Today on BRStv's 52 FAQ, we’re talking beginner corals.
Hi, I’m Ryan RT Turner, one of your hosts of BRStv, with another episode of 52 FAQ,
where each week we answer questions from our popular 52 Weeks of Reefing series.
This week we answer See Ex Kay Oh Three’s question from week 39: What would be the VERY
first coral you would recommend for a new hobbyist?
offer some tips and tricks on how you can be successful with your first coral, as well
as some other various species that can not only survive, but thrive under care from a
beginner.
Coral care can certainly seem like a very overwhelming concept for many new reefers,
but in reality as long as you perform proper maintenance, caring for corals can be fairly
easy and rewarding.
Generally speaking, the more demanding a coral’s care requirements are, the more difficult
it will be for a new hobbyist to have success with that coral.
There are a few things I would recommend watching out for when researching potential corals
for your tank.
Sensitivity to water parameters, Lighting, unique feeding requirements, and aggression
can all play a role in the ease of care for a particular coral.
For this reason I highly recommend starting with soft corals.
While it’s not really an accepted scientific term, it encompasses corals that lack a calcium
carbonate based skeletal structure.
For beginners this is great; the lack of a skeleton means that the corals aren’t nearly
as sensitive to calcium and alkalinity which are the two major skeleton building elements
in the tank, and can tolerate temporary swings.
Generally a vast majority of these corals don’t need to have a ton of light, so they
grow well under more budget friendly lighting options like 2 or 4 bulb T5 fixtures, some
of the less expensive LEDs, and even compact fluorescent.
This means that the initial investment for those looking to get into keeping corals can
start off on the lower end while you build up confidence in maintaining your reef.
There are a few soft corals out there however that aren’t the easiest to keep due to their
demanding feeding habits.
They are pretty rare in the hobby, but it’s worth mentioning that corals like Dendronepthya
and Scleronepthya for example are NPS, or non-photosynthetic corals and will require
serious dedication to keeping them healthy and well fed.
A large portion of corals also contain stinging cells called nematocysts, and while not all
are aggressive, attention needs to be paid to certain corals that can be and sting other
corals around them.
Managing this can be a challenge, but in most cases soft corals don’t pack that much of
a punch and are pretty docile.
One really important thing to consider before your first coral, is that you are eventually
going to have an entire tank full of a variety of corals, so planning out your aquascape
and choosing ones that fit in a specific spot with a specific growth pattern is key to maintaining
a natural and attractive look.
So what specific corals do we recommend for those looking to get their feet wet?
There are a few corals that are perfect candidates.
One of my favorite easy to keep corals are mushroom corals from the Discosoma genus.
Often they are extremely colorful, reproduce quickly, are easy to frag and trade with other
reefers, and are one of the least demanding corals in the hobby.
Special consideration does need to be given to how quickly they reproduce however, as
they can quickly cover vast areas in the tank which is great visually, but can make adding
additional species later on more of a challenge.
Leather corals are highly recommended for beginners as well.
There are multiple growth forms each just as attractive as the last, and their leathery
texture allows them to sway in the current making a huge visual impact.
As they grow the fill in a tank very well, offering an extremely natural display.
Species like Sinularia, Sarcophophyton, and even Capnella or the Kenya Tree Coral are
all great options.
Pulsing Xenia are one of the most unique corals recommended for those starting out in the
hobby.
They are unique in the fact that they pulse their polyps, creating movement in the tank
that few corals can match.
They are a hair trickier to keep however, since they seem to prefer more nutrient rich
water, and decline in tanks with lower nutrients.
A quick additional tip: I’d recommend leaving corals that are prone to disease or predation
from parasites off your wishlist until you gain a little more experience in the hobby.
Corals like Zoanthids for example are awesome and have tons of gorgeous colors and patterns,
but they also have many pests and ailments that like to accompany them which can make
their care challenging.
This is only a fraction of the corals available to reefers in the hobby, but they are among
the easiest to care for.
To learn more check out our coral mini-series from 52 Weeks of Reefing, starting wit Week
35: SOFT CORALS!
Selection, care, and placement.
If you have any questions or tips for us or the BRS community share them in the comments
area down below.
in today's poll we are asking, What was your first coral?
Mine was a Kenya Tree, and I’m really excited to hear what you guys first put in your tanks.
I'll see you in the next BRS 52 FAQ where we answer Mike Ferrara’s question “what's
your favorite food to use with auto feeders for fish & corals?”