Beginners corals ???

[Ironhorseiv]

Your selection of corals will have the largest impact on light requirements. Here is a list of low to medium light corals that are hardy and relatively easy to keep. Note low to medium light=3 to 5 watts per gall. All the mushrooms, open brain, branch soft coral, elegance, false brain, leather, finger coral, star polyp, red/green polyp. If you need to know the scientific names of the above I would recommend a good coral identification book such as.. A Practical Guide to Corals by Ed Puterbaugh and Eric Borneman. All of the above corals I would recommend to the beginner. These corals will demand a modest amount of lighting some where in the 3 to 5 watts per gallon range.

This quote comes from Robert Metelsky - IRC transcript in 1997
I hope this is the correct forum to ask for your comments.
I would like to hear from everyone what your thoughts are; bearing in mind these comments are over 11 years old!
Any additions, comments, corrections, subtractions based on the dynamics of the hobby over the past 11 years are greatly appreciated
Our current plan is for a 120g 4'x2'x2' reef tank with min 30g sump. Your comments will assist my DW and I in the next planning step.
TIA !

 

[dnov99]

The elegance coral should definitely be off that list. As it is true that ten yrs ago it did well in captivity there have been many collection and disease issues with this coral since. I would only reccommend it to the advanced aquarist that has a very established tank.

 

[Ironhorseiv]

The elegance coral should definitely be off that list. As it is true that ten yrs ago it did well in captivity there have been many collection and disease issues with this coral since. I would only reccommend it to the advanced aquarist that has a very established tank.

Thank you dnov99 ! Appreciate the response.

 

[blange3]

Since you are posting in the leather shroom and zoa forum I would gather you are considering softies.

My personal belief is everyone should start here.

Although they need attention to all of the standard reef parameters, they tend to be more forgiving.

I would recommend starting with easy things like green star polyps, anthellia, mushrooms, frilly shrooms, kenya trees and various leathers.

Most of which you can get for free from me if you are close to Woodbridge, 07095.

I started my current phase of reefing with sort corals and then added LPS like frogspawn and hammer in my next tank. I keep a few SPS but my tastes and reefing skills best match up with LPS.

BTW MANY folks will now chime in and tell you the corals I mentioned will grow like weeds and overrun your tank and make you miserable. ;D Very true to a certain point, but if you learn how to grow the weeds, you will acquire most of the skills needed to move on to more demanding corals without claiming the lives of many innocent corals. And you can pass on those weeds to other beginners.

 

[Patriot76]

Since you are posting in the leather shroom and zoa forum I would gather you are considering softies.

My personal belief is everyone should start here.

Although they need attention to all of the standard reef parameters, they tend to be more forgiving.

I would recommend starting with easy things like green star polyps, anthellia, mushrooms, frilly shrooms, kenya trees and various leathers.

Most of which you can get for free from me if you are close to Woodbridge, 07095.

I started my current phase of reefing with sort corals and then added LPS like frogspawn and hammer in my next tank. I keep a few SPS but my tastes and reefing skills best match up with LPS.

BTW MANY folks will now chime in and tell you the corals I mentioned will grow like weeds and overrun your tank and make you miserable. ;D Very true to a certain point, but if you learn how to grow the weeds, you will acquire most of the skills needed to move on to more demanding corals without claiming the lives of many innocent corals. And you can pass on those weeds to other beginners.

whoa! free anthellia in woodbridge?!?!?!

 

[blange3]

Since you are posting in the leather shroom and zoa forum I would gather you are considering softies.

My personal belief is everyone should start here.

Although they need attention to all of the standard reef parameters, they tend to be more forgiving.

I would recommend starting with easy things like green star polyps, anthellia, mushrooms, frilly shrooms, kenya trees and various leathers.

Most of which you can get for free from me if you are close to Woodbridge, 07095.

I started my current phase of reefing with sort corals and then added LPS like frogspawn and hammer in my next tank. I keep a few SPS but my tastes and reefing skills best match up with LPS.

BTW MANY folks will now chime in and tell you the corals I mentioned will grow like weeds and overrun your tank and make you miserable. ;D Very true to a certain point, but if you learn how to grow the weeds, you will acquire most of the skills needed to move on to more demanding corals without claiming the lives of many innocent corals. And you can pass on those weeds to other beginners.

whoa! free anthellia in woodbridge?!?!?!

Whoa! Quick on the uptake! ;D

Yep, I almost always have some to share. LMK if interested.

 

[Patriot76]

Since you are posting in the leather shroom and zoa forum I would gather you are considering softies.

My personal belief is everyone should start here.

Although they need attention to all of the standard reef parameters, they tend to be more forgiving.

I would recommend starting with easy things like green star polyps, anthellia, mushrooms, frilly shrooms, kenya trees and various leathers.

Most of which you can get for free from me if you are close to Woodbridge, 07095.

I started my current phase of reefing with sort corals and then added LPS like frogspawn and hammer in my next tank. I keep a few SPS but my tastes and reefing skills best match up with LPS.

BTW MANY folks will now chime in and tell you the corals I mentioned will grow like weeds and overrun your tank and make you miserable. ;D Very true to a certain point, but if you learn how to grow the weeds, you will acquire most of the skills needed to move on to more demanding corals without claiming the lives of many innocent corals. And you can pass on those weeds to other beginners.

whoa! free anthellia in woodbridge?!?!?!

Whoa! Quick on the uptake! ;D

Yep, I almost always have some to share. LMK if interested.

sure! if you could bring some tomorrow that would be awesome!

 

[mnat]

I was a true starter with corals, had never done them before. Now I have about 6 different types of zoas that are all doing well. I also have a ricordia that is beautiful and doing very well. After I got comfortable with them I got some frogspawn which is doing amazing.

The other problem with elegance coral is that they started to collect deeper water specimens that cannot tolerate high light.

 

[duijver]

I can say that Bills anthellia's are very nice ( and free )


Ironhorseiv: One thing I just learned, right or not, is that most softies only do well in somewhat dirty water. Meaning, if you overskim the water they tend to grow slower or not at all.