I need help with coral selection

[M1i1t1c1h1]

Hello all! I am finally getting back into reefing after a 7 year break. This time I am doing it right! I am approaching it with significantly more patience than last time as well as more knowledge (thanks to the many information outlets available now that weren't available 7 years ago).
I have made many decisions so far as to how I want to run my tank. A big decision I have yet to make is the type of corals I am going to grow. I have attempted to do research and look up pictures with different types of corals, however I know that even with every picture I see online (some with no references or description) I wont get the true nature of what it will be like to grow these different kinds of corals or what they will ultimately look like in a hobbyist tank.
I am asking you all for some input. I would appreciate it if you could please post pictures of your tank corals. Please outline the type of corals you have in the tank (LPL, SPS, Softies, hybrid, etc.) as well as your summarized experience growing and caring for these corals.

 

[Lizbeli]

Honestly, in all my tanks it was me picking out corals I was attracted to. I see something I like, do research on lighting/flow requirements, and then take a look in my tank to scope out a spot for it. I have always kept mixed reefs with lps, softies and sps.

With the right placement theres usually no particular care for any one coral unless of course you have nps that need feedings. Usually just do normal maintenance/dosing and try to keep your hands out of the tank.

Ultimately just get what you like but do research first on care requirements.

 

[Perthegallon]

go for a ducan there cheap and cool
torchs are always great to especially the aussie ones

 

[sp1187]

zoa & clove polyps (cloves grow like weeds)

6 blasto's
monti (lower left)

gorgonia

pink tip torch

mushrooms (left center) paly's (right center)

assorted zoas

 

[M1i1t1c1h1]

Thanks, these are great pictures! What kind of corals are these?

 

[sp1187]

Thanks, these are great pictures! What kind of corals are these?

names added

 

[Krzydmnd]

hiya! welcome back to reefing!

a few things to consider w/ corals...

1. they GROW! lol. Look at it like landscaping in the sense that a small bush will get much bigger, so place them accordingly, and to their most suitable locations based on coral aggression, light and flow requirements.

2. the urge to spend $$ on flashy, high priced corals is hard to resist sometimes as a new keeper, but it's best to get your tank established and start off with a few easier pieces to keep alive (i.e., not very many SPS are suitable for new tanks)

3. it's also easy to buy the 'flowy' stuff because it looks cool and is relatively inexpensive (ex. Pulsing Xenia), only to find they grow so fast they can become nuisances if not invasive.

4. your coral and/or fish selection will dictate what livestock you can keep. if you are really into angelfish, then corals probably aren't a good idea.

here is my two year old 60g tank. All of my corals grew from 'frag size'. LPS typically prefer low to mid lighting, so I keep them on the sandbed/lower rocks. SPS generally require higher PAR so I place them in varying levels of the rock work based on the species' needs.

Lobophyllia are one of my favorite LPS; they grow slowly, are relatively inexpensive, and pretty hardy.

Euphyllia are a nice coral to add for movement in your tank if that's what you're looking for, and can be had for a few bucks to a few thousand.

mushrooms are also really easy to grow, and can also propagate pretty quickly. They come in a variety of species, colors, and price points.

Zoanthids/palythoa are also great as they add some pretty cool colors, and make very interesting 'gardens' as they generally can be placed together. Although there are a few types of Paly's that can quickly take over as well.

Leptastrea are cool, they grow as a very thin layer over rocks, so I keep mine isolated on a single rock.

Pocillopora are neat looking and easy SPS to grow, however they will actually release polyps and end up growing in other places in your tank.

Seriatopora are similar and grow VERY fast, however I don't believe they drop polyps, so they're a bit safer in that regard.

Once you start looking at higher end SPS (acropora, some montipora) you get in to specific minimum lighting requirements and stable tank parameters.

Chalice are cool, and there are low $$ varieties to be had. This is a good example of species-specific research as there are certain types, Hollywood Stunner as an example, that are considered aggressive because they have sweeper tentacles that come out at night and WILL sting/kill other coral. I'm talking like 12" tentacles, lol.

there are examples of each of these types except Pocillipora and birds nest) in my tank, so if you see anything in this pic that catches your eye LMK and I'll give you more info on it.

Good luck and happy reefing!

 

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

Hello all! I am finally getting back into reefing after a 7 year break. This time I am doing it right! I am approaching it with significantly more patience than last time as well as more knowledge (thanks to the many information outlets available now that weren't available 7 years ago).
I have made many decisions so far as to how I want to run my tank. A big decision I have yet to make is the type of corals I am going to grow. I have attempted to do research and look up pictures with different types of corals, however I know that even with every picture I see online (some with no references or description) I wont get the true nature of what it will be like to grow these different kinds of corals or what they will ultimately look like in a hobbyist tank.
I am asking you all for some input. I would appreciate it if you could please post pictures of your tank corals. Please outline the type of corals you have in the tank (LPL, SPS, Softies, hybrid, etc.) as well as your summarized experience growing and caring for these corals.

The below link should help. I'm completely new to saltwater and this playlist became my coral guide.
I've had to refer back to it several times especially after my aquascape was done to see what can possibly strive where in the tank based on lighting and flow and how much effort I'm prepared to put in to maintain stability for more sensitive corals.
I'm somewhat still overwhelmed and mesmerised by the options available.

Best of luck

 

[Lizbeli]

Guess Ill add some pics of my favorite corals I have had over the years.. Some of these were in my very first tank. Some in my second. All generally easy once you get a hang of things.

Back in 2013, a wall hammer. I particularly like the look of these hammers. Care requirements are pretty easy. Enough flow to make the tentacles move, and medium low light. Adds movement and color. I actually have one in my newest tank that is almost identical..

2015- Green favia. Loved the shape. low light for me gave it the best color. Medium flow. It also loved to eat (no necessary but fun to do)

2015- Scolly. Love them but they can be pretty expensive. I would add it later on once multiple corals are doing well. This thing loves to eat too (again, not necessary).

Yuma mushrooms! Come in all different colors. Get decent size and are beautiful.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Just look around and see what you like! Here’s my feeding regime for everything as well as their preferred environments (as a general consensus, individual corals may like something a little different, but this works a lot of the time and is a good guideline to placing them)


I 100% believe in feeding as follows. I made this feeding schedule myself, and have seen my growth rates triple. Not saying it’s perfect or fool proof, it just works well for me. Be forewarned, this does require a lot of dedication and a good CUC. I recommend a mix of turbo, astrea, stomatella snails along with at least 1 larger shrimp per 20 gallons (fire, peppermint, skunk, etc). This is also assuming that the corals are happy with their lighting, flow, and water perams. This will not help a coral suffering from a bad environment, but I have used it to save a lot of abused corals that needed that extra bit of TLC.

GENERAL MIXED REEF
Going a little bit overboard when feeding is crucial. You can only do this if your tanks is COMPLETELY cycled and mature, if it’s not, then you will experience one of the worst algae blooms you’ve ever seen. For this purpose, I use LRS reef frenzy foods, but any variety of frozen food should be just fine.
Fish are a big part of this, and shrimps are a must. The fish eat the ‘getaway’ particles and the shrimp eat the stuff that falls to the bottom of the tank. Without a good CUC, algae blooms will happen and the leftover food will fuel bad critters such as bristleworms Rub the cube/frozen piece in your tank until it begins to melt and great apart, at this point, remove it from the tank and place it in your palm/paper plate/easily cleanable surface. Here, pick apart the frozen food and isolate larger chunks such as scallops, shrimps, etc. Pour the remaining smaller bits into the tank with the flow on, close to the powerheads or pumps so the particles swirl around the tank. Your fish should’ve eaten and gotten full during this step, if they have not, then feed more. Hungry fish steal food from corals which is traumatic to them. As a general rule, with corals that have a clear mouth (anemones, fungia, etc) try to feed foods that are half the size of the mouth at maximum. These corals are able to physically choke to death on foods that are too large, so please take caution!

LPS/ANEMONE/EUPHYLLIA

PLACEMENT
Anemones- These will move around on their own, so you gotta nem-proof your tank! Powerheads and intakes are the most common reasons healthy nems die in tanks. Netting or buying nem guards to protect your traveling nems against the chopping power of a powerhead are a great idea! Nems are difficult in that they require a developed tank, a general rule of thumb is a tank that has been cycled for at least 6 months. However, since they move on their own whenever and however they want (usually not after they settle, unless you change something like flow or light) they do pose a threat to any coral that gets in their way. Nems have a powerful sting and will win most battles they face, meaning that when they move around your tank trying to find a suitable place to call home, they may cause a trail of destruction. Feeding a nem will encourage it to stay put if it chooses a place that you like, but it does not work 100% of the time. These are very aggressive neighbors so be sure to give them a wide berth when placing other corals.

LPS- Most LPS are fairly resilient. Placement just about anywhere with direct light is usually okay as long as they are acclimated correctly to the light level. Light acclimation is best done very slowly over the course of a few weeks, and a magnetic frag rack is good for this purpose because it can be moved easily with little stress to the corals. They may be mounted directly to the rock work after light acclimation by use of epoxy putty, super glue, or by just placing the coral on the rock and allowing it to encrust and grow. They also do well on a sand bed or even barebottom. These corals are not very picky as long as there is some flow where they’re at, many prefer medium flow. Most species can live in harmony with each other (acan lords may touch each other, Candy canes may touch each other, etc) be careful though, as they could be aggressive to other corals.

Euphyllia- There are many different distinct species of euphyllia and each have separate requirements. I’m going to cover hammer, torches, frogspawn, and elegance.
Torches- Torches are notorious for being bad neighbors, as they develop sweepers, and often don’t play nice with other torches either. They like areas of moderate-high light, and where they have enough flow to make their tentacles sway back and forth. Aussie torches have a reputation of being super finicky and dying out of the blue, so indo torches may be better for a less experienced reefer or someone new to torches. They do well on all substrates, provided that they have a stable base.
Hammer- hammers are the euphyllia I’d recommend to a first time euphyllia keeper. They come in both branching and wall type, branching being better for covering a tall space Or to have jutting out of a peninsula and a wall being able to cover a long stretch of rock. These types may be kept together, and hammer gardens are quite stunning! Most like higher light situations (under something like an AI Prime, not Acro-level high light) and require a good amount of flow, if you see tentacles waving in both directions (left and right) it’s probably a good flow spot. These can be kept on any substrate as long as they are stable. As with all euphyllia, they are dangerous neighbors to non-hammers and a distance of at least 3-4 inches is recommended to keep them from burning other corals.
Elegance- Elegance are a great alternative to anemones if you’d like a coral that looks kind of like LTA that has no risk of moving whenever it feels like it. Many keep them on the sand bed due to their long reach and crazy aggression, however I keep mine on my aquascape and it’s fine. Higher flow is good for them, and they should blow mostly in one direction. Same lighting requirements as the other euphyllia and also substrate. Please beware that these have an enormously powerful sting and will burn anything that touches it (except for new heads of itself), that paired with its incredibly long reach spells death for any coral too close, keep that in mind when aquascaping. These guys also have a bad wrap for eating smaller, slow moving fish such as a mandarin which can have trouble escaping should they get too close, however they make great host corals for clownfish.
Frogspawn/ Octospawn- Frogspawn are very similar in care to hammer corals and are good choices for a beginner euphyllia enthusiast. They can be successfully kept in a garden setting and are very interesting to look at because of their branching tentacles. There are even hammer/frogspawn hybrids! Octospawn has the same care requirements as well, but I would not recommend them to a beginner as they can be quite pricey! Definitely a lovely piece though, a drawback being that they don’t come in as many color morphs as the torches or hammers and that makes them less desirable to some people.

FEEDING
Remember those larger chunks you isolated? Grab those back. Using your fingers or a pair of tongs (I prefer fingers because the food is less likely to get stuck) stick the food directly into the coral.
For LPS, it’s crucial to wait until feeder tentacles are extended then feed directly, if these tentacles are not extended then the coral cannot eat and the food will be wasted. This is why it’s important to allow the small particles to circulate before attempting this, the ‘smell’ of food in the water activates the feeding response. I suggest smaller, squishy things such as half mysis shrimp for LPS like acans, Favia, Blastos, and trumpet/candy canes. This method also works well for rhodactis mushrooms, please use only in low/no flow so the shroom has time to eat.
For anemones and elegance coral you’re going to want those firmer chunks such as bits of scallop. Give these directly to the tentacles of the coral, they will feed themselves. Be very careful when feeding because the tentacles are very sticky and if care is not taken, they can be ripped off and cause damage. Personally, I feed BTA anemones every day, they split and bubble better when very well fed.
For all other euphyllia (hammers, torch, frogspawn, etc) the technique differs by location in the tank. Since these are not as sticky as an anemone/elegance, they need time to eat the food properly. If the current/flow is too strong, then the food may be blown away before it has a chance to eat it. Feed softer chunks, not as soft as the LPS but not as firm as the anemones, kind of in the middle. The euphyllia will swallow these in 5 minutes or less, remove uneaten food or turn the flow back on to remove it.

SPS

PLACEMENT
Acropora- Acros are one of the top tier corals in terms of price and difficulty. They require extremely high light and high flow to do well which can be hard to provide for a new or novice reefer. They are very sensitive to water quality and therefore are better for very stable tanks. These do best in the upper portion of tanks, glued, epoxied, or wedges securely into the rock work. Bare bottom tanks are good for acros because you can have a lot of flow without worrying about the sand blowing around and making a mess. Once they are settled and growing, they are fairly easy to maintain. They may grow under less powerful lights however, will do so quicker and with more vibrant colors under higher light. Acros are generally very peaceful neighbors unless they are directly touching another coral

Montipora, cyphastrea, pavona, etc- These are the SPS I’d recommend to a newer reefer. I have had great success with these corals under lights that don’t break the bank (AI Prime HD). They encrust or form plates which is very cool to view from above, especially when several plating Monti’s are stacked so the plates overlap slightly. The encrusters are great for covering large areas such as the are beneath a hammer coral that would otherwise be empty. They have been very hardy for me as long as flow and water perams are good, they do not require very high flow, moderate is good enough. Some creative reefers have used them to cover the floors or walls of their tanks, or took it a step further and 3D printed branches for them to encrust so that they would appear more like Acropora


FEEDING
I use reefroids for this purpose, about 2x weekly. They are also getting food from photosynthesis and the ‘particle’ step so please adjust as needed. Locate a 10 cc syringe without a needle, you can get these on amazon cheaply. You only need one, as they can be reused. Get yourself a container, solo cups, Tupperware, pee cups, if it holds water, it works. My recipe for a 20 gallon tank is 40 ccs of water (4 syringe fulls) mixed with a pinch of reefroids, enough to tint my water an orangeish/peachy color. Stir vigorously until incorporated then immediately suck up in the syringe. Turning off your pumps is very important here so please do that. Target feed SPS gently, hold the syringe about 2 inches away from the coral and push the plunger slowly, if looking from the side of the tank, you will see a cloud surround the coral. They only need a light coating, almost a dusting. The coral should not retract any polyps or show signs of distress, if it does, then you pushed the plunger too hard and triggered a defense response. Gentle. Leave the pumps off for
10 minutes to allow the coral time to eat.

ZOAS/PALYS/GSP/CLOVE/DAISY/GLOVE/GONIOPORA/ALVEOPORA/TOADSTOOL

Zoas, palys, gsp, clove, Daisy, glove, toadstool- These corals are usually considered more ‘beginner’ however there are some varieties (particularly of zoas/palys/toadstools) which are considered more advanced just because of their high price tag, their care requirements do not differ. These corals are very tolerant of low and high light environments which makes them great for mixed reef tanks. The flow also impacts the way they look so make sure to keep that in mind. Zoas/palys grow longer lashes or skirts when placed in a high flow environment and cloves become super fluffy. The fluffiness of the clove may impact how the colors are seen so make sure that you move them to a lower flow spot if the fluffiness impacts the visibility of the colors. I have a zoa garden growing on my bottom glass right now, but they also do well on sand or directly.

Goniopora, alveopora- These corals are some of the most sensitive in the hobby, and are often accidentally killed by an inexperienced reefer as a result. These corals like a higher flow environment, similar to Hammer corals. Goniopora is much pickier about conditions than alveopora, making alveopora a better choice for newer reefers. Target feeding has proved very beneficial to them and I recommend it.

FEEDING
Use mixing instructions above for mixing reefroids. Again, pumps are turned off. Use your syringe to broadcast feed these. Hold the syringe about 6-8 inches above the zoas and push with a little bit of force towards the zoas. They should not close or show signs of distress. Allow 10-13 minutes for the reefroids to sink into the zoas. Target feeding zoas is difficult and more often than not, leads to a defense response and the reefroids only added nutrients to your tank without providing much benefit. VERY IMPORTANT! Please remove all hermit crabs from the immediate area, they will crawl all over your coral eating the reefroids and stress them out.

SCOLY

PLACEMENT
Scolies are usually kept on the floor of tanks just because they’re difficult to place on rocks. They prefer lower flow and moderate lighting. They will not reproduce in your tank, nor will they ever “attach” to the substrate so keep that in mind when placing.

FEEDING
Scolies are different and very special, they require specialized care that dedicated reefers may provide. The best time to feed is at night, however if you notice feeding tentacles extended during any part of the above steps then please feed it! I feed my scoly anywhere from 1-3x a week, and I do see a difference! Scolies enjoy larger foods, much like the anemones. Using your finger is the best method here because of their extremely sticky tentacles. Simply introduce the food to the tentacles without touching them yourself, the barest contact is enough for the coral to grab ahold of the food and begin moving it towards the oral disk. Please don’t try to force feed a scoly EVER, this is very traumatic to it, like if you were sleeping and someone tried to cram a hotdog in your mouth. The stomach will extend if the coral is given a substantial amount of food so do not panic! It’s okay.

I think this is it! The ultimate guide. If there’s a coral I missed, please let me know! I have one of just about everything so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I will post my feeding regime for that as well! Cheers!