12 Easy Saltwater Aquarium Reef Corals

Mushroom Corals (Actinodiscus)

The mushroom (Actinodiscus) corals are mushy corals, haven’t any exoskeleton, and develop on rocks. They don’t develop nicely in shiny lights or heavy currents. To permit for maximal enlargement and copy, mushroom corals are finest saved underneath decrease lighting circumstances (fluorescent lighting is right) with little water motion.

Protected with fish, crustaceans, and motile invertebrates, they shouldn’t be positioned subsequent to different mushy and stony corals and sessile invertebrates due to the detrimental impact they’ll have on them.

Leather-based Corals (Sinularia)

Generally generally known as leather-based corals, these are glorious saltwater aquarium starter corals, being adaptable to reasonable gentle and present circumstances. They like reasonable turbulent water stream, however not a linear stream. Leather-based corals don’t have a calcified skeleton. They do have the power to sting different corals to maintain them away. Present loads of house between your corals.

Star, Inexperienced Star, and Daisy Polyps (Pachyclavularia)

These good starter corals, generally generally known as star polyps, inexperienced star polyps, and daisy polyps, are tolerant of each intense and low-level gentle in addition to a variety of currents. Being delicate to iodine and aluminum oxide present in some phosphate eradicating filter sponges, warning needs to be taken when including these filter supplies to your tank.

This coral may be very fast-spreading to the purpose the place it may possibly overgrow different corals. It’s tolerant of each low- and high-level lighting in addition to diversified water currents. This coral needs to be blown away from detritus often to stop slime and filamentous algae from gaining a foothold.

Sea Mat and Button Polyps (Palythoa and Protopalythoa)

Generally generally known as sea mat and button polyps, these corals choose shiny gentle however are tolerant of decrease gentle. Preferring reasonable to robust present, Palythoa have a excessive reproductive price and are very aggressive. A few of these species comprise a powerful neurotoxin that may have an effect on people, known as Palytoxin, which is a really harmful substance that’s poisonous to all animals, different corals, fish, birds, cats, canines, and other people. Because of this, one ought to take care when dealing with them and put on gloves. Do not deal with them you probably have cuts or open wounds in your palms and ensure to wash your palms after dealing with them.

Whereas most of those corals are brown to darkish brown, a good variety of them comprise components of their tentacle suggestions that fluoresce superbly underneath actinic blue lighting. They most frequently develop as solitary polyps or in small tightly clustered teams.

Finger Leather-based Corals and Colt Corals (Cladiella)

These are generally generally known as finger leather-based and colt corals as a result of they’ve projections resembling fingers which can be spherical to cone-shaped, and stubby. These thick finger-like projections department upward from a really brief, pale white stalk. Whereas adaptable to most gentle and present circumstances, these lovely corals are discovered at mid-water ranges within the ocean, so reasonable gentle and present ranges are optimum for them in captivity.

Toadstool Mushroom Coral (Sarcophyton)

Corals within the genus Sarcophyton are generally generally known as toadstool corals. The identify comes from the truth that they give the impression of being very similar to massive toadstool mushrooms, they usually’re usually fast-growing and hardy corals. These are nice newbie’s corals that adapt nicely to most lighting ranges in addition to low to reasonable present ranges. These corals develop quickly and are thought-about glorious for propagation. They will produce toxins which will have an effect on stony corals and sea anemones.

Zoanthids, Zoanthus Button Polyps (Zoanthus)

Members of this genus are very colourful, being shades of inexperienced and brown sometimes, however generally fluorescent crimson, orange, pink, lavender, blue, yellow, or grey, and often two-toned. They type colonies of densely crowded polyps connected in a standard tissue on the base. Whereas these corals choose shiny gentle, they’re tolerant of decrease gentle and like reasonable to robust present, making them an excellent starter coral.

These aggressive corals have a excessive reproductive price and might unfold quickly in an aquarium. Some species on this genus comprise a powerful neurotoxin (palytoxin), which might have an effect on people. Put on gloves when dealing with them.

Closed and Dented Mind Corals (Symphyllia)

Widespread names of those corals embrace closed mind coral, dented mind coral, meat coral, mind coral, and Pacific cactus coral. These corals are extremely profitable in captivity being very tolerant of various gentle and present circumstances however preferring shiny, oblique gentle and reasonable to low currents. These corals are delicate to the presence of some mushy corals, reminiscent of Xenia and Litophyton, and are very reactive to meals (zooplankton, phytoplankton, and algae) within the water, extending their tentacles when meals is detected.

Moon, Pineapple, and Mind Corals (Favia and Favites)

Widespread names for these corals embrace moon coral, pineapple coral, mind coral, and closed mind coral. These corals choose shiny lights; nonetheless, they may tolerate a lot decrease ranges. Preferring a delicate present, some Favites will connect to a substrate if not moved for a number of months. Favites might be fed and appear to understand a squirt or two of brine shrimp at evening.

Care needs to be taken with the position of those corals as they’ll ship out clear sweeper tentacles at evening to discourage different corals from rising close to them. They’re thought-about by many to be simpler coral to maintain.

Honeycomb, Star, Wreath, and Moon Corals (Goniastrea)

Widespread names for these corals embrace honeycomb coral, star coral, wreath coral, moon coral, pineapple coral, mind coral, and closed mind xoral. Thought-about an excellent coral for novices, these corals thrive underneath robust water present and shiny lighting. They’re often rounded or lobed, comparable in look to the Favites corals. The tentacles are small and often retracted in the course of the day.

Within the picture right here, notice the sweepers protruding from the coral. These are toxic and are used for each protection and offense.

Fox, Jasmine, and Ridge Corals (Nemenzophyllia)

Widespread names for these corals embrace fox coral, jasmine coral, and ridge corals. These corals choose a delicate present, calcifying and increasing finest in dim to reasonable gentle. Specimens on this genus don’t produce feeding tentacles and subsequently obtain their diet from absorption. They’ve a really delicate skeleton construction that’s simply damaged.

It does finest with out heavy skimming or extremely environment friendly water filtration, and it is thought-about a straightforward coral to maintain.

Lobed Mind Coral (Lobophyllia)

Widespread names for these corals embrace lobed mind coral, flat mind coral, open mind coral, meat coral, fashionable coral, and huge flower coral. These stony corals do finest with shiny direct gentle and calm currents; nonetheless, if satisfactory gentle and minimal water motion are supplied, it’s going to develop nicely in a tank.

This coral usually feeds actively at evening; nonetheless, the tentacles often prolong in the course of the day and readily take meals choices, feeding virtually completely on zooplankton and bacterioplankton, which consists of free-living micro organism, detritus, particulate natural matter (POM), and suspended natural matter (SOM).

Lobophyllia will not be usually aggressive; nonetheless, there have been studies of sweeper tentacles being fashioned after they are available in contact with different corals.