What is your favorite NPS coral? (can be in your tank or one you wish you could have)

[Gumbies R Us]

NPS corals are some of the most interesting looking corals to me. Maybe it's because of the special care required to keep them or maybe it's because of their unique shape and look. I am wondering what is your favorite NPS coral? Can be one you have currently, have had, or just an NPS coral you find interesting in general!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

NPS corals are some of the most interesting looking corals to me. Maybe it's because of the special care required to keep them or maybe it's because of their unique shape and look. I am wondering what is your favorite NPS coral? Can be one you have currently, have had, or just an NPS coral you find interesting in general!

Black sun coral hands down! Tubastrea micranthus... they're very difficult to keep and slow growers with a voracious appetite but I personally have always had a love for them!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Black sun coral hands down! Tubastrea micranthus... they're very difficult to keep and slow growers with a voracious appetite but I personally have always had a love for them!

Black suns are really nice!!

 

[MrGisonni]

Pink carnation coral for sure.

Google Image Result for https://content1.tankstop.com/images/items/coral/carnation-coral-dendronephthya-sp-1.jpg

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Pink carnation coral for sure.

Google Image Result for https://content1.tankstop.com/images/items/coral/carnation-coral-dendronephthya-sp-1.jpg

Ever successfully kept one?

 

[MrGisonni]

Pink carnation coral for sure.

Google Image Result for https://content1.tankstop.com/images/items/coral/carnation-coral-dendronephthya-sp-1.jpg

No always worried about feeding and water quality issues. I feel like I would need to have an nps only tank.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

No always worried about feeding and water quality issues. I feel like I would need to have an nps only tank.

I agree...they look absolutely beautiful in the stores (after they don't look so beautiful the stores just remove them from sight).

 

[Lavey29]

Going on 6 months with my sun coral.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Going on 6 months with mu sun coral.

Great looking coral!!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@Gumbies R Us why not try one out? I really wouldn't rate them as difficult. You just need to feed them mysis or something similar every day or two and give them strong flow. If I can find a pick of my Black Sun Coral I'll post it...

 

[Keko21]

Big fan of sun corals. That might be my next move…

 

[Rp8]

I had a purple gorgonia that when feeding the flow would blast the food right thru it. Grew 1/4”/month

 

[MarleyMoose]

Going on 6 months with my sun coral.

Beautiful!! Is there a specific time of day you feed yours?

LFS says you can "train" to feed in daytime but I've been reluctant to try....

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Beautiful!! Is there a specific time of day you feed yours?

LFS says you can "train" to feed in daytime but I've been reluctant to try....

You can train all Tubastrea species to feed during the day... generally in my experience keeping several over the years they're reluctant to eat at first due to not being fed during shipment. The longer they go without food the more difficult it becomes to get a feeding response. Once you do get them to eat they tend to readily take food and are aren't too difficult to trim from my experiences.

 

[Lavey29]

Beautiful!! Is there a specific time of day you feed yours?

LFS says you can "train" to feed in daytime but I've been reluctant to try....

Mainly late afternoon or early evening when my lights go into moonlight mode. The coral seems to open best during this period. I've never tried to train the coral but have heard that is possible to do.

 

[MrGisonni]

Going on 6 months with my sun coral.

I did a dive on the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica years ago on a rock pile in about 70 foot of water that was covered with orange sun coral. The water was so thick with plankton and detritus that it looked like a being out in a heavy snow fall. Amazing!

 

[Northwest_Scapes_]

NPS corals are some of the most interesting looking corals to me. Maybe it's because of the special care required to keep them or maybe it's because of their unique shape and look. I am wondering what is your favorite NPS coral? Can be one you have currently, have had, or just an NPS coral you find interesting in general!

As far as NPS I have right now, there's so many it's hard to choose just 1 haha. I'd say my top 3 though are definitely
1. Red Sea Whip | The shape is just way too cool
2. Swiftia exserta | The color is amazing on this species
3. Chili Coral | The polyp extension is absolutely amazing on this species.

As far as my absolute favorite, that might go to the Pink & Yellow Seafan (Acanthogorgia isoxya). The color combination is unmatched with the pink branches and yellow tips. Though this soon might be the #1 favorite in my tank since my LFS is getting a few in from ACI Aquaculture late next week that I special requested! Super excited about that.

 

[twentyleagues]

When I had my previous reef I had a 90g nps tank. Rhizos were my favorite I had 3. 1 of the three I got from someone who had almost killed it. I slowly nursed it back to health and it started filling in skeleton where I had cut of the dead part. My lfs and another forum I was on had said it would not make it. I had it for 5 or 6 years after I got it. The healthy ones had started to grow calcium "tubes" in the sand bed. I didn't know what that meant and the people I asked didn't either. Unfortunately I noticed this because I sold the entire system and left the hobby. I don't know if that is a mode of reproduction or what. The "tubes" were large made them look like a tooth that was pulled out with the root attached. (Best way to describe it...sorry). I also had a ton of dendros (back then they were just called dendros) sun corals both black and orange, black coral or also called wire coral. Never had good luck with the soft ones.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@Gumbies R Us why not try one out? I really wouldn't rate them as difficult. You just need to feed them mysis or something similar every day or two and give them strong flow. If I can find a pick of my Black Sun Coral I'll post it...

I probably should try them out haha, but I want to keep my 20g pretty simple for now. I might later down the road get some nps and do a nps themed tank.

 

[Gaufl]

Hey there!
For me Its gotta be Petrophyllia rediviva.
Super stunning species.