what are some good beginner corals?

Question

also what kind of supplements and test kits whould i need for them?

Answer 1

I agree with copperhead 100%. Your lighting is one of the most important items when dealing with corals. A master test kit can and will save you in the long run.

I would research each coral to not only find out which ones can peacefully co-exist with others and which ones should be left out of the tank totally. As well as the lighting requirements for each one. as well as placement in your tank.

Also, I do not add calcium to my Reef tank, but I have lots of "dead" shells burried in the tank for this reason and haven't had any problems with the lack of calcium. Depending on the substraight, chances are your PH will hold around 8 - 8.4. Live sand as wells as crushed coral will keep the PH higher.

I would also like to mention, if you do not have an established tank, corals may not survive.

All corals have the same 4 basic needs, water quality,
food,
Zooplankton
Requirements vary by coral species and plankton type (Phyto, Bacterio, Pseudo, Macro, Micro, Nano, and Pico).
Dissolved Organic Compounds
Although some corals derive nutrients from broken down organic matter suspended in the water column, DOCs should not be allowed to accumulate in excess, as this in turn leads to the build-up of nitrate in the aquarium. The use of a good quality protein skimmer helps to keep DOC levels down.

Light

Requirements vary by coral species.
Soft corals generally require less light, while those hard corals that live by photosynthesis need more intense light.
For stony photosynthetic species, the lack of adequate lighting, as well as other environmental factors can result in coral bleaching.

Water Movement
Requirements vary by coral species.
Some corals require a water surge to flush debris from their surfaces.

here are the top 10 easy corals to keep in a tank
Actinodiscus
Common Names: Mushrooms, Mushroom Coral, Mushroom Anemones and Disc Anemones.
Cladiella
Common Names: Finger Leather Coral and Colt Coral.
Pachyclavularia
Common Names: Star Polyps, Green Star Polyps and Daisy Polyps.
Palythoa
Common Names: Sea Mat and Button Polyps.
Protopalythoa
Common Names: Sea Mat and Button Polyps.
Sarcophyton
Common Names: Toadstool Coral, Leather Coral, Mushroom Leather Coral and Trough Coral.
Zoanthus
Common Names: Zoanthid, Sea Mat and Button Polyps.

Some Hard (SPS & LPS) Corals are less demanding, requiring less light and/or lower water quality, making them easier to keep for the novice aquarists.

Montipora
Common Names: Velvet Coral, Velvet Finger Coral and Velvet Branch Coral.
Pavona
Common Names: Cactus Coral, Lettuce Coral, Star Column Coral, Leaf Coral and Bark Cloth Coral.
Siderastrea
Common Names: Starlet Coral, Lesser Starlet Coral and Pink Starlet Coral.

DO your research prior to buying any coral and know it's requirements.

Good luck with your corals.

Answer 2

mushrooms, leathers, riccordia, clove polyps, zooanthids (sea mat) What kind of success you'll have will depend largely on your lighting. It should be at least compact fluorescent for them to thrive.

If you do the partial water changes regularly, and use a good quality salt made for reef (rather than fish only) tanks, you won't need to be adding a lot of additives. The only exceptions I'd make are if you are using RO water to mix the salt (then add Osmoprep) or if your tank has a low pH (then add kalkwasser). Some corals, like Xenia, need extra iodine. I give a boost of Essential Elements if I know I'll be late with a water change (trip, work schedule) - this contains calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, and potassium.

You should test your tank for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, also pH and salinity regularly. Some you might also want to consider are calcium, hardness/alkalinity, phosphates, iodine/iodide, strontium, silicates, and iron. If you buy these as a reef master test kit it seems expensive, but the number of tests you can do (as opposed to less accurate test strips) the kits are worth the cost and will last longer.

Answer 3

Mushrooms and leathers are usally good starter corals if you have the correct setup for to care for them. Zoanthids and Photosynthetic Nepthea are another two good beginner corals if you have the proper cycled tank with the correct setup for to care for them. I good basic setup for the more durable soft corals would be a tank of course, heater with about 3x the watts to gallons, Water flow of 15-25x tank turnover per hour through any number of means from sump returns power heads and such, good lighting with VHO or pc being good for softies and lps and a good skimmer. this will get you going on a good start.
some of the supplements you'll need are...Calcium Helps build skeleton
Iodine Helps prevent damage due to excessive light exposure
Strontium Helps build skeleton
Magnesium Helps prevent premature calcium precipitation
Buffer (Alkalinity) Helps build skeleton; buffers pH
Trace Element Helps facilitate enzymatic and photosynthetic reactions
Plankton Suspension Provides nutrients that are not produced by the target organism
Vitamin Helps maintain health, color, and facilitates biological reactions a good test kit is Red Sea Test Labs Master Reef Lab

Answer 4

Frags are many times tiny products,n are as hardy as their more beneficial "mom and pa" so u do now no longer blow a ton of money start up off with straightforward corals,like mushrooms,zoo's, eco-friendly favourite guy or lady's etc.. in basic terms to make certain it ought to sustane corals correct. optimal now no longer undemanding corals favor more beneficial light fixtures. yet c how a funds undemanding coral do first n after some moths in the adventure that they are getting then u can seem into getting extra.

Answer 5

hi, we started out with bubble coral they are very pretty and easy to care for. all you will need is some calcium to help them grow (will make very pretty pink and purple algae in tank) and a good light system. i feed my bubble frozen brine shrimp a few times a week and ive seen such a growth in mine over the past 2 yrs.