The easiest and hardest coral to thrive in YOUR saltwater reef aquarium is...

[boacvh]

My nemesis coral are Acans.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Over the many years (12+) running a small mixed reef, it's been interesting to see that what does well, and what doesn't, can vary greatly over time. This is likely due to numerous changes that can and do happen over an aquarium's lifetime (lighting, microbes, flow, coral composition and possible alleopothy, maintenance practices, etc, etc.).

The only coral (actually a 'false coral') that I haven't been able to keep so far after two attempts is the Ricordea yuma type that is typically large and has a prominent line, or lines, of large white/whitish verrucae (aka 'rounded tentacles') that run straight from the mouth to the outside rim. I suspect that I may have just a bit too much flow for these as the ones I've tried both detached within a few short weeks, even in my lowest flow locations. They never reattached again and gradually faded away into oblivion. All good with any R. yumas that don't have this feature.

 

[Stuartmercer]

Its always frogspawns. Ive tried around 8 and they all die quickly, still dont know why. Hammers and torches on the other hand are fairly easy to keep, torches being the easiest for me.

 

[DED65]

I have no problems with frogspawn, it's the GSP that I can't get to grow.

 

[Chobits]

Everyrhing thrives except certain kinds of Acropora. It doesn’t die but does not grow either. I have all kinds of LPS and they all grow like mad. My T Squamosa clam has grown also.

 

[reefer415]

It seems that these responses are all over the map. I don't understand. Is it just that some corals are more healthy when we purchase them? I have no problem with frogspawn, torch, hammer, bubble, leathers. Mushrooms, acans, elegance all start out strong but then seem to shrink to nothing and die. Haven't really tried SPS since it seems if I can't keep any kind of Acan alive an SPS (harder?) will prob not make it.

Thoughts on how we might look at this more scientifically?

 

[walloutlet]

Easiest: Zoas & SPS
Hardest: LPS

For some dang reason I can grow and have healthy everything... as long as it’s not in the LPS family. Completely baffles me!

 

[N.Sreefer]

For some reason my gsp died after taking over a large rock and but everything else grows like stink easiest is lepto or hammers out of my livestock.

 

[IamChrismWard]

Acans, Ricordia mushrooms and candy canes just melt in my DT, but do great in the frag tank. No acros yet, but other SPS, LPS and Zoas grow like weeds.

 

[Palytoxin]

I'm still new so I haven't done much, But Zoas are the easiest things for me, they grow like weeds!

 

[Sergeant Rock1968]

Euphyllia is my nemesis. They look great for a month or two and then overnight, gone. Hammer, frogspawn, torch, all failures for me. Favia, acans, chalices do great. Even sps. Euphyllia for me.

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

Everything thing does great !!I can even grow a spot of algea every now and then LoL

 

[gray808]

Easiest: GSP
Hardest: Euphyllia because I experienced most losses.

Hmm. I wondered if it was just me.

My experiences with Euphilia so far:
First bright green torch with light purple tips: settled in immediately, went crazy, sill seems to love life.
Darker purple torch: got into the tank, I woke up the next day and it had melted and was completely gone.
Frogspawn: seems to be loving life.
Octo: made it about 3 days, didn't like something that I couldn't figure out, and died.

So for me they either immediately hit the ground running, and thrive, or come in and immediately kick the bucket.

I've put a moratorium on more corals for a bit (though I may break that and get a couple more GSP variants for my back wall), until I feel I've been stable for a long while.

--Gray

 

[gray808]

Though I have had success with many seemingly difficult corals like torches and lithophyllon, I've also had many failures. I had a zoa frag that slowly declined until death (though my other zoas seem okay), and a wall hammer that got worse and worse until it contracted BJD.

I got a pack of like 8 zoas. 2 of them are just going bonkers. Two more are doing ok, but not really explosive growth. 2 more are just kinda slowly drifting away (they were dinky little frags when I got them, and seem to be getting smaller), and 2 just kinda disappeared overnight.

My Xenia, Kenya Tree, Neon Pineapple Tree, GSP, and even the Alveopora I was gifted seem to be doing ok to great.

I have a little red mushroom frag that looks good, but doesn't seem to be growing at all.

--Gray

 

[Ben Pedersen]

True photosynthesizing sea fans... They last 2 years, grow a little, then suddenly die.. I have liked them since I was a little kid.

Here are the last 2 I had. They had great polyp extention, grew and looked great.... After successful keeping for around 2 years they both died. I was so bummed.. they are very hard to find.

 

[Deyan]

Easiest: Zoa, Euphyllia
Hardest: Xenia, Mushroom

I took the liberty to interpret "grow" as spreading and growing in #. My discosoma grew from 1/8in hitchhiker to 3 inch without any babies and xenia patch is staying the same size for almost an year in one of my tanks.

Everything else grows like weed including acros

Both of what you have problems like nutrients and phosphates in water.. I’ve had xenia grow in a nano that never got much of water changes it was disgusting but they loved it... mixed reefs are harder anyday than a sps

 

[squidarcher]

GSP is easy ofc, so are sinularia. Zoas are iffy, but I think I’ve gotten them down. Haven’t tried any sps but every lps I get seems to do meh for a bit and then dies.

 

[Blennyblonco]

Easiest are the sps that I have, hammers and Acans. Have had no luck keeping torches which ever of course my favorite.

 

[rhostam]

dang Acans! I can grow sps lps softies so far most things I try. In my main tank every time I put an acan it seems to not grow or do much. If I move them to my frag tank they get very puffy and look great. Can’t understand why lol.

What is the colony that looks like sliced kiwis? What a great arrangement.

 

[Snookhooker74]

Acro hard, GSP easy.

Easiest...most lps sps. Hardest -Alveopora