Top 10 corals for beginners
The goals with an aquarium in the first year are different from the goals regarding the future. For a majority of first-year hobbyists, the biggest goal is simply to realize the dream of keeping your pets alive and growing some easy-going corals. To have success with your aquarium in this way. So what are easy corals to start with?
Beginner corals don’t cost a fortune, are easy to find, colorful, grow quickly, and are tolerant of common errors and fluctuations in parameters. These corals are generally considered to be easy to care for and require no special additives to thrive in your aquarium. Find more information about starting a marine aquarium in this book .
1. Zoanthids
These are small polyps that come in a variety of colors and resemble a small flower. They appear in clusters of individual polyps that share a web of tissue connecting all the polyps. Hobbyists become fascinated with collecting the literally hundreds of different colors these corals represent.
Zoantids grow quickly and tolerate a wide range of light and water quality. Due to the fast-growing nature of these corals, it is wise to keep them separate on their own island or by placing them on a rock that is easy to remove.
2. Sinular leather
Sinularia is a kind of soft coral that looks like a tree and is often a beautiful fluorescent green, but this coral also exists in colors such as pink, purple, red, yellow and different shades of brown/beige. They grow quickly once established and can grow large. Fortunately, they are easily pruned with scissors or a knife. The coral lacks a skeleton base, so it will move with the current, which will provide a lot of life and movement in your aquarium.
3. Ears
This coral is also a wonderful addition to your aquarium and provides a lot of life and movement. In that regard, most corals labeled as soft or leather corals are good choices for new aquariums. They are tolerant of less than perfect water parameters and can tolerate slight fluctuations. Due to the rapid growth, the coral absorbs unwanted nutrients that are often found in new aquariums, so that they even have a useful function.
4. Xenia
Xenia comes in a few varieties, the most popular of which is the pulsating variety. Like the previous two corals, anything that provides movement in your tank like this coral is a nice addition. Xenia takes that to the next level by not only rocking in the flow, but it also has a unique ability to pulse. Xenia is growing so fast that it is wise to isolate the colony to islands where it can be easily controlled.
5. Green Star Polyps
Green star polyps grow quickly and will cover rocks, equipment and even glass in no time. When the polyps are open, they move with the flow. With their beautiful neon green color, they are a firm favorite for many hobbyists. Like the other corals mentioned, try to isolate them in areas that can be controlled.
6. Euphyllia
Euphyllia is the scientific name for corals such as Frogspawn and Hamer corals. These are LPS corals that have large, colorful polyps with fluorescent tentacles. They will tolerate almost any location in your aquarium in terms of light and current. They don’t grow as fast as some of the soft corals mentioned, but still faster than most corals. You don’t have to worry about them taking over your aquarium with these corals. The tentacles of this coral will move with the current, which makes for a beautiful image. They are also often compared to anemones because of this characteristic.
7. Bubble Corals
Like euphyllia, bubble corals have large colorful polyps that move in the current, grow fairly quickly and are easy to control. The unique appearance that the coral creates through bubbles, which is unique among corals, makes them popular with hobbyists. There are a few different varieties, most of which are white, pale pink, or neon green in color.
8. Duncans
These are beautiful LPS corals that do well in most aquariums. They grow quickly by branching, but not in a way that is difficult to control. This is one of the best known LPS corals which is very popular by most hobbyists. They respond well to feeding and show their tentacles.
9. Caulastrea
These are beautiful LPS corals that do well in most aquariums as well as Duncans. They grow quickly by branching, but not in a way that is difficult to control. This is also one of the best known LPS corals which is very popular by most hobbyists. They respond well to feeding and show their tentacles.
10. Mushroom Leather
This is probably the coral that is easiest to care for. In most cases, they are inexpensive and come in a wide variety of colors. They can become very large, so care must be taken that this coral does not overshadow other corals. This size and the beautiful tentacles that move with the current make this a very popular coral for your aquarium.
