if you're new to reef keeping and considering starting your own reef tank you're probably
wondering which corals you should add to your tank this is a relevant question because it's easy to
get excited stocking the tank with beautiful and exotic corals but it's important to start
your first tank with hardy corals until you gain expertise in reef keeping choosing finicky corals
can lead to disappointment and frustration the following corals are hardy and beautiful making
them ideal for your first reef aquarium mushroom corals are a great choice for a reef tank with
low to moderate lighting these soft corals are available in several colors such as metallic green
green striped blue spotted red and metallic blue keep in mind there are many varieties or morphs
in the world of mushroom corals these generic names are created to describe the look of the
morph but aren't governed by any scientific rules actinodiscus mushroom corals should be placed at
a low or medium height inside the tank if the water flow is too strong they won't fully expand
so keep them in a calm area of the tank you can feed each polyp with microplankton coral food
or you can also add food to the water flow and over time mushroom corals will reproduce
and spread out on the rock mushroom corals receive nutrition from their symbiotic algae
but many aquarists use supplemental feedings to help the corals reach their maximum potential
recordia mushrooms are another popular coral for both beginners and experienced reefers
the coral is covered in club-like tentacles giving it a highly textured surface recordia prefer
medium to high light intensity and slow flow rates the polyps contain symbiotic algae but will also
feed on frozen shrimp and prepared coral foods the caribbean variety is very hardy and normally green
in color the pacific yuma type is considered less hardy but highly prized for the intense red pink
and yellow morphs the rhodactis genus of mushrooms offer a wide diversity of color and size while
still being easy to care for you'll find these corals in a variety of colors including purple
red yellow orange and green these mushrooms thrive in lower light and slow flow rates they make great
corals for nano tanks or at the bottom of larger reef aquariums zoanthus polyp rock is another
hearty coral you'll find multiple polyps attached to a piece of reef rock which is often coated with
coral and algae it's a great way to add corals and seed your tank with purple and pink coral analogy
give this coral bright light and they'll spread across the rock creating a carpet of vibrant color
zoanthis enjoy medium water currents and will filter feed on baby brine shrimp and micro pellets
pulsing xenia also known as waving hand coral is also very hardy the branch stems sway gracefully
while their tentacled polyps pulse in the water the movement creates an almost alien landscape and
will add a lot of liveliness to your tank xenia contains symbiotic algae but are capable of filter
feeding they thrive under moderate lighting and medium water flow xenia will reproduce and spread
throughout the tank if you happen to own one you already know they grow like weeds in a healthy
aquarium in fact you probably have reefing friends that may offer you a branch or two
star pull-ups are easy and look great in the tank their colorful polyps sway in the water current
showing off their greenish yellow tentacles they like medium to strong water flow and will thrive
under dim to bright lighting star polyps contain symbiotic algae but also filter feed from the
water these are just a few of the easiest corals to care for especially if you're just starting
out in the hobby we help thousands of new reef aquarius start their aquariums every year reef
keeping is more than buying frags and dropping them into your tank it's a combination of art
and science there are always new things to learn when it comes to balancing the water chemistry
fine tuning the filtration system adjusting lighting equipment and maintaining a stable marine
environment but as you improve it each new doors will start to open for you these hearty corals
are beautiful and create a great looking reef aquarium the tank will be easy to care for and
may even be all the reef corals that many aquarius are looking for that's all for today if you find
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