HOW ABOUT A TOP 10 STARTER CORAL LIST FOR BEGINNERS

[garfield]

So I was thinking do the more experienced members want to share opinions and experiences on which corals are the hardier ones and easier for beginners to start with. As newbies we will make mistakes whether lighting feeding, exacting water parameters.

So based on some of those factors which ones are closest to being the best "Starter Corals"

 

[Blob-79]

heya. There are alot of corals that are easy to care for and are hardy.

-Most leathers are easy to keep, I dont keep leathers though so cant say much about them.
-mushrooms, some like light some are good with low light.
-zoas also good starter
-frogspawn and hammer corals both very easy to keep
-green star polyps
-xenia- great for beginers cause it grows like a weed(wont do well in a heavily skimmed tank)

all these are good without being fed. Main thing you want to look for when researching corals your interested in is wether or not the coral relies on zooxanthellae for its energy(food), either not at all, partially or fully. Zooxanthellae is a symbiotic algae that lives in most corals. Thru photosynthesis, this algae feeds the coral. Not saying you never have to feed corals with zooxanthellae, but they can get by without.

 

[Seggsy]

I agree with all those above.  I started with soft, easy coral.  Mushrooms, kenya trees, toadstool, GSP is still a fav.  And candycanes and trumpets are great.  I love zoos and polyps - so many colours.  You could probably do some monti cap as well.
Have a look on liveaquaria for ideas too, and to read care level.  Have fun.

 

[lewis844]

you cont go wrong with softies i would stay away from any sps coral wait till your ready but zoas mushrooms leathers kenya trees sinularia and other coral like that is you best bet

 

[garfield]

Thanks guys, still quite a lot of variety to choose from.

 

[Blob-79]

definitly lots to choose from. It all comes down to personal taste. Another thing to keep in mind is its always easier to keep aquacultured corals as opposed to wild caught (also more reef friendly might I add) corals that have been propogated and grown in captivity are much more accustomed to the inherant "swings" and instabilities of our feeble attempts to recreate the ocean

 

[Cal_stir]

careful with the xenias and other small migrating polyps, they can take over your tank and be impossible to remove. do the reaserch before you add it.