Help Me Pick My First Coral

[BamboozleBean]

Hello all, it’s finally time to get my first coral.
I can’t decide what I want, or what’s right for me. But I like the idea of GSP, or pulsing Xenia.
I have a standard 10 gallon tank.
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5
Salinity 1.026
Temperature 79-80
Medium to high flow in the middle and top, low flow at the bottom.
I don’t have a way to test my lights PAR, but I have a 24 inch Orbit Marine light with a gradual daylight cycle. It’s on full power for about 8 hours a day, and my frag rack is about 3-4 inches from the top of the water.
I have Reef Roids, Coral Frenzy, and a bunch of other sample packets of coral food.
Current stock is 3 zebra hermits, but they can’t get up to the frag rack.
Sorry it’s a lot of info, but I would like something easily fragged and not super expensive.
Again sorry it’s very specific.
So please help me decide, and feel free to share any experiences you’ve had with certain coral. Or what would work best with me and my tank. Thanks so much!

 

[ahiggins]

I’d go with palys of some sort (not the protopalys). The things you mentioned will get so out of control (covering everything) unless you put them on their own island.
Not familiar with that light but palys can generally be grown easily under any lights.

 

[MCatano]

I agree not to get GPS or Xenia. I would start with a few mushrooms. Pretty colors and IMO easy to keep.

 

[Fishurama]

I have the pro version of the lights you have, they aren't the brightest or have the best spectrum so stay away from SPS for awhile(can be done though)
I'd go with some zoas/palys, they grow like weeds, offer a lot of color choices, are as cheap as 5 dollars a polyp up to 100+ each.
Duncans are also easy and add some motion and some pretty strange colors can be found(albeit hard to find and pricey)
GSP and zenia are good choices as they are literal weeds, but can over grow your tank easily.
If you want something like that id go with a mushroom,as they offer more color and can be fragged and sold for more and also trade easier and faster IMO then GSP or xenia to other reefers.
Blastomussa grow very easily in almost no light and no flow and spread at a good rate.

 

[BamboozleBean]

I have the pro version of the lights you have, they aren't the brightest or have the best spectrum so stay away from SPS for awhile(can be done though)
I'd go with some zoas/palys, they grow like weeds, offer a lot of color choices, are as cheap as 5 dollars a polyp up to 100+ each.
Duncans are also easy and add some motion and some pretty strange colors can be found(albeit hard to find and pricey)
GSP and zenia are good choices as they are literal weeds, but can over grow your tank easily.
If you want something like that id go with a mushroom,as they offer more color and can be fragged and sold for more and also trade easier and faster IMO then GSP or xenia to other reefers.
Blastomussa grow very easily in almost no light and no flow and spread at a good rate.

Should I put the mushroom at the top of the frag rack? Or underneath in the low light low flow area.
The hermits can also pick any junk off of it.

 

[Fishurama]

Should I put the mushroom at the top of the frag rack? Or underneath in the low light low flow area.
The hermits can also pick any junk off of it.

Low light and low to moderate flow. They can tolerate moderate light and it can bring out more color/make color more vibrant, but it comes at risk of hurting the coral. EDIT: Hermits shouldnt bother it.

 

[BamboozleBean]

I have the pro version of the lights you have, they aren't the brightest or have the best spectrum so stay away from SPS for awhile(can be done though)
I'd go with some zoas/palys, they grow like weeds, offer a lot of color choices, are as cheap as 5 dollars a polyp up to 100+ each.
Duncans are also easy and add some motion and some pretty strange colors can be found(albeit hard to find and pricey)
GSP and zenia are good choices as they are literal weeds, but can over grow your tank easily.
If you want something like that id go with a mushroom,as they offer more color and can be fragged and sold for more and also trade easier and faster IMO then GSP or xenia to other reefers.
Blastomussa grow very easily in almost no light and no flow and spread at a good rate.

I have the pro as well, if I got GSP or Xenia I would isolate it on a rock on my bare bottom.

 

[Fishurama]

I have the pro as well, if I got GSP or Xenia I would isolate it on a rock on my bare bottom.

If you do them, isolate them or put them on the back glass. If they get on your rock work you will regret it.
They look good on the back glass.

 

[BamboozleBean]

Low light and low to moderate flow. They can tolerate moderate light and it can bring out more color/make color more vibrant, but it comes at risk of hurting the coral. EDIT: Hermits shouldnt bother it.

What do you mean a risk? I would love good colors, it would more valuable to sell or trade, but I would rather have a healthy coral.

 

[Fishurama]

What do you mean a risk? I would love good colors, it would more valuable to sell or trade, but I would rather have a healthy coral.

You can risk bleaching it with too much light. These corals really do prefer low light. Even under 50 par they should do great, they don't mind low light at all. I personally wouldn't ever put them higher then bottom/mid tank.

 

[BamboozleBean]

You can risk bleaching it with too much light. These corals really do prefer low light. Even under 50 par they should do great, they don't mind low light at all. I personally wouldn't ever put them higher then bottom/mid tank.

Awesome, I think I’ll get one of those, thanks for the help and great info.

 

[BeejReef]

No great experience here, but my mushrooms show more color under lower light.
Also, unless the crabs prove themselves problematic to the coral, you might benefit from them being able to climb up the frag rack and keep the plugs from growing a bunch of junk.

 

[BamboozleBean]

No great experience here, but my mushrooms show more color under lower light.
Also, unless the crabs prove themselves problematic to the coral, you might benefit from them being able to climb up the frag rack and keep the plugs from growing a bunch of junk.

Yeah, I might have to add a rock leading up to the top. I’m just worried with the high flow, and their small size, that they might fall through the rack.
Thanks for the mushroom info, I’ll put in under the frag rack in the lower light.