Why promote an aquarium with soft corals?

[srobertb]

NPS are still the most challenging and as a matter of fact some are still impossible.
Other than a handful like suncorals and dendros most in this hobby can not keep most NPS corals.
There are some in the hobby that could but really do not want the challenge or have the time required.
The biggest issue is feeding food almost 24/7. That is the challenge and then maintaining nutrient levels low enough.

I always forget about NPS because they’re awful and I hate them.

that’s not true. They’re awesome. You are right, by far the most difficult as the constant need for food AND appropriate laminar flow to deliver the food while maintaining excellent water conditions is hard.

 

[Reefhab]

Why promote an aquarium with soft corals?


The beauty and movement that soft corals give to an aquarium, regardless of gallons, is unique to our hobby.

Beauty -color​

For many years soft corals had a limited variety of colors. This has now been completely overthrown in the category of polyps and mushrooms, and has been somewhat enriched in the rest of the soft ones. Polyp and mushrooms have surpassed all hard sps corals in a variety of colors, combinations and formations, and compete with even the highest priced lps.

Beauty movement​

Obviously the movement they offer in our aquarium is almost unique, with only some euphilia pricey large colonies being able to emulate.

Beauty size​

Those who have been lucky enough to have dived on tropical reefs have really seen the beauty that large coral colonies can have. Few aquariums have large corals, over a foot, and even fewer can maintain these sizes for many years.
Soft corals specialize in growth and large sizes. You can buy a cheap frag today for and in 12 months it will become a world class aquarium coral showpiece.

Easy - beginner​

One of the obstacles facing the development of the aquarium reef hobby is the complexity of the setup and the mortality of its organisms. This disenfranchises most people that start anew a feed tank. BRS says that the percentage of nedd reefers leaving the hobby is close to 80% (they claim that their customers are at 50% instead.)

Soft corals, almost all of them, can withstand alot, ALOT. They can bear to overfeed them, but also not to feed them enough. They can withstand temperature drops, and some increases, they can withstand changing water from the sea, or not changing water at all. They generally endure!
This can make new hobbyists not disappointed with the hobby, and become real reef tank lovers!

Easy- experienced​

Things are even better for the time tested aquarists. The cost of the aquarium is reduced by not using (or minimal use) zeovit, calc reactors, a-b + dosing, balling, water changes and of course by much lower lighting.

Hobby development​

This is where my adoration for soft corals takes off! The ease with which you can propagate, frag and fragswap is great! If you can multiply discosoma mushrooms, you can exchange them for literally hundreds of morphs! The same for every kind of mushroom and polyp. And if you can not multiply Xenia or green star polyp…. maybe you forget to put water in your aquarium?

Ecology​

Here things are even more responsible. Soft corals, even when removed from the reef, do not reduce reef size or biodiversity. But their easy reproduction in home aquariums for beginners greatly reduces the need to source them from a reef.


For me, personally, the soft coral aquarium is not a stepping stone, it is an ultimate goal. It is beauty in every way, it is sharing with my fellow teammates, it is an ecological approach, it is also convenience! I can imagine few reasons where I will need to spend more time with my soft aquarium than caring for a dog, or a small garden.

So, please see soft coral aquariums as a viable way to increase the numbers of reefers, and not as stepping stone to mixed reef difficulty, or colorful arrays of sticks.

This is a great read. I'll definitely look into soft corals!

 

[revhtree]

Why promote an aquarium with soft corals?


The beauty and movement that soft corals give to an aquarium, regardless of gallons, is unique to our hobby.

Beauty -color​

For many years soft corals had a limited variety of colors. This has now been completely overthrown in the category of polyps and mushrooms, and has been somewhat enriched in the rest of the soft ones. Polyp and mushrooms have surpassed all hard sps corals in a variety of colors, combinations and formations, and compete with even the highest priced lps.

Beauty movement​

Obviously the movement they offer in our aquarium is almost unique, with only some euphilia pricey large colonies being able to emulate.

Beauty size​

Those who have been lucky enough to have dived on tropical reefs have really seen the beauty that large coral colonies can have. Few aquariums have large corals, over a foot, and even fewer can maintain these sizes for many years.
Soft corals specialize in growth and large sizes. You can buy a cheap frag today for and in 12 months it will become a world class aquarium coral showpiece.

Easy - beginner​

One of the obstacles facing the development of the aquarium reef hobby is the complexity of the setup and the mortality of its organisms. This disenfranchises most people that start anew a feed tank. BRS says that the percentage of nedd reefers leaving the hobby is close to 80% (they claim that their customers are at 50% instead.)

Soft corals, almost all of them, can withstand alot, ALOT. They can bear to overfeed them, but also not to feed them enough. They can withstand temperature drops, and some increases, they can withstand changing water from the sea, or not changing water at all. They generally endure!
This can make new hobbyists not disappointed with the hobby, and become real reef tank lovers!

Easy- experienced​

Things are even better for the time tested aquarists. The cost of the aquarium is reduced by not using (or minimal use) zeovit, calc reactors, a-b + dosing, balling, water changes and of course by much lower lighting.

Hobby development​

This is where my adoration for soft corals takes off! The ease with which you can propagate, frag and fragswap is great! If you can multiply discosoma mushrooms, you can exchange them for literally hundreds of morphs! The same for every kind of mushroom and polyp. And if you can not multiply Xenia or green star polyp…. maybe you forget to put water in your aquarium?

Ecology​

Here things are even more responsible. Soft corals, even when removed from the reef, do not reduce reef size or biodiversity. But their easy reproduction in home aquariums for beginners greatly reduces the need to source them from a reef.


For me, personally, the soft coral aquarium is not a stepping stone, it is an ultimate goal. It is beauty in every way, it is sharing with my fellow teammates, it is an ecological approach, it is also convenience! I can imagine few reasons where I will need to spend more time with my soft aquarium than caring for a dog, or a small garden.

So, please see soft coral aquariums as a viable way to increase the numbers of reefers, and not as stepping stone to mixed reef difficulty, or colorful arrays of sticks.

This is great and honestly my love for soft corals has ramped up over the last couple years. Great thread!

 

[Goaway]

Someone in some post said that LPS don't look as natural as sps. I would have to dig for it. What does natural mean?
If the person meant outside natural.. Softies is the best to mimic outside with.
When I read threw all of this, I miss having certain soft corals. But, most want to grow corals - anemones which will score them huge profits.
High end acros - some random name generated colored bta, torch. List goes on.
When are we going to see "mad bleeding devil finger leather coral"?
It seems people have forgotten the beauty of certain soft corals and the amazing looks they give with flow. All because it wont score them 700 per frag.
So, what is it we are drawn to? The animal or the price tag?

 

[Reefhab]

This is a great read. I'll definitely look into soft corals!

So, I looked into them and I'm in love with rhodactis!!!

 

[gdw]

There are many soft corals that are difficult to care for and rare.... a collectors dream. Soft coral tanks are a lot of unexplored potential. Some soft corals are more difficult than SPS.

SPS are propagated in mass and relatively easy to find if you have the $$.

I really do not understand the tendency to equate collectors with the collection of the most difficult corals.
A collector usually has a niche, I plan to collect red polyps, possibly red rhodactis and maybe a few discosoma. All these are easy

 

[gdw]

Soft coral are for sure easier but they arent throw in the tank and forget. Personally me, id take a softie tank over an SPS tank any day. I think what the problem is, is that everyone chases colors. Softies have color but not SPS color. i get it... I mean i worked my rear end off with my 65g to get it to look as a close to a fraction of what MikeC's tank is and that kicked my butt.

If you exclude polyps and mushrooms from sofies, then you are right, SPS corals are more colorful.
But why exclude them?

 

[Goaway]

If you exclude polyps and mushrooms from sofies, then you are right, SPS corals are more colorful.
But why exclude them?

I really do not understand the tendency to equate collectors with the collection of the most difficult corals.
A collector usually has a niche, I plan to collect red polyps, possibly red rhodactis and maybe a few discosoma. All these are easy

I am currently learning about Yuma Ricordea. These are very beautiful, striking magnetic colors. Many have stated they are difficult to keep happy. Others, mass success and brewing up the Yuma Bounces.
I would not exclude polyps and mushrooms out of the soft coral world. Even if mushrooms are an anemone based animal. They still do well very well in a coral tank.

We also have beautiful clove polyps to add to the softy world.

I would honestly love to see more softy aquariums. Everything seems to evolve around piles of rainbow vomit.

 

[gdw]

How many soft corals are there? Other than zoas and mushrooms not many have fancy names.

I would never excuse the showpieces !
Fancy names? Really? People have become ridiculous with names in polyps especially!

The general category that I am aiming for with the word "softies" is octocoralia, but also any corals that do not have a prominent hard part , or are not based on a hard part. Not just leathers, nor just polyps.

The lack of constant need for a calcium reactor-dosing is a major plus..... Am I off topic enough?

 

[gdw]

Hmm difficult softies.. How about NPS Gorgonians.

True dat! Though there are several NPS that are octocorallia and softies also. If I am not wrong the entire nepthia family?

I am sure I would avoid them... But that is just me.

My softie tank

Amazing center piece!

…because we all want to get better and progress in this hobby (or at least some of us view that as the goal). Some people fix up cars to look like they rolled off the factory line, others put a brand new hellcrate into a 70’s charger along with a 12” touchpad display. I

Honestly the most difficult tank is a mixed reef. Trying to find 150PAR with medium flow for an LPS and 12” away is 350PAR with high flow for an SPS.

I’m not sure “softy” is a scientific genus of corals but more of a general term- like how the term “granite countertops” makes geologists lose their minds. Ricordeas, mushrooms, and zoas generally described and listed as soft corals.

that being said…

You’re so pedantic. We should be friends.

Advancing the hobby does not exclude making things easier.
An ecological choice of corals also is advancing the hobby.
Less deaths in homes is also advancing the hobby, and better fengshui...

Pedantic... Not focused on politeness, are we? Try to befriend people without insulting them.

 

[Paul B]

I have always liked soft corals better and only have any SPS because people kept telling me I couldn't keep them because my tank was to dirty.

Here is an old picture. I really love gorgs.



And still do.




And 2 very old pictures, maybe 30 years ago or more.

 

[Goaway]

I love gorgonias. Only I would need to find a cheap frag from my lfs to find out if my angel wont eat them. She loves clove polyps. A gorge, might just be tempting.
I love soft corals. I kept them for years before. Sadly, I don't have a lot of photos of them.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Softies all the way anthelia polyps , Xenia , gsp, Kenya tree leather , clove polyps

 

[Musovski]

I have always liked soft corals better and only have any SPS because people kept telling me I couldn't keep them because my tank was to dirty.

Here is an old picture. I really love gorgs.



And still do.




And 2 very old pictures, maybe 30 years ago or more.

how could i forget paul b. another absolute legend in my eyes. just look at those softies. just a whole different level of coral keeping.

 

[boacvh]

Here are a few of my colorless noobie softies

 

[Musovski]

If you exclude polyps and mushrooms from sofies, then you are right, SPS corals are more colorful.
But why exclude them?

zoas and mushrooms can be fed just like an anemone. where as take things that are photosynthetic, i can just maintain a decent source of nitrates, phos, give light and sometimes dose phyto and they'll grow to the size of a exercise ball in no time.

 

[dennis romano]

I have a tank with sponges and gorgonians, photosynthetic and NPS. Just about everything is growing and thriving. I cannot grow softies!!! Twice, I have put in toadstools and after a few months they look wretched. Zoas disappear. Sinularia stagnant. I even have a cabbage that has not grown in two years. Ok, I do have a colony of twenty year old hairy mushrooms, but everything else is blech. Go figure.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Softies all the way anthelia polyps , Xenia , gsp, Kenya tree leather , clove polyps

Nice tank , beautiful in fact. Love it.

 

[CanuckReefer]

I have a tank with sponges and gorgonians, photosynthetic and NPS. Just about everything is growing and thriving. I cannot grow softies!!! Twice, I have put in toadstools and after a few months they look wretched. Zoas disappear. Sinularia stagnant. I even have a cabbage that has not grown in two years. Ok, I do have a colony of twenty year old hairy mushrooms, but everything else is blech. Go figure.

Pics of your 20 year 'Hairy's' and I'll show you mine 20 plus ! Lol....

 

[dennis romano]

My Hairy's and Rhodacs, both over twenty years old. The hairy are funny. Some days they are four inches across and some days six across. When they are big, they look just like an elegance.