Beginners Coral Primer

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jhnrb

Reef enthusiast
THIS IS AN EXCERT FROM AN ARTICLE ON ABOUT.COM. I THOUGHT IT HAD A LOT OF MERIT. GO TO ABOUT.COM FOR COMPLETE ARTICLE OR ADDITIONAL RELATED ARTICLES. 10 Easy Corals For Your New Reef Tank - Saltwater Aquariums Guides' Extra

10 Easy Corals For Your New Reef Tank

Many novice (and experienced) saltwater aquarists are a bit leery about starting a Reef Tank. Their requirements not being very well understood, corals used to be almost impossible to keep for any length of time in an aquarium. Over time and with many failed experiments along the way, the knowledge, products and information are now in place, so that many corals can now be successfully kept in small aquariums. Some corals are now considered "easy" (how far we have come) while many others are still deemed difficult to impossible for the average Reef Tank hobbyist.

A number of Soft Corals require less light and less rigid water quality standards than their Hard Coral (SPS & LPS) cousins, making them better candidates for converting a FO or FOWLR tank to a Reef Tank with corals. Here are some Soft Corals which are considered to be more forgiving and easier to grow successfully.

Actinodiscus

Common Names:
Mushrooms, Mushroom Coral, Mushroom Anemones and Disc Anemones.

Cladiella

Common Names:
Finger Leather Coral and Colt Coral.

Pachyclavularia

Common Names:
Star Polyps, Green Star Polyps and Daisy Polyps.

Palythoa

Common Names:
Sea Mat and Button Polyps.

Protopalythoa

Common Names:
Sea Mat and Button Polyps.

Sarcophyton

Common Names:
Toadstool Coral, Leather Coral, Mushroom Leather Coral and Trough Coral.

Zoanthus

Common Names:
Zoanthid, Sea Mat and Button Polyps.

Some Hard (SPS & LPS) Corals are less demanding, requiring less light and/or lower water quality, making them easier to keep for the novice aquarists.

Montipora

Common Names:
Velvet Coral, Velvet Finger Coral and Velvet Branch Coral.

Pavona

Common Names:
Cactus Coral, Lettuce Coral, Star Column Coral, Leaf Coral and Bark Cloth Coral.

Siderastrea

Common Names:
Starlet Coral, Lesser Starlet Coral and Pink Starlet Coral.
 
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