what’s your favorite soft coral?

[lazycouch]

hey guys i’m new to the hobby and am trying to stock up on soft coral and start doing some research on any i may have missed! so far i know there’s

1.mushrooms (ricordea florida, ricordea yuma, ???)
2.toadstool
3.xenia
4.zoas
5.cabbage
6.kenya trees
7.GSP
8.finger leathers
9.sinularia
10.crown leathers

are there any other species i’m missing? thanks!!

 

[DeniseAndy]

Hello! Softies are a huge category of many types of corals. However, we tend to generalize names. So When someone says finger leathers or sinularia it could be many types (family or genus or species) of corals actually. Mushrooms have tons of variety too in looks and shapes and colors (genus and species too).
However, those are the "generic" names used for most.
Palys will come up with zoas too.
Cloves will pop up.
Any gorgonia are "soft".
Stay away from carnation, flower type softies. They are non-photosynthetic and will be extremely challenging. They usually need "species" tank.

I love softies, so there are so many options out there. Good luck with finding the ones for you!

 

[lazycouch]

Hello! Softies are a huge category of many types of corals. However, we tend to generalize names. So When someone says finger leathers or sinularia it could be many types (family or genus or species) of corals actually. Mushrooms have tons of variety too in looks and shapes and colors (genus and species too).
However, those are the "generic" names used for most.
Palys will come up with zoas too.
Cloves will pop up.
Any gorgonia are "soft".
Stay away from carnation, flower type softies. They are non-photosynthetic and will be extremely challenging. They usually need "species" tank.

I love softies, so there are so many options out there. Good luck with finding the ones for you!

thanks for the info!

 

[ApoIsland]

hey guys i’m new to the hobby and am trying to stock up on soft coral and start doing some research on any i may have missed! so far i know there’s

1.mushrooms (ricordea florida, ricordea yuma, ???)
2.toadstool
3.xenia
4.zoas
5.cabbage
6.kenya trees
7.GSP
8.finger leathers
9.sinularia
10.crown leathers

are there any other species i’m missing? thanks!!

I have kept most on this list and while they are fun at first I got tired of them fairly quickly. Had to completely tear out and redo my rock work because they took over.

To answer the question in the title I would have to say zoas are my favorite because of all the color varieties. I will always keep 4 or 5 different colonies in my tanks. They are also easy to frag and trade if they get out of control.

Of the others you listed:

1. Slow growing ricordia are the only mushrooms I would ever keep. The rest seem spread too fast and are more pest like for me.
2. I like the green toadstool and will probably continue to keep one. They do get big fast though and I do have to cut it down to a nub once every year or two.
3. I will never keep xenia again. Total disaster with how fast it spreads. you can try to isolate but eventually one piece will detach and spread. Too much work to keep it under control.
5. Never had a cabbage
6. I do like my kenya tree even though I have to pluck the smaller ones that sprout up from time to time. They are quick and easy to remove and only have to do it a couple times a year.
7. I'll never keep GSP again. Requires too much attention to keep under control. Nearly impossible to get rid of also without totally nuking the rock.
8. Never had a finger leather.
9. Not sure I'll keep sinularia again either just for the fact it grows too quick.
10. Never had a crown leather.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Zoas, rhodactis, toadstool, cloves, xenia... I love em!

 

[secret_reefer337]

Check this out

MikeC's SOFTY TANK

MikeC's SOFTY TANK I must say I couldn’t be happier with my decision to convert to softies. After having my sps dominant tank for 2 years and loosing it to flatworms :( needles to say I was pretty bummed out. I made up my mind to start over with a upgrade(because that was the excuse I had...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Everything Aquatics]

All zoas and weeping willow leathers

 

[lazycouch]

I have kept most on this list and while they are fun at first I got tired of them fairly quickly. Had to completely tear out and redo my rock work because they took over.

To answer the question in the title I would have to say zoas are my favorite because of all the color varieties. I will always keep 4 or 5 different colonies in my tanks. They are also easy to frag and trade if they get out of control.

Of the others you listed:

1. Slow growing ricordia are the only mushrooms I would ever keep. The rest seem spread too fast and are more pest like for me.
2. I like the green toadstool and will probably continue to keep one. They do get big fast though and I do have to cut it down to a nub once every year or two.
3. I will never keep xenia again. Total disaster with how fast it spreads. you can try to isolate but eventually one piece will detach and spread. Too much work to keep it under control.
5. Never had a cabbage
6. I do like my kenya tree even though I have to pluck the smaller ones that sprout up from time to time. They are quick and easy to remove and only have to do it a couple times a year.
7. I'll never keep GSP again. Requires too much attention to keep under control. Nearly impossible to get rid of also without totally nuking the rock.
8. Never had a finger leather.
9. Not sure I'll keep sinularia again either just for the fact it grows too quick.
10. Never had a crown leather.

i appreciate your response! thanks for the tips. what is your opinion on a gsp wall? where you kind of want them to spread but just not on to the rockwork. are they able to detach and mount themselves on to rocks like xenias?

 

[lazycouch]

Zoas, rhodactis, toadstool, cloves, xenia... I love em!

very nice collection. what is that coral in the first picture and those awesome ones in the 4th pic after the cloves??

 

[PicassoClown04]

The first pic is a macro shot of a orange and blue rhodactis, the forth pic are rock flower anemones! I love them, not sure if they’re classified as ‘softies’ but IMO, they’re great. Got mine from Aquatic Arsenal for $13 a piece.

 

[wphan]

Zoas..nuff said with all the killer varieties.

 

[ApoIsland]

i appreciate your response! thanks for the tips. what is your opinion on a gsp wall? where you kind of want them to spread but just not on to the rockwork. are they able to detach and mount themselves on to rocks like xenias?

I tried growing it on the back wall and also the side wall on separate occasions. you can't have any rocks within a few inches of it as the mat will eventually thicken and start shooting out stalks that grow horizontal. If you get a little lax and don't cut it back before it touches a rock you will never get it off naturally.

I also found that growing on the side wall also required lots of maintenance because it would wrap around and reach the front glass eventually. If you go this route don't ever let it get within a few inches of the corners. Once it's there you are done for as you don't want to scrape it off the silicone to risk damage, and any shred left will sprout out from the corner to the front glass in a matter of weeks.

I am fairly lazy and don't like to do much work with my tank so the gsp is not for me.

Keep in mind I also run a dirty skimmerless tank so all softies grow like weeds for me. If you are a little more diligent and motivated than I am to keep nitrates and phosphates down then maybe you will not have the same issues.

 

[sp1187]

Chili

 

[Perry]

Hey Mike,
Can you tell me how long the orange tree sponge in the softie tank has been with you? Any specific care requirements?
Thank you, again, both tanks are outstanding!!!
Cheers

 

[Perry]

Hey Mike,
Can you tell me how long the orange tree sponge in the softie tank has been with you? Any specific care requirements?
Thank you, again, both tanks are outstanding!!!

Hey Mike,
Can you tell me how long the orange tree sponge in the softie tank has been with you? Any specific care requirements?
Thank you, again, both tanks are outstanding!!!
Cheers

Sorry,
Wrong thread...
Oops