Coral advice

AVVITT · Mar 2, 2021

Tank set up coming into its 10th week since starting. Fish happy, nitrogen cycle parameters good, all seems well.
I've done lots of research on running the tank in general but there's so much info on different corals, some like light some don't, some high flow, some.low flow, some roe like crazy and take over etc......

So here's where I'm at. I love the look of zoa's but a bit put off by the fact they spread like wildfire and as all 3 of my rock structures are joined, if they do go crazy I've got a huge spread of zoa's and no room for anything else in the future.
I like star polyps, mushrooms look cool anf I think is it toadstools? (That's what they look like anyway lol) and Kenya trees.
All of the above I am lead to believe are soft corals and good for beginners.

With all the above info in mind, based on experience, what corals do you recommend and can you say what their needs and growing habits are like so I can make a final, informed decision about what I want in my tank.

Also any treatments and parameters I need to additionally test for alongside the usual fish needs oh and feeding too!

Hope that's not too much of a knowledge demand

lafarrow · Mar 2, 2021

My man check this thread

Best beginner softies

So I’m a ways off from adding corals but what are some suggestions for beginners corals to start researching them.

www.reef2reef.com

also check out the forums for tons of guides

Jekyl · Mar 2, 2021

Which lighting are you using? That will dictate the coral you can keep.

AVVITT · Mar 20, 2021

Jekyl said:
Which lighting are you using? That will dictate the coral you can keep.

Sorry, didn't get notifications for this thread!
I have a fluval marine pro lamp. Says it has the full spectrum for all coral and marine life

Zoa_Fanatic · Mar 30, 2021

AVVITT said:
Tank set up coming into its 10th week since starting. Fish happy, nitrogen cycle parameters good, all seems well.
I've done lots of research on running the tank in general but there's so much info on different corals, some like light some don't, some high flow, some.low flow, some roe like crazy and take over etc......

So here's where I'm at. I love the look of zoa's but a bit put off by the fact they spread like wildfire and as all 3 of my rock structures are joined, if they do go crazy I've got a huge spread of zoa's and no room for anything else in the future.
I like star polyps, mushrooms look cool anf I think is it toadstools? (That's what they look like anyway lol) and Kenya trees.
All of the above I am lead to believe are soft corals and good for beginners.

With all the above info in mind, based on experience, what corals do you recommend and can you say what their needs and growing habits are like so I can make a final, informed decision about what I want in my tank.

Also any treatments and parameters I need to additionally test for alongside the usual fish needs oh and feeding too!

Hope that's not too much of a knowledge demand

Zoa don’t spread like wildfire. I have 20+ varieties and all my cheap zoa grow super slow. My most expensive ones are the only ones that grow fast and they’re not invasive. I like hammer coral and candy canes. Both are easy to care for with basically any light system. I’m in a stock biocube and have grown all this. Never lost a single piece of coral in 8 years in my biocube.

FYI, of the things you named only mushrooms aren’t Invasive. Gsp and Kenya trees grow like weeds and will overtake a small tank. If you get gsp it goes on it’s own island in the sand apart from everything else. I think you’d like zoa and ric FL mushrooms well. Also LPS coral, ots pretty easy to care for.

iMi · Mar 30, 2021

I wouldn't worry about zoas, but I would worry about that GSP and mushrooms (except rhodactis). Those things can spread like wildfire. With Zoas, you can always create a ledge or put the fast growers on a separate rock in the substrate. GSP can also be isolated. Some people like to grow them on the back wall.