What Coral Do You Struggle With?

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

For me, I can keep sps and softies happy, but struggle with certain types of lps coral. Like goniastrea, platygyra, and "chalices". Recently I can also add hammers and frogspawn to that list. What coral do you struggle with?

 

[Northern Flicker]

My tank has thriving Favia, Torches, Ricordia, a couple Stags....and yet, my toadstool just continues to pout constantly.

 

[CasperOe]

For me, I can keep sps and softies happy, but struggle with certain types of lps coral. Like goniastrea, platygyra, and "chalices. Recently I can also add hammers and frogspawn to that list. What coral do you struggle with?

For me it's Goniopora! They keep dying at random for me, some are doing great- some are not.

 

[Alexraptor]

Seriatopora! The one SPS I can't seem to keep alive for dear life. I've kept monti's and acro's, but whenever I try my hand at seris, they invariably start to disintegrate from the tips down, after just a few months.

My last attempt really sucked, because I actually got that daughter colony from a public aquarium.

On arrival:


By Week 16:


Didn't last long after that.

 

[Hats_]

Acanthastrea for some reason, they never grow and then quickly melt away after a couple months. I keep torches and acros without issue

 

[cloak]

Elegance, Fox & Birdsnest. Certain zoanthids can be tricky sometimes too.

Never had a Goniopora, but have read a lot of horror stories. GL.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

For me I have never had long term success with torch corals!

 

[1112-425XL]

Goniopora, I've attempted twice and failed miserably. Maybe I'll go for strike 3 at some point.

 

[harrylarry]

Goni’s

 

[cwerner]

Elegance. Tried it twice with poor results each time. I keep similar care corals with no issues.

 

[Tavero]

In my experience you can grow every coral with proper water parameters, flow and light.
Not Zoanthids though.
Me: "Water parameter, light and flow is perfect"
Zoa: "time for me to die"
If they decide to melt, they will melt, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about that. Well you could pray to your imaginary deity of choice but the effectiveness of this treatment is questionable. Not less effective though than anything else I and other reefers have tried.

 

[Alexraptor]

In my experience you can grow every coral with proper water parameters, flow and light.
Not Zoanthids though.
Me: "Water parameter, light and flow is perfect"
Zoa: "time for me to die"
If they decide to melt, they will melt, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about that. Well you could pray to your imaginary deity of choice but the effectiveness of this treatment is questionable. Not less effective though than anything else I and other reefers have tried.

From personal experience I've found that some species of amphipods can be absolutely relentless in demolishing zoa colonies, if they are the slightest bit stressed. And I do mean stressed, not dying, as I have managed to save frags by simply moving them to an amphipod free environment until they bounce back.

 

[InvaderJim]

Zoas. I can grow acros but I have had no luck with zoas in either of my tanks. Palys on the other hand...

 

[Tavero]

From personal experience I've found that some species of amphipods can be absolutely relentless in demolishing zoa colonies, if they are the slightest bit stressed. And I do mean stressed, not dying, as I have managed to save frags by simply moving them to an amphipod free environment until they bounce back.

I know. I have seen them eating zoa tentacles in my first tank fifteen years ago. For that reason i have eradicated every single amphipod in my tank years ago. My palaemon elegans shrimps also make sure that this pest never has a chance to be reintroduced by a frag ever again.

The zoa melting syndrome has a different origin.

 

[MrGisonni]

Elegance corals. The only time I had success with was one in my classroom aquarium with an orbit light and a ton of algae growing everywhere. Go figure

 

[MrGisonni]

In my home 30 mixed reef it is chalice corals

 

[CK00020]

Wolverine favia, tried 3 times no luck. I can keep pretty much anything else

 

[Idech]

I’m new at this but so far I can’t keep my favorite, torches and struggle with my second favorite, hammers.

 

[secret_reefer337]

I have tried so many times, from different sellers but the only one I can’t keep alive in my softy tank is the Neon Green Nephtea.

 

[kevgib67]

I guess I’m the only one, mushrooms. I’ve had all three types for a total of 8 and just let go of the rock and up in unlighted area of the tank. Of the 8 I have 2 that are doing well. I have sps (easy) lps and soties that are doing great.