Is there coral commonly considered “easy to keep” that you find challenging to keep healthy/alive?

[AlyciaMarie]

Easy peasy? Pleasey (I'm not sure if that's a word, but at least it rhymes)! There are a lot of things about this hobby that people told me were "easy" that were not! The fact of the matter is that some people are better than others at certain things. The same argument could be made about coral care. There are some corals out there that lots of people keep, and it's easy for them, but for no good reason, they don't work out for you. And I'm not talking about parameters, nutrition, flow, or lighting issues -- I'm talking about everything else in your tank is fine and dandy, but there is just that one type of coral that is always giving you grief...

Is there coral commonly considered “easy to keep” that you find challenging to keep healthy/alive?

You to that one coral:

 

[AlyciaMarie]

I'll start with Candy Canes. Both times I have attempted to keep them, but it hasn't turned out well. And I've heard Candy Canes are one of the most hardy corals. Of course, I wouldn't know what. I hate real candy canes, so I'll just stay away from the saltwater ones, too.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I'll start with Candy Canes. Both times I have attempted to keep them, but it hasn't turned out well. And I've heard Candy Canes are one of the most hardy corals. Of course, I wouldn't know what. I hate real candy canes, so I'll just stay away from the saltwater ones, too.

I know... I was always told Candy Canes are one of the easiest corals to keep. Next think you know it is dead in the sump of our Pico tank.

 

[exnisstech]

I'll start with Candy Canes. Both times I have attempted to keep them, but it hasn't turned out well. And I've heard Candy Canes are one of the most hardy corals. Of course, I wouldn't know what. I hate real candy canes, so I'll just stay away from the saltwater ones, too.

I gave up on candy canes. For the first few years I could not keep zoas or gsp alive. I can keep them alive now in my newest tank but I would not say the zoas are thriving.

 

[formallydehyde]

I haven't tried it a second time but I had a lot of issues with keeping green star polyps. When I first got them they would stay open but never seemed to grow, then within a few months I would see less and less polyps open until there was one lone polyp on the frag plug and eventually that disappeared too.

I also had issues with keeping a fox coral, which according to some people is an "easy" LPS. But it just seemed to be a magnet for every pest algae species and photosynthetic flatworms and I couldn't ever get it in a spot where it seemed happy with the flow/lighting situation even when it wasn't being bothered by anything else.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I haven't tried it a second time but I had a lot of issues with keeping green star polyps. When I first got them they would stay open but never seemed to grow, then within a few months I would see less and less polyps open until there was one lone polyp on the frag plug and eventually that disappeared too.

I also had issues with keeping a fox coral, which according to some people is an "easy" LPS. But it just seemed to be a magnet for every pest algae species and photosynthetic flatworms and I couldn't ever get it in a spot where it seemed happy with the flow/lighting situation even when it wasn't being bothered by anything else.

It's funny how gsp grows like weeds for some people, while others it doesn't grow great.

 

[CHSUB]

Had trouble with xenia and gave up...then THIS!

 

[Troylee]

Had trouble with xenia and gave up...then THIS!

Sounds about right! The dirtier the water the better they grow.

 

[00W]

Cannot keep Kenya trees.
Ever.

 

[stewy14]

PLATING MONTI

 

[Just John]

Had trouble with xenia and gave up...then THIS!

And now you may have the opposite trouble - It's the xenia tank takeover! lol

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Had trouble with xenia and gave up...then THIS!

This hurts my heart. All that real estate taken over. I would remove all those rocks and replace them.

 

[JulesH]

Goniapora, Zoas and Clove polyps. I have been adding Mn and keeping my nitrates/phosphates higher I seem to be getting better results.

Fish wise, scooter blennies, I have three of them one jumped before I got a lid. I bought a bespoke expensive tank lid, the second jumped through the food portal when I forgot to put the portal lid back. The third jumped through the lid net!

 

[JulesH]

Cannot keep Kenya trees.
Ever.

I have Kenya Tree growing to plague proportions in my tank.

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

Cant keep kenya trees or gsp.

 

[Timfish]

One of the frustrations I've run into over the years is when a coral I have doing really well in multiple systems won't do well in one system. Variations between systems doesn't explain it. Rachel Wright's paper shows there can be profound differences in immune systems at the genotype level and that seems like it could explain part of it. Aquabiomics testing shows there can be significant differences in microbiomes not only between systems that are similar in setup, livestock and maintenenace but even in a given system over time Research shows corals do age and in some cases senescense can occur in polyps just months old in some species. One of the more puzzling issues I've experienced is when a clone line of frogspawn I had for 2 decades all died off in a matter of months while other varieties were fine.

So I guess my answer is my answer is I haven't found corals yet I can comfortably say with 100% confidance it will do well in a given system. 90%, 95% maybe, but not 100%.

 

[shakacuz]

when my tank was running it was the zoa's. they were slow to grow for me regardless of strain. sometimes would just melt on me(which is the case with some of the more expensive "designer" morphs).

 

[Tamberav]

Xenia! Even in dirtier tanks. I love it but it hates me

 

[Arkardios]

Zoas, unfortunately. Candy canes, gsp and xenia are all happy. But the zoas never take off.

 

[kdx7214]

Any sps. Right now I have my very first ones that are growing. One growing, one staying the same, and one dying. But hey, it's progress. I want to get them growing well before I try my hand at my dream coral goniopora.