Coral Selection Regrets

[orcafood]

I have just got my tank set up to the point of adding corals. All perimeters are in check lighting, and water movement are good. I added a tan frogspawn from my LFS. It was two inches in the store, and more like four when I put it in my tank. I also bought some green star polyps which have disappeared from where I put them on a rock. I can't find them, should I be worried if they die or something?

That aside, I will ask the real question. I know every new reefer wants to get coral in their tank fast, and make bad choices along the way that they, later, want to swap out for a different specimen. What corals would you guys recommend that are 'keepers'.

[NirvanaFan]

what kind of lighting do you have?

[tapplehave]

Need to know what your lighting situation is... Mushrooms and Xenia, small star polyp colonies are realitivley easy to start with. If you are new, and without MH or PC lighting stay clear of the hard corals for now. Get some good live rock and some nice looking mushrooms, the are easy to split. Good luck.

[orcafood]

Well, I've got two 175 MH, 2 20 watt flouresents, and 2 110 watt VHOs. I'm not new but not an expert. About the GSP should I worry?

With lighting any comments on corals?

[tapplehave]

Odd that you can't find the GSP's, but maybe they were in to much flow and have blown to the back of the reef. If your frogspawn looks good I would think the rest would do fine. I use my 6 frogspawn clusters as part of my gauge in the tank. Frogspawn is a great choice for a keeper, and I sill think the cheap and easy are nice, Mushrooms and GSP, BUTTON polyps, and leather corals.

[stevelkaneval]

hey orca do you need more gsp/ im sure i can find some for you. its a love hate relationship, it looks so cool flowing in the water, but then it spreads to everything it touches. i wouldnt worry about it my buddy has some in his fuge 1x55watt cf that is over a year old they will turn up, aand probly were you dont want them.

[orcafood]

I got another gsp for now, might have to take some out eventually. I also picked up some sort of brain looking type of coral, my mom just kinda said surprise and gave it to me I'll have to check to see what it is when it opens up.
Leather wise what is the most impresive or colorful of the softies? I have a 90 gallon tank.

[amike5]

Be carefull with the GSP as stated, it will take over everything and since it is encrusting, it is almost impossible to get rid of. :-)

[stevelkaneval]

i wish my mom gave me corals. hey, can we trade moms for a week? hahaha

[kau_cinta_ku]

I regret ever putting shrooms and kenya trees in my tank. even though they are very easy corals they took over my tank.

[stevelkaneval]

i agree with the kenya tree, here is what mine gave me before i gave him away.
[IMG][/IMG]
and thats just what i could move, not like the ones on my heater,back glass,bigger rocks,skimmer pump. so yea never get a kenya tree.

[kau_cinta_ku]

lol mine drops 5 new babies a day. and am sick of pulling them out every week.

[stevelkaneval]

i cant even give the ones i have left away, i have flooded the local market.

[Lee_Bay]

Originally posted by kau_cinta_ku
I regret ever putting shrooms and kenya trees in my tank. even though they are very easy corals they took over my tank.

DITTO

[ahullsb]

yes I wouldn't do a lot of soft corals for that reason. I've had xenia, kenya tree, and anthelia tank over my tank in the past. I would decide what you like and do an LPS tank, or an SPS tank, which is what I'm switching to at the moment.

[Agu]

I regret pretty much every "beginner coral" I bought. 6 months to a year later I thought "What posessed me to buy that ". I'm at the point I'd rather have one absolutely stunning coral in a tank instead of a dozen OK corals because I went to the LFS and had to buy something.

[eshook]

[i] ... and thats just what i could move, not like the ones on my heater,back glass,bigger rocks,skimmer pump. so yea never get a kenya tree. [/B]

I didn't know that Kenya Trees will drop babies like that? I had a new one growing on a rock, but wasn't sure if it was a hitch hiker. Hrm.. I might rethink this Kenya tree situation.

[stevelkaneval]

yes they drop like crazy, mine did it in spurts like one week nothing the next week 5 babies. note, it only droped like this once it was bigger( 4" or more). and i found out that if it was in a place it didnt like very much it would drop more to try to spread itself out.

[orcafood]

The frogspawn I bought was smaller but bright green with pink tips when I bought it at the shop. Now in my tank it is much larger and tan with pink tips. How can I make it go back to being more green?