- I keep changing this dang list,
but there's one commonality.
Every single time I redo it,
I can't seem to even agree with myself.
(upbeat music)
A big howdy, howdy to all of my fellow
and future hobbyists out there.
My name is Matthew and I am your BRS beginner guru.
In case you missed our last episode, episode 42,
watch it right now, because then you'll understand
how we ended up choosing the 10 corals on this list.
And I promise you guys, I'm going to try my best
to pronounce all these correct.
I got my computer right here.
I got pronunciation guides,
but I'm probably gonna mess up with some of the Latin names.
So mea culpa, if I say something wrong
and you know I said it wrong, please put a comment below.
And with that, let's jump to the first
great beginner coral on our list.
Starting out, number one is Pachyclavularia violacea.
I seriously had to practice that
like 15 times before doing this.
That is of course, known more commonly
as Green Star polyps or GSP.
This is a soft coral and regarding color variations,
I've never really seen any.
They all look pretty similar
with a purple base and green polyps.
Growth rate, super fast growing
compared to a lot of other corals.
It likes to grow on rock work and on the glass.
And I've even seen it coat a sand bed at times.
Moving on to our care tips, let's start with flow.
I would say GSP like slightly higher flow rates,
primarily to keep detritus off of the purple mat,
but nothing crazy high.
Lighting, they're not super picky,
but just nothing too strong.
Feeding-wise, they're photosynthetic
just like every single coral on this list,
but they could probably benefit from some additional feeding
of some really fine coral foods.
Aggression.
These are not aggressive, but they do aggressively grow.
So if you put them on one piece of your rock work,
it may end up encrusting and growing everywhere,
even in places where you don't want them.
For placement, I really like to put them on an island
and then they'll kind of encrust it
and you'll have this really cool Green Star Polyp island.
But I know a lot of hobbyists
who like to put them on the back of their tank
because then it creates this really cool
kind of grass like growing surface.
Or even hobbyists who have an area on their substrate,
where they move the sand to the side
and they put it directly on the glass.
And then it kind of looks like grass
growing from the bottom of the tank.
How about water chemistry?
I've actually struggled keeping GSP, which I know is crazy.
And I think it's because a lot of the times
my tanks are a little bit too clean.
So I would say GSP likes slightly dirtier water.
Definitely make sure you have some nitrates
and some phosphates in there.
Price point, a little note here.
Every time I talk about price we're talking about
in today's values and it ranges dramatically
depending on what part of the country you live
or depending on what country you actually live in.
But as of now, you can get a small frag for 20 to $30.
Overarching thoughts for GSP,
I think it's a really cool coral.
I think the green colors mixed with the purple base
can be really phenomenal, a really fast growth rate.
So you can frag it and share it with friends.
And especially on an island,
once it encrusts the whole thing,
I think it adds a really nice pop of color
and flow to your tank.
Beginner coral number two is actually
a group of beginner corals,
and I'm going to read off their scientific names here.
We're talking about Lobophytum,
Sinularia, Nepthea and Sarcophyton,
more commonly known as toadstools and leather corals.
There are actually a lot of common names for this group,
including Toadstool, Toadstool Leather,
Finger Leathers, Lobophytum Leathers,
Sinularia Coral, and Neon Green Nepthea.
Type of coral, these are soft corals.
Color variations, there's actually
a couple color variations,
but they pretty much run the gamut
of different browns and greens.
Growth rate, it really depends.
When I have had different leather corals,
they tend to go in cycles.
Sometimes they sit and they don't seem to grow at all.
And other times they'll just
have a growth spurt and go crazy.
For care tips, let's start with flow.
Really, these can be anywhere from low flow to high flow.
The thing about leather corals
is a lot of them will shed
the outer layer of their skin.
Skin? Is it skin?
I don't think it's skin.
But a lot of them will shed
their outer layer every few weeks.
The first time you have it,
you will think that it's dying, but it's not.
It's just a natural process.
And if it's in a very low flow environment,
it might not be able to shed that skin
and get it away from its body.
So if you do notice one of these corals shedding their skin,
you want to make sure it's in a medium to high flow.
That way the water current can take away the shed
and it can go into the filtration.
For lighting anywhere from low to medium.
So we're talking from 50 to 150 par.
But if you do want to put it
in a higher par area of your tank,
you can usually acclimate it over time.
They're really hardy corals
as long as you take your time and acclimate them well.
Feeding, they don't require supplemental feeding,
But they will pull nutrients out of the water column.
But of course they're photosynthetic.
Aggression, while not likely to sting other corals,
some of these leather-type corals
do secrete a toxin from their body,
which can damage sensitive corals,
especially those that are placed nearby.
Placement, definitely in the lower area of your tank,
even the sand bed.
What I usually like to do is I'll attach them
to some small piece of rock
and then place that rock into the substrate.
Or you can attach it to some small part of your aquascape.
Water chemistry, nothing too clean.
Really, these corals are great in dirty water environments,
but they are super hardy and they can acclimate
to most tank environments as long as you do it slowly.
Price-wise, well, since we're talking about
several different species of corals,
there is really a quite large range.
And it really depends on what type it is,
the colorations of it and the size,
but I've seen some frags anywhere from $20 to $75,
75 definitely being more of the neon green leather corals.
When I started out in this hobby,
I was like, oh, they're so boring,
but I've actually really grown to love leather corals.
And especially some of the neon green ones.
They're really, really pretty.
But honestly, just some standard leather corals.
I have two leather corals in my seahorse tank
and they grow really well.
I like their shapes and I like their texture.
And if you do want something like a sea horse tank,
they make a perfect hitching post for those seahorses.
While maybe not the most exciting of corals out there.
I think they make up for it with their fast growth rate
and their really cool textures and shapes.
And the third beginner coral on our list
goes by the scientific genus of Xenia.
Some of the more common names you will see
from this genus are Pom Pom,
Red Sea Pulsing Xenia, and Blue Xenia.
Xenias are soft corals.
When it comes to color variations,
we're talking about different species
that are more on the pink side
and ones that are more on the blue side.
Most Xenias do actively pulse, but not all of them will.
How about the growth rate?
Well, these are weed-like,
and probably some of the fastest growers out there.
Moving on to care tips, let's start with flow.
These definitely prefer a medium to high flow environment.
Especially if you have the kind with the pulsing tips,
a higher flow will bring out the pulsing action in them.
Lighting, we're talking a low to medium par
anywhere from probably 50 to 150,
but they are highly adaptable
as long as you do it slowly.
They can probably survive in super low light environments
and much higher light environments.
Feeding, I would say these corals
get almost 100% of their food from the light,
but Xenias can also absorb nutrients
from their polyps and through their stock as well.
Placement, I would definitely recommend
placing these on some sort of a rock island.
If you put these on your main aquascape,
trust me, they will take over the entire scape
and you will regret it.
So I would put them on some sort of island.
It can be a small island or a larger island
and make sure it's a way from the main aqua scape.
And then they're really gorgeous to look at
and you don't have to worry about them
taking over the rest of the scape.
Pulsing Xenias will also actively grow on the glass.
And I've seen quite a few hobbyists
who liked to put them on the back wall, kind of like GSP.
And then as they grow a little bit too much,
all you need to do is take a razor blade
and you can cut off a piece of it and give it to a friend.
Water chemistry, they are highly adaptable.
Most hobbyists find success with pulsing Xenias,
but some hobbyists I'd say 20 to 30% seem to always struggle
and we just don't really know why.
Price-wise, I would say
if you're going to a local fish store,
you're looking for a small piece anywhere from 15 to $40.
But if you have a local aquarium club
or some buddies who have it,
they'll oftentimes just frag off a piece
and give it to you because it grows so fast.
Overarching thoughts with your Xenia corals.
They aren't necessarily my favorite,
the colors are definitely more muted and more dull,
but they make up for a lot of that
with their pulsing motion.
I've been able to have success with them,
but I know other hobbyists who have not been able to.
I think it's a really great beginner coral,
but I do highly recommend placing them on an island,
especially when you're starting out a new tank,
because it will quickly grow and take over everything.
The fourth beginner coral on our list
comes from the genus Anthelia.
There are a few common names for this,
including Waving Hand Anthelia,
Pink Waving Hand and Purple Anthelia.
Just like quite a few of the other corals on this list,
Anthelia are a soft coral.
Variations-wise, I think it's first important to note
how similar Anthelia do look to Xenia.
But if you look at the fingers on them,
Anthelia fingers are much, much longer.
Anthelia are usually some shade of pink,
but depending on the lighting,
they can look brown or even purple-ish.
Growth rate, these are crazy fast corals.
I think these even probably grow faster than Xenia.
These may be the fastest growing corals in the hobby.
Moving on to our care tips, let's start with flow.
Medium to high flow.
They are a somewhat boring looking coral,
but they make up for it with their water movement.
So putting them in a medium to high flow environment
will highlight that movement.
Lighting, definitely prefer low par levels,
but if you acclimate them slowly,
they can definitely get used to higher par levels.
Feeding, there's no need to feed them.
They're photosynthetic, and that will be enough.
And honestly, they grow fast enough without your help.
Aggression, they're not aggressive at all
towards other corals and another cool thing
is other corals that are aggressive
don't seem to bother Anthelia at all.
But they do aggressively grow.
So just keep that in mind, when you're thinking about
where to put them in the tank.
Placement, I highly recommend, just like Xenia,
place them on islands, that way they cover the island.
You could also put them on a back wall,
but know that it's going to take over
the entire glass and probably end up spreading.
So I'd really just recommend,
especially starting out.
If you haven't seen how quickly these grow,
put it on an island and move it a little bit away
from the main aquascape.
Water chemistry, it honestly doesn't really matter.
They seem to be able to thrive in any environment.
Price, this is probably some of the cheapest coral,
because it's so prevalent and a lot of hobbyists have it
like a weed in their tank.
But if you're going to a local fish store,
you can pick up a small piece
from anywhere between 10 and $25.
But honestly, if you have a friend
or a local aquarium club, just ask around.
I'm sure somebody has it and will be willing
to give you a piece of it, if not all of it.
Overarching thoughts on Anthelia.
It's honestly probably the most boring coral on this list.
I mean, the color is nothing exciting,
but it does have some really cool water movement.
And especially when we're talking about
just starting out as a new hobbyist,
you want to be able to find success
and you will learn a lot about corals and coral growth,
and you probably will find success from this coral.
So it's not necessarily exciting,
but it's super inexpensive and it has really cool
water movement, so why not give it a shot?
Just put it on that island
so it doesn't spread throughout the entire tank.
That way, if you ever get sick of it,
you can just pull out the island,
give it to somebody else
and move on with other types of corals.
And the fifth corals on our list
are from the order Zoantharia,
we're talking about Zoanthids.
The two most common names
you're going to hear are Palys and Zoas.
There is a huge debate between
the taxonomic differences between Palys and Zoas,
but this is not the time to go into that.
Type of coral, strangely, they actually belong
with the Stony Coral group,
although they don't secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton
so they're more like a soft coral.
Just a quick note here.
There is no scientific difference
between soft corals, SPS and LPS corals.
These are just categories that hobbyists have made up
to help group corals together.
Color variations, there are way too many,
and these are some of the most popular corals out there
because they come in so many color variations
with really cool names.
And I wrote down a few of them.
So let me read a few of them for you.
Agent Orange, Bloodsucker, Blue Hornet, Captain America,
Eagle Eye, Fire and Ice, Fruit Loops, Purple Monster,
Sunny D and there's way, way more.
And there are hobbyists out there
who know all of the names and I just don't.
So just know that they come in a plethora of colors.
Growth rate, it varies wildly
depending on the Zoanthid species.
Here's a quick video of my Zoa garden.
It started with just a few patches of Zoas
less than a year ago,
and it's pretty obvious to see
which of the Zoas are growing really quickly
and which of them aren't growing quickly at all.
Moving on to care tips and we need to start out
with a very serious public service announcement.
Zoanthids can contain one of the most dangerous toxins
in the world that is extremely deadly called a palytoxin.
So anytime you handle zoas or palys,
you need to make sure you're wearing gloves,
a mask and eye protection, just protect yourself.
Flow rate, well, really anywhere from low to high.
I mean, I probably wouldn't put a wave maker
directly pointed at the Zoas,
but they seem to be able to thrive
in a lot of different environment.
I found that slightly higher flow rates are better
because a lot of detritus can build up at their base.
Lighting-wise, really anywhere from low to high.
But honestly, I usually place my Zoas
in a low to medium environment.
I found somewhere around 100 par to work really well,
but some of these can survive at very, very low par levels.
And some can adapt to very high par levels.
Feeding, you don't need to feed them,
they're photosynthetic, but they'll probably appreciate
some sort of coral food, occasionally.
Aggression, they're not aggressive themselves,
but they are definitely susceptible
to the aggression of other corals.
So just make sure you place them far enough away
from other really aggressive corals.
Placement-wise, again, depending on the specific
Zoa species, some grow really fast, some grow slowly,
but one of the best ways to contain these
is to make a little Zoa garden.
Just get a really cool looking rock
and put a whole bunch of frags all the way around it.
Let it grow in, and then it will contain it.
If you don't want to go with the Zoa garden,
just know that if you place them on your main rock work,
depending on the species, they may grow and take over
a much larger portion over time then you would hope for.
Water chemistry, they're a very hardy species
and can really be in clean tanks or in dirty tanks.
They tend to thrive in all environments.
That's why they're just such good beginner corals,
because they can survive the mistakes that we make.
Price-wise, this varies wildly,
depending on hobbyist demand.
I have seen heads go anywhere from $10 for a single head
to well over a hundred dollars for a single head,
depending on the coloration.
My overarching thoughts on Zoas,
they're a great coral and they're so much fun
because they can grow really quickly.
And they come in so many different colors.
My only pet peeve when it comes to Zoas
is trying not, especially as a beginner,
try not to get sucked in to this collector's hobby.
Because you may end up spending
hundreds and hundreds of dollars
on very small amounts of Zoas just because
some hobbyists think the colorations are super cool.
My recommendation starting out with Zoas,
there are plenty out there that are really beautiful
and inexpensive and start with those.
And if you want to get into the high end collector market
down the road, just save that for another day.
Beginner coral number six.
Well that's for next episode, check out the link.
We'll put it right here.
As always everyone, thanks for watching.
Happy reefing, be well, we'll see you next time.