Corals that thrive & those that just survive or die! Plus how old is your oldest?

[CanuckReefer]

Ok Forgive me, but I have no idea what the proper name is for any of them. I inherited a big problem tank. Got it straightened out, and my son just kept throwing coral and fish at it. All the fish died when I dropped the skimmer cup in it. Really bad experience to watch them die in the matter of 5 minutes, except the tough Clown.
Could not keep LPS alive for more than 2 weeks. Remember totally Ignorant, and still learning.
However from one frag these 4 If you look close is a really nice violet one just starting to multiply now but the others. all came from one frag.

The leather I split, and now ( not in the picture has given birth just 2 days ago.
Please if you can tell me the correct names for them it would be much appreciated.
If

Wow! Mushroom heaven! I see Red and Blue (the violet you speak of I assume?) Disco types proliferating. Shrooms love your setup, some they don't....

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

1. What one coral thrives the best in your reef aquarium?
Kenya Trees? Xenia? GSP!

2. What corals seem to struggle to survive or even die in your reef aquarium?
Aside from birdsnest that apparently my peppermint shrimp thinks is aiptasia, monti caps seem to be my nemesis. I want one so much but they don't want me. The ones I've tried haven't died outright, but both went down the same way, seemingly getting "burned" on the top/middle and then gradually getting overrun by algae until only the outer rim and underside remain. I've got several polyps from my first monti cap in my nano now actually trying to make a comeback, and I've moved another to a frag rack while I try to figure out what to do next. I really like both of those corals! The green one was a beautiful frag, I really hate to see it get reduced to a polyp like the Starburst.

3. What is your oldest coral and how long have you had it?
I still have my very first coral, a Kenya tree from Live Aquaria. That's only almost two years now, and yeah, it's just a Kenya tree, but it's a keeper. The package was damaged and the coral disintegrated, but the rock that it was on had coralline so I set it up in a nice spot in my tank to spread the love. It was weeks later that I saw a tiny nub on the rock. That nub grew into a polyp. We named him Mini-Me. Mini-Me now has colonies in two tanks and grows so fast he could become a national supplier for Kenya trees. Yeah, it's just a Kenya tree, but it was my first coral and survived the odds.

 

[Mark Bradley]

Can’t keep SPS for love nor money. Duncan’s, Fox, Bubble and Zoas grow fantastically well. Don’t bother even looking at SPS anymore.

 

[elcapitan1993]

I chose the first option but really it’s option 1 AND 2 for me, my tank is a coral graveyard where corals go to die, I only have luck with stupid sps witch I hate, I love lps and softies but they die no matter what I do, test my water every day for everything, bought a 1000$ light, buy the most expensive salt and still death to all corals not sps

 

[Junkmanthom]

Speaking of mr blue thumb himself!! Lol
I dont remember ever buying a coral. (typing with left hand) But this gorgonian on the left I see in my old pictures and may be 15 or 20 years old. But I am guessing. That hammer is also up there but not that old. Maybe10, but guessing again. They were both fragged many times. Mst of my montipora was overtaken by encrusting sponges and those are probably about 10 or 15. My Duncan has maybe 30 heads, I don'tknow

 

[GillMeister]

I had great results with Stylos and Birds Nests until about 8 months ago, but now they start shedding polyps right away. My other SPS do really well.

 

[Treefer32]

One of my first corals was a toad stool. I saw a pic recently on my phone of when I first got it, it was about 2" tall and 6" around (large for a small toad stool.) Now, it's 8" tall and about 14-15" around. It's awesome. I have some orange superman or something like that SPS that grows very well. Hammers that have expanded well in the last two years. 1 Watermelon anemone that turned into 4. A lob that now has 3 heads started with 1 head barely a half inch in size. A stunner chalice that started off around 5-6" around and now has multiple folds on itself and is probably around 10" around. Acans are my oldest coral and the least grown. They might have grown 1 new head in the last 3 years and are still about the same size as when I got them.

I can't grow acans to save my life... I don't know what to do with them. I've tried feeding them, I've tried high phosphates, low phosphates, on the sand bed, off the sand bed... I have 3 1/2" colonies and none of them will do anything useful in 3 years.

I'm reducing phosphates from .08 on average to .01 ppm. Slowly. So, we'll see if that helps at all, otherwise I give up on acans. I love them, but not when they don't get nice bouncy heads...

 

[GillMeister]

Can’t keep Stylos or Birdsnest. It’s a shame because I love them both. I have otherwise a Acropora dominated tank and all frags are slowly becoming colonies. The interesting thing is I used to be able to keep both stylos and birdsnest which grew like weed in the same tank. This however changed after my last tank crash a little over a year ago. Anyone with any recommendations what I can do to get stylos or birdsnest to grow? Thinking about doing a detailed analysis of water parameters.

LOL. We need to compare notes. Check out my post above. Maybe we can figure out what the issue is?

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Do you not find the GSP invasive/annoying? I’m considering getting a GSP frag - it does look good!

Consider branching GSP. Mine has never left the rock I put it on and trimming back the branches when it gets too wild is an easy snip with the scissors.

 

[Drendo]

I can keep anything, other than a Jason Fox Crazy Fox chalice. I have no idea why I keep trying.

 

[Hermie]

My coral deaths are 95% from frags falling off the rocks. They will fall into other corals or upside down etc.

 

[Hermie]

Consider branching GSP. Mine has never left the rock I put it on and trimming back the branches when it gets too wild is an easy snip with the scissors.

branching GSP is shockingly "contained" in my tank, I have a batch boxed in by a goniastrea, the tank glass, mushrooms and then an unappealing shadowed ledge. I've had it for like a year in the same spot and it just stays happy there. Tons of flow and polyp extension, but it gets beat up by neighbors.

 

[Paul B]

I also can't keep gonopora or elegance.

 

[CanuckReefer]

My coral deaths are 95% from frags falling off the rocks. They will fall into other corals or upside down etc.

Same. And its often my urchins doing the deed. It's a love / hate relationship with them....keep my tank algae free, but total bulldozers no matter how that coral is attached....

 

[WiscoFishNut]

1. What one coral thrives the best in your reef aquarium?
Zoas for sure, but I feel like I have to mention torches because the three I've added to my tanks have done really well despite my mistakes.

2. What corals seem to struggle to survive or even die in your reef aquarium?
Cyphastrea. Killed them all. Bad placement maybe in general? Also Scoly's - 0 for 1 with them, haven't bought another because it was a quick painful loss lol

3. What is your oldest coral and how long have you had it?
Oldest is my plain old purple torch with green tips. It went in the DT right after the initial cycle and has survived all my dumb mistakes. The tank is only a year and a half, so not too old yet.

 

[sfin52]

Do you not find the GSP invasive/annoying? I’m considering getting a GSP frag - it does look good!

Island its good simple to keep in check. I have some growing on my siphon tube I can post later.
Never mind I have a fts.

Top left you can see it. Its never grown down just up

 

[WhiteTailFish]

Green favia and goniopora have almost died a few times since i got them almost a year ago and havent grown. I havent killed coral yet! Fingers crossed!

 

[David S]

Probably the easiest for me is my Raja Rampage, which I have on the back of the glass.
I frag for LFS credit, regularly.
I have had great long term success with LPS ( Elegance, Hammers and Torches).
Toughest for me are Tenuis, Torts and Millies. Never been able to keep them long term (3 years or more).
Oldest current colony is probably the orange Acan I picked up at my first frag swap. I've had it at least 8 years.
Honorable mentions are WWC Bluberry Fields Acro (also growing on glass) and a Toadstool Leather

 

[reefertanker]

1. My green leather is my hardiest coral and a soul survivor of many other coral frags.

2. Cant seem to ever keep a zoa for more than 3 weeks frags shut then dissolve. I’ve had 4. All dead.

3. That goes to my green leather which is only 6months now but I’m new to reefing and it was the only coral left after my tank cycled (got to excited) and now it’s bigger and still growing

 

[Brian_68]

My oldest coral is a toadstool leather about a foot across now I had for 20 + years.