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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.
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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