Zoanthids coral, affectionately called zoas by aquarium hobbyists in online forums (I guess because zoanthid coral is too long to type) are an extremely popular type of coral kept in reef tanks. Why? Because they are relatively easy to grow, maintain, frag, AND they are available in amazing, brilliant, fluorescent colors. They are hardy and will grow well in most reef tanks, which makes them a great soft coral for beginners. A quick point about geeky zoas …
Bird’s nest coral care guide
The Bird’s nest Coral is a Small Polyp Stony coral (shortened to “SPS” by many aquarium owners) with thin yellow, purple or pink branches that grow into a densely intertwined mass resembling the nest of a bird. As far as SPS corals go, the bird’s nest coral is one of the easiest, but that doesn’t mean this species is suitable to the uninitiated reef tank. Caring for any coral, especially an SPS coral is a moderately …
Soft Corals: How to care for soft corals in a saltwater aquarium
The term soft coral is used broadly and relatively unscientifically (is that even a word?) to lump a bunch of related and unrelated coral species into a simple bucket, defined primarily by what they are (soft, with the absence of a major stony external skeleton) and what they are not (they are not mushrooms or zoanthids). The reason any of this is important and worth reading about is that many of these amazing animals (yes, they …
Sun coral: How to care for and keep Tubastraea
The Sun Coral is an awesome and popular large polyp stony corals (LPS coral) that is often sought after in the aquarium hobby, because of their bright orange-yellow, “sunny” polyps. There are more than just one species of suncoral out there, so you may sometimes see them listed as Tubastraea, which is their genus. A genus is a scientific classification that organizes a group of similar species together. If you take one look at them, …
Chalice Coral
Chalice Coral Ready for some eye candy? Take a look at some of these awesome chalice corals. Chalice corals are stony corals that are best kept by intermediate hobbyists—those who have already mastered the basics of coral husbandry. They are available in a dizzying array of colors and go by names like: Hell’s Eye Chalice Hollywood Stunner Chalice Miami Hurricane Chalice Lucky charms Chalice coral Ultra color And let’s not forget my favorite name… Pink …
Torch coral: A large polyp stony (LPS) beginner coral
The Torch coral, Euphylia glabrescens, is a large polyp stony coral that originates from the Indo-pacific reef regions. This LPS coral species (the torch coral), has long, flowing fleshy polyps that extend from a calcified (stony) base. In a moderate water flow, these corals look a bit like a torch, which is where they get their common name. E. glabrescens are reported to live in a range of water conditions, from turbid (murky) waters to …
The Full Monty: Montipora Corals
Introduction If you are looking for a great beginner SPS coral, you should give serious consideration to the corals in the genus Monitpora, affectionately called “Monties” by those who care for them. Montipora corals are beautiful and easy to keep corals as long as you keep your water parameters in the right range. Montipora corals come in a wide range of vibrant colors, like purple, green, pink, tan or orange, alone or combined. Montipora digitata, the …
