Best 1st Coral

[z1107]

I'm thinking of adding corals to my tank and was wondering what are my choices for easy maintenance corals that don't require mh lights and are pretty hardy.

 

[bullysam]

zoas, lps

 

[Dixie_reefer]

You would be pretty safe with star polyps but they will spread onto anything near them. I like the way they flow in the current.

 

[z1107]

What about lavender mushroom(rhodactis)? Saw it on live aquaria and trying to stay away from corals requiring strong light.

 

[Pappy]

Shrooms are easy and if you get with a local reefer they'll prob give u a bunch for free!

 

[Dowtish]

what kind of lights are you running?

 

[z1107]

T8 50/50 in the hood, 1 6400k LED strip and 1 blue LED strip for night.

 

[Dowtish]

you should be fine adding mushrooms, leathers, zoas, and things like frogspawn, hammers etc.

 

[z1107]

I am upgrading to a t5 setup shortly, but I don't plan on going coral crazy and set up mh lights. Looking for easy maintenance corals that will do fine under the T5 setup.

 

[z1107]

Thank you dowtish. Again I am really appreciative of the info you guys give. This is a wonderful community.

 

[Dowtish]

I have T5's and grow every kind of coral.

 

[z1107]

That's beautiful. I've read that mushrooms can kill small fish. Is that true?

 

[steamer51]

Take a look at all the different leathers available. Easiest to keep in my opinion and the only one I know of that can spread like crazy and become a pest is the Kenya Tree which I have not had a problem with.

 

[Dixie_reefer]

I've never heard of a mushroom killing fish.

 

[Wesley42079]

Add any kind of mushroom, except the Jawbreaker, and GSP.

The thing is mushrooms and GSP's grow everywhere and good luck trying to remove it from your tank.

 

[Kano]

Elephant Ear Mushroom I believe this is one of the only mushrooms you'd have to worry about eating fish. And I don't think the probability is very high. My hairy mushrooms close up on mysis and other things when I feed but never saw/had/heard of any issues with fish. If you want it, T5s can grow it (if your tank is set up for it as well, flow, position in tank, etc)

 

[EcoFrags]

never heard of anything even elephant ears eating fish if they are alive only carpet anenome's have i ever heard of eating fish like that

 

[ptboy6]

Try a green birds nest. They grow fast and easy to take care of too. You'll learn more of how to keep corals that way.

 

[z1107]

Thanks guys I really like the zoas and star polyps, now that I know my new lighting setup will support them. Do clowns ever host with any of these?

 

[Dixie_reefer]

No but you can get a frogspawn or a hammer. I have t5's on my tank and my frogspawn loves it and my clown hosts it.