beginner corals...

[e_murray]

so.. now that I have my lights to support the corals, I would like to start getting some things.

I really like the Hammer coral.

What do you suggest for good beginner corals?

 

[carey]

No tank would be complete without some zooanthids. And mushrooms for sure too! I love candycanes and brain corals are nice too. Soo many to choose from!

 

[melosu58]

Some good starters would be some mushrooms, Button polyps and yellow polyps. I dont see why you cant go to a hammer after those.

 

[nxb161]

the hammer was one of my first corals and that was under the biocube compacts. I moved it out of that tank, only because the clowns wouldn't leave it be.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Clowns can be pretty rough on anything that looks like an anemone. I should produce some latex anemones just for clown fish. I bet they would not know the differerence.

 

[Bige]

They have those fake nems at my lfs. I swear they look so real. Even sway with current.

But I would go with mushrooms, zoa, hammer.

I would avoid gsp or xenia. Seem good at first but if you don't have a large tank, they will take over all your room for the corals you want down the road.

 

[nxb161]

I would avoid gsp or xenia. Seem good at first but if you don't have a large tank, they will take over all your room for the corals you want down the road.

I don't think it would matter how big your tank was if Xenia was comfortable in it. My clownfish love it, and hide in it if they are scared. If I could go back in time i never would have put any in my tanks. Thankfully my last tank doesn't have any if it, Spreads like wild fire, but if you don't mind something like that taking over then Xenia is for you ( & your clowns)

 

[Bige]

I agree. I if I could go back in time I would not buy them... and play the lottery while there. I think its funny when I see people that cant grow it. I say good. Someone smiled on you.

 

[Gregcoyote]

It is a mystery. I can grow most everything photosynthetic in my tank, but Xenia. All other soft corals are growing like mad. It must be the toxin levels of the other corals that zap the Xenia. Running carbon, but that doesn't help them much.

 

[Tomchong22]

Xenia is prob the most stubborn coral lol only because if at first you can't get it to grow ... It will never grow. Or if it is growing like crazy you may wake up the next day and it will all be wilting away. Never the less I would stay far away from it.

I would recommend feather dusters, zoas, mushrooms,Frogspon.

 

[austinsdad]

Frogspawn is another green coral you might like. Some of the smaller leathers are also great beginner corals IMO.

 

[e_murray]

Cool, thanks for all the suggestions! Yeah My xenia is wilted to nothing..

It was doing great and growing everywhere till I got my G4 psk and then it started going down hill..

I read that it likes lower water quality. So I guess my skimmer is doing a good job!

 

[e_murray]

and when I added my new lighting it really closed up! My mushrooms are smaller too!

 

[carey]

I had a single xenia sprout that grew into a HUGE colony over about 3 months. Right before I had my death run in the 125g the entire colony literally melted in 2 days and there isnt a trace I ever had xenia.

Not sure I'm gonna put any back in, as it did start to grow ALOT and I hear it can take over a tank.

As far as your mushrooms, they don't like alot of light, do you have them on the floor with some kinda overhang? Mine are growing like crazy under a slight overhang of rocks I placed them under.

I alsohave the same issue in my pico with the shrooms. I added new lights and now they are tiny. Hoping they will adjust soon.

 

[Gregcoyote]

My shrooms also got tinier when I upped my lighting.