Stomatopods17 said:
How do we feel about plate corals?

Not sure if this is a hot take or not, but plates seem very minimally demanding, for a beginner learning placements its as simple as.... laying it on the bottom of the tank lol. No gluing, don't compete with space on rocks for our zoanthids and such, just place on the bottom and under decent lighting and let it exist.

Unless I'm missing something about them, I don't see plates brought up enough in any discussions.

Usually don't think about plate coral. I haven't looked into them as a beginner coral. I'll have to look into that. Thanks