What is the perfect, all around, coral for a saltwater reef aquarium?

[Koty]

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I guess I'm the dissenting voice in saying No, there is not one particular coral that is "the perfect all around coral for a reef aquarium". All have their benefits and drawbacks.

 

[Cool tangs]

Acropora!

 

[Reefbuds]

There is no way to quantify a "best all around coral" imo. Taste is very different for every person and what one will find easy to care for another might not. What one will find attractive another will find distasteful. It's all personal opinion on what each person seems to like. I would say there are best all around corals for different people specifically but not the hobby as a whole. Just my opinion tho, there are tons of really cool easy to care for corals out there.. but not everyone will like every one of them the same

 

[GoVols]

Could live with shrooms

The rock flower nem, is not a coral.

 

[Cheezle]

Duncans! They might not have the most impressive colors but I think they hit every checkmark. Hardy, tons of movement, get huge, grow fast, fun to feed, look good, etc.

 

[steveschuerger]

For me personally Gonis, Stylophora, and Euphillia seem the easiest and happiest my tank.

 

[Dburr1014]

Adds Movement, colorful, doesn't sting others, doesn't bleach, thrives, grows fast...

Nothing fits that bill.

Edit: and nothing eats it!

 

[Dbichler]

For me it’s toadstools easy to grow big provide movement they host fish multiple colors short or long polyps and they’re still found at a cheap price.

 

[GARRIGA]

Shrooms are cool. Let's be honest. Colorful. has texture. Most are easy to grow. Bounce fetch dollars. If GSP wasn't green then I'd add those too but I get it. Sticks are cooler. Softies swaying in the current more entertaining. Could just add a tone of fish.

 

[reefsaver]

I've come to realize Discosoma Mushrooms are basically idiot proof. Don't ask me how.

 

[LPS Bum]

Elegance would be my first thought. The Australian varieties are colorful and hardy, they don't need much light (but can adapt to higher lighting over time), handle less than ideal water parameters pretty well, and I've never really seen any fish or inverts bother them.

Acanthophyllia, Scolymia, and Trachyphillia would also be a good choice for many reefer's sand beds. But only if you don't have fish that nip on fleshy LPS corals.

 

[SteveOsiecki]

Me either! It is about the only thing I cannot keep alive. I have not solved the mystery yet.

They typically need somewhat dirty water. If you keep params too low, they don’t do very well.

 

[i cant think]

Fimbryaphillia ancora, the Hammer/Anchor Coral. Torch corals are excellent for movement but aren’t actually all that beginner friendly. My first ever coral was a Hammer and I have no regrets! It will sway in the small amount of flow he gets but when fully extended can be the size of a tennis ball. These are some older photos of mine, and they also come in quite a few different colours, I mean if I ever come across a blue hammer I’d take it, but you also have purple, gold and green colours

Another I’ll say is Ricordea Yuma, the Yuma Mushroom. I hate and love mine, it adds so much movement to my 4’ tank and my nano however it grows out of control under the right conditions, I’m hoping I’ve slowed down the growth of mine in the nano but I have Atleast 4 rocks covered in Yuma now. They also come in a range of colours but orange is the most common.

 

[shakacuz]

I’d have to vote for shrooms:
Colorful
Many forms and growth patterns
Super easy
Very common

My problem:
I can’t keep them alive lol

my response is exactly like yours except i’m voting Zoa’s…. can’t keep them alive so it seems

 

[REEFER-RICK]

Leather/toadstool for me got a frag of one the other day was growing on a sideways plug, anyhow couldn`t get it right in my tank ,so cut the plug off reset it on a rock and it bloomed in less than 2 hours

 

[Joseph3]

My vote is for birds nest. Hardy, grows fast, cool shape, and available in some great colors. Seems pretty perfect to me.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Any Goni’s, their look, flow and movement not to mention all the colors! Yup.

 

[MaxTremors]

Leathers in general. They come in all kinds of shapes and colors, can add movement and are visually dynamic. They take pretty much all of the forms corals take, from branching, to mounding, to plating, to anemone-like. They are hardy, fast growing (well, most are), and don’t require a lot of maintenance or pristine water conditions. They can host clownfish, and are easy to propagate.

 

[Mark Bradley]

Any of the above have proved pretty easy - particularly like the Fox Corals