Easy Corals for Beg.

ReefOcean · #1 08-28-2010, 11:13 AM

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 · #2 08-28-2010, 03:14 PM

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 · #3 08-30-2010, 01:51 PM

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.

amoreira · #4 08-30-2010, 04:21 PM

When I started I innocently bought a frag of GSP from a hobby auction. Now it's grown 10-20x it's origninal area size and is taking over my tank. Same said for some zoos I bough (easier to get rid of though). I want to get some pretty SPS coral and get rid of the green shag rug monster. I regularly scrape pieces of it away to try and control it's growth, but it keeps up with me. I tried a caustic soda solution and inject it into the GSP and that works very well (same thing as I use for aptasia). I curse on the person who sold me that frag. LOL!