Favorite Beginner Coral

Curtswearing · 12-25-2003, 02:38 PM

A lot of people enter this hobby because they saw some pretty pictures of very colorful fish. However, eventually most people end up going to a reef tank.

What would be your recommendation for a first coral for someone and why?

fidojoe · 12-25-2003, 02:49 PM

Mushrooms

That what I have, and they are doing great in my sub-par tank

salemreefer · 12-25-2003, 03:16 PM

still love my frogspawn, just keeps on getting larger and spliting after years. Love the motion in the tank also.

openbrain · 12-25-2003, 05:04 PM

Yup! Mushrooms it is, We have them growing like crazy in out refuge under NO lighting. I honestly thing you could grow them with a flahlight. J/K

ReefLady · 12-25-2003, 05:11 PM

Sorry, gotta disagree with the hubby here. :-)

I would never recommend the scourge of *%#$@ mushrooms on anyone!

Yeah, they're hardy, grow with minimal care, less than perfect conditions, not-so-great lighting, but once they spread, you're doomed.

Especially if you have aspirations of going to sps someday. I still regret the day I ever introduced mushrooms (as well as star polyps) to the tank. I still fight them back regularly with kalk paste, boiling water, a toothbrush, etc., and it's not me who is winning the battle.

I'd recommend one of the LPS - Open Brain, Fox corals are beautiful, Bubble coral, etc.

vjvl51 · 12-25-2003, 05:58 PM

ReefLady, I think I goofed.

I started out with a finger leather and when it tripled in size, added an orange monti?? which I had to frag (part was white/dead) so I now have 3 pieces. For Christmas I received some green hairy mushrooms and green polyps. Instead of saying "thank you," should I have said "oh no!"

Now what do I do? How fast do these things spread? Any hope of containing them?

I hope to bring another tank on line this summer but my 90 gallon I'm keeping for the main display tank.

Vickie

ScottT1980 · 12-25-2003, 06:12 PM

I hate to say it but I have to say pusling xenia...

It gives good movement to the tank, and while it grows incredibly well in most systems, it doesn't ship all that well. This is a great little circumstance for me, seenig as how it now pays for all my dry goods through LFS credit...

Take er easy
Scott t.

wooddood · 12-25-2003, 06:25 PM

i really like my colt coral,its easy to keep and i think they look pretty good too.

ReefLady · 12-25-2003, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Now what do I do? How fast do these things spread? Any hope of containing them?

How fast they spread depends on lighting and water flow. Hairy 'shrooms typically like brighter light.

I would attempt to keep them isolated - on a "solitary" rock surrounded by sand (or not touching another rock). They should be fine like this.

mnreefman · 12-25-2003, 07:38 PM

for a very first coral i would sugest something very hardy like green star polyps, mushrooms, or zoanthids... maily because these are very hardy... even exposed to air at times on the reef... they can handel less than perfect water conditions, and at the same time be very very beautiful with there colors.. they also dont need to be spot fed... so the only maitnece to them is to not let them take over a tank... they grow so fast eventually you can propagate them and use the money twards other corals or upgrading your equipment
hth clint

mnreefman · 12-25-2003, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ScottT1980
I hate to say it but I have to say pusling xenia...

It gives good movement to the tank, and while it grows incredibly well in most systems, it doesn't ship all that well. This is a great little circumstance for me, seenig as how it now pays for all my dry goods through LFS credit...

Take er easy
Scott t.

the only thing i like about this coral is that for some reason it doesnt survive in my tank lol

jks1 · 12-25-2003, 07:50 PM

Scott stole my thunder, i would have said Xenia too. Although like RL I am wondering if it was a good idea to put it in the tankas it grows like a weed...

ReefLady · 12-25-2003, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Although like RL I am wondering if it was a good idea to put it in the tankas it grows like a weed...

It does, but it's usually a pretty desireable frag. See if your LFS will take it in for trade or store credit.

Also, unlike 'shrooms, Xenia is pretty easy to remove from where you don't want it - just peel away.

salemreefer · 12-25-2003, 09:33 PM

my metalic star polyps grow so fast they actually overtake living macro algea ..... up to one or two inches a day over my live rock.

Witfull · 12-25-2003, 09:41 PM

i like the Devils Hand leather, interesting shape, movement and easy to care for and forgiving.

12-25-2003, 02:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
Curtswearing Golden Moray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,596 View Gallery Karma Komment	Favorite Beginner Coral A lot of people enter this hobby because they saw some pretty pictures of very colorful fish. However, eventually most people end up going to a reef tank. What would be your recommendation for a first coral for someone and why? __________________ In memory of Fluffy, please pause before hitting enter---being nice is free. Click for ReefKeeping FAQ'S Click for Product Reviews Click for Photo ID Gallery http://curtcpapfs.com/downloads/1Curt.jpg

12-25-2003, 02:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
fidojoe Fish Addict Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 1,581 View Gallery Karma Komment	Mushrooms That what I have, and they are doing great in my sub-par tank __________________ *Member "Crabs Are Evil" Society* My Tank: 90g AGA, 18g tall sump, CSS 220 w/ meshmod impeller, 4x54w Tek T5 retro w/ IC reflectors, Kalk reactor w/ aquamedic niveaumat system, a few SPS, LPS, zoos, and a few softies, 2 Ocellaris Clowns (hosted by both a RBTA and GBTA), Yellow Watchman, Potter's angel, Yellow Tang, Foxface, Midas Blenny, Purple Pseudo, huge brittle star, 2 tigertail cukes, fire shrimp, snails, and unfortunately two emerald crabs (the bubble algae got out of control).

12-25-2003, 05:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
openbrain Star Polyps Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 151 View Gallery Karma Komment	Yup! Mushrooms it is, We have them growing like crazy in out refuge under NO lighting. I honestly thing you could grow them with a flahlight. J/K __________________ Don ---------- Then it comes to be that soothing light at the end of the tunnel, it's just a freight train coming your way

12-25-2003, 05:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
ReefLady Golden Moray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 2,029 View Gallery Karma Komment	Sorry, gotta disagree with the hubby here. :-) I would never recommend the scourge of *%#$@ mushrooms on anyone! Yeah, they're hardy, grow with minimal care, less than perfect conditions, not-so-great lighting, but once they spread, you're doomed. Especially if you have aspirations of going to sps someday. I still regret the day I ever introduced mushrooms (as well as star polyps) to the tank. I still fight them back regularly with kalk paste, boiling water, a toothbrush, etc., and it's not me who is winning the battle. I'd recommend one of the LPS - Open Brain, Fox corals are beautiful, Bubble coral, etc. __________________ ~ Teri -------- "You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice."

12-25-2003, 05:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
vjvl51 Tubeworm Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 35 View Gallery Karma Komment	ReefLady, I think I goofed. I started out with a finger leather and when it tripled in size, added an orange monti?? which I had to frag (part was white/dead) so I now have 3 pieces. For Christmas I received some green hairy mushrooms and green polyps. Instead of saying "thank you," should I have said "oh no!" Now what do I do? How fast do these things spread? Any hope of containing them? I hope to bring another tank on line this summer but my 90 gallon I'm keeping for the main display tank. Vickie __________________ 90 gallon display +25 gallon refugium + 25 gallon sump Aqua C EV180 2 VHO + 2 MH - 13K PFO 250 W culturing NAN, TET, rotifers & brine shrimp

12-25-2003, 03:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
salemreefer Tubeworm Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: salem Oregon Posts: 31 View Gallery Karma Komment	still love my frogspawn, just keeps on getting larger and spliting after years. Love the motion in the tank also.

12-25-2003, 06:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
ScottT1980 Reef Lobster Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,484 View Gallery Karma Komment	I hate to say it but I have to say pusling xenia... It gives good movement to the tank, and while it grows incredibly well in most systems, it doesn't ship all that well. This is a great little circumstance for me, seenig as how it now pays for all my dry goods through LFS credit... Take er easy Scott t. __________________ My Tank

12-25-2003, 06:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
wooddood the wood dude Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: CARMEL. INDIANA Posts: 3,450 View Gallery Karma Komment	i really like my colt coral,its easy to keep and i think they look pretty good too. __________________ 120 gal/in wall tank/starboard substraight/2 250 watt 10k xm metal halides/ 4 55watt 03 actinics/150lbs lr/scwd on return/scwd on a closed loop/aquaclear aquatics 200 pro wetdry w/skimmer. ask all the questions you have if we cant answer it we'll make up some thing. remember patience is the key to a kick ass reef. dave.

12-25-2003, 07:38 PM	#10 (permalink)
mnreefman Reef Lobster Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,393 View Gallery Karma Komment	for a very first coral i would sugest something very hardy like green star polyps, mushrooms, or zoanthids... maily because these are very hardy... even exposed to air at times on the reef... they can handel less than perfect water conditions, and at the same time be very very beautiful with there colors.. they also dont need to be spot fed... so the only maitnece to them is to not let them take over a tank... they grow so fast eventually you can propagate them and use the money twards other corals or upgrading your equipment hth clint __________________ http://reefrock.com

12-25-2003, 07:50 PM	#12 (permalink)
jks1 Achilles Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 876 View Gallery Karma Komment	Scott stole my thunder, i would have said Xenia too. Although like RL I am wondering if it was a good idea to put it in the tankas it grows like a weed... __________________ John Tank: 29g glass Pumps: Mag5.0 return - (3) rio 100 PHs Lighting: (1) 150w XM 10K/(2) 30W actinics Equipment: Aqua C Urchin skimmer- CPR Fuge, Titanium Heater -Red Sea wavemaster Pro Tank: 210g 1/2" Acrylic, dual overflows, 75g glass sump w/ 20g fuge. Pumps: Mag24 return - (2) MAG24s running 2 closed loop systems. Lighting: (3) 400w XM 10K/(2) Custom Sealife 96w PC - 25w dimmable incandescent Moonlight Equipment: Aqua C EV180 skimmer - CR500 calc reactor - Titanium Heater - AquaLogic single Stage Temp Controller - Aquanetics 1/5Hp Chiller - Neptune sys aquacontroller

12-25-2003, 09:33 PM	#14 (permalink)
salemreefer Tubeworm Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: salem Oregon Posts: 31 View Gallery Karma Komment	my metalic star polyps grow so fast they actually overtake living macro algea ..... up to one or two inches a day over my live rock.

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