What are the best cheap corals for a beginner

[fishywishy]

I want to get some corals but i dont want any expensive corals yet so i can test it out first and see if everything’s good, so I'm wondering what are some really cheap corals that are easy to take care of?

 

[LeannaBanana]

Palys tend to be the more toxic (and faster spreading) ones.

What he said! It's a personal preference for me. Tons of folks love them!

 

[Troylee]

I’d stay away from gsp, Kenya tree etc that others have mentioned unless you don’t want any other corals lol.. these things will take over! Zoas are fine, montis, hammers, etc.. find a few cheap frags and just go for it! It’s really not hard if you keep up with water changes etc on your tank.. don’t buy into the hype that you have dose all these things you see people dosing today lol..

 

[fishywishy]

I’d stay away from gsp, Kenya tree etc that others have mentioned unless you don’t want any other corals lol.. these things will take over! Zoas are fine, montis, hammers, etc.. find a few cheap frags and just go for it! It’s really not hard if you keep up with water changes etc on your tank.. don’t buy into the hype that you have dose all these things you see people dosing today lol..

If you isolate things like a gsp and pulsing Xenia will they just stay there, Also how long will it take for a soft coral frag to get a good size?

 

[Troylee]

If you isolate things like a gsp and pulsing Xenia will they just stay there, Also how long will it take for a soft coral frag to get a good size?

It’s possible but they can and will spread.. gsp prolly easier to contain than Kenya… it gets old real quick trying to keep them trimmed back..

 

[God Coral]

I want to get some corals but i dont want any expensive corals yet so i can test it out first and see if everything’s good, so I'm wondering what are some really cheap corals that are easy to take care of?

We tell our beginner hobbyists that Leathers and zoanthids are cheap corals. Never have we had a customer lose either.

 

[ReefGuard Systems]

+1 for duncans. Also Toadstool leather (was my first)

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

When u venture into sps Id suggest milka stylo. Easier coral, great color and growth pattern. Also some seriatopora can fill in nicely. Good
Luck

 

[Hermie]

ive never had zoas, just know that if you get them it's a whole different concept than getting stony corals. kind of like GSP.

 

[Alexopora]

If you isolate things like a gsp and pulsing Xenia will they just stay there, Also how long will it take for a soft coral frag to get a good size?

Can’t comment on gsp cause they are among the few corals that just dont do well in my tank. As for pulsing xenia they may drop heads that may spread around the tank. If they are successfully they may establish themselves and boom.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Can’t comment on gsp cause they are among the few corals that just dont do well in my tank. As for pulsing xenia they may drop heads that may spread around the tank. If they are successfully they may establish themselves and boom.

I even have a blue tuxedo urchin who fragged his own Xenia weeks ago and has managed to establish a very fancy colony hat out of them. I don’t hate it as long as he doesn’t drop them anywhere I don’t want them.

 

[Jeeperz]

For me the easiest corals are devil's hand leather, mushroom leather, candy cane trumpet, blue stylophora, rbta. I can't grow birdsnest or zoa's to save my life, or acans/micros

 

[Sidsreef]

these are the corals over the past 10 years that I have felt we’re really easy to keep that are very adaptable to changing conditions, especially in a new beginner tank that have a lot of resilience. and are somewhat hearty.


1.zoanthids

2. Duncan’s

3. Candy cane

4.mushroom

5.GSP( very evasive)

6.Xenia (very evasive)

7. Blastomusa( low light

8. euphyllia (torch, frogspawn etc..)

there are plenty of easy corals to get but I seem to put these in my tank and they go nuts every time I put them in a tank

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

There are many different types of corals that are suitable for beginners, but some of the best options include:

1. Soft corals: These include species like leather corals, mushroom corals, and zoanthids. They are generally easier to care for than hard corals and are tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.
2. LPS corals: LPS stands for "large polyp stony" and refers to a group of corals that have large fleshy polyps. These include species like hammer coral, frogspawn coral, and torch coral. They are generally easy to care for and can tolerate a wide range of water conditions.
3. SPS corals: SPS stands for "small polyp stony" and refers to a group of corals that have small calcareous skeletons and small fleshy polyps. These include species like acropora, montipora, and stylophora. They are generally more challenging to care for than soft or LPS corals and require specific water parameters to thrive.

It's important to research the specific care requirements of any coral you plan to keep, as different species have different needs. It's also a good idea to start with hardier species and gradually work your way up to more challenging ones as you gain experience.

 

[The North]

zoanthids, hairy mushrooms or glowe polips are good starts