Easy Corals for Beg.

[bignose]

You have to try!

[Sean]

Colts I find are debbie downers and don't stand up in new aquariums.

[paddyob]

If you are losing corals.... maybe you get your parameters under control first... especially if you are worried about your water getting worse.

I dont understand. It almost seems like maybe you should not be adding any coral at this time.

[ALang]

Mushrooms, rhodactis, toadstool leathers, finger leathers, and esp my pink pavona, which was given to me since day one of my SW experience. It survived through some pretty horrible swings in water parameters, pH, lightings. I have some thriving in VHO flourescent lightings, and some in my other tank, which has MH.

[Reef-Geek]

Originally Posted by Sean

What do you guys like as your first coral for your aquarium? What ones do you find extremely easy to take care for and which ones have you had bad experience with even if they are classified as easy?
I have to say my Mushroom Toadstools is a real champ, he has lasted such horrible conditions and always bounces back when the water level return to normal. Next I would have to say my bubble coral. He doesn't show signs of stress and seems to puff up all the time. But that can also be a negative if you look for signs of stress before changing water quality
Zoo's and I don't get along in the beginning, I don't like how they vanish. I rather have something that I can pick out of the tank if it passes away so my water levels don't drop even lower.

I vote for zoas

[gobytron]

I have some GSP you can have...

[Madreefer]

Originally Posted by Snaz

If anyone offers your Green Star Polyps(GSP) kick them in the nards!

Yeah. What he said. Thy spread too much and after a while you'll hate it.

[ReefOcean]

I am going to have to chime back in and say that GSP is a good starter coral simply because it is extremely hardy and it will grow and spread under lighting less than halide or LED. It is also a good practice coral. it still suffers like other coral when it comes to being smothered by cyno when phosphates are up or from silt when flow isnt right but not the the extent and the cost of other corals. Why risk dying from palytoxin poisoning.....or have a really metal-tasting 6 months... when you can get accostomed to coral keeping with something cheeper and safer? Besides, if the mats get too big rip some out and sell em. I will take them off his hands.

[whatcaneyedo]

I agree with most of the recommendations so far and I'd like to add Hydnophora and Anthelia to the list. With regards to Hydnophora, I traded in a small colony to our LFS several months ago. It is now the oldest living coral in their system. At some point everything else they have had since has either sold or died. In many cases the latter has happened.

Some people may complain that many of these softies are too invasive and will eventually cause problems for the new aquarium owner. I have met very few people starting out that this has happened to. In most cases even green star polyps don't make it in the new persons tank. Their system is either so horrible that they cant survive or they have a major tank crash within the first two years and loose everything.

[SeaSerpant]

To Whatcaneyedo said,
It's true! I had a small collection of GSP and they all died when i put them in too early, so did my xenia. Clove polyps are a bit more hardier BUT they can take over whatever you put it on, so make sure it is on a rock that is away from the main scape a bit.