Choose the Best Beginner Corals First
Our top choices for the best beginner corals are resilient soft and LPS species that easily survive the chemical fluctuations of a new tank. You should wait at least six months before adding more sensitive animals.
A brand new reef system needs time to establish its bacterial equilibrium.
We always recommend starting with forgiving species that can tolerate minor parameter swings. This guide will walk through the best easy corals for beginners and highlight the most resilient choices from our corals room.
We will focus on three key areas:
- Identifying the most tolerant soft corals.
- Selecting hardy LPS varieties.
- Managing lighting and placement for early success.
The Best Hardy Soft Corals
The most reliable hardy soft corals are Zoanthids, Mushrooms, Leather corals, and Green Star Polyps. These species lack a rigid skeleton, making them incredibly forgiving of the minor chemical swings common in a newer tank.
We always suggest these as the perfect starting point for any first corals reef tank. Typical beginner soft corals in the US run between $20 and $40 per frag. They provide immediate movement and bright colors without requiring advanced dosing equipment.
Here are the top choices for a new system:
- Zoanthids (Zoas): These colorful colonies come in endless fluorescent patterns. They grow steadily once settled but require careful handling, as some carry palytoxin.
- Mushroom Corals (Discosoma): These are about as tough as corals get. They thrive in shaded areas and tolerate higher nutrient levels.
- Leather Corals (Sarcophyton): These larger, sturdy soft corals make a strong centerpiece. They regularly shed a waxy outer layer to clean themselves.
- Green Star Polyps (GSP): This grass-like coral spreads rapidly across rocks. Many hobbyists isolate GSP on a standalone island rock to prevent it from overtaking the main aquascape.
Our team has found that soft corals prefer lower light intensity, ideally with a PAR level between 50 and 150. Moderate, indirect water flow keeps detritus from settling on their tissues.
Any of these options will reward a stable tank with steady growth.
Forgiving LPS Options
Forgiving Large Polyp Stony (LPS) options like Duncans, Candy Canes, and Hammers are the perfect next step once your soft corals are growing. These species require stable alkalinity (8 to 12 dKH) and moderate lighting (100 to 200 PAR) to build their hard skeletons.
We consider them the showstoppers of a mixed reef aquarium. Corals from the Euphyllia family add wonderful movement to a tank. They actively pull minerals from the water column to grow.
You must maintain stable water chemistry before introducing LPS corals to the aquarium. Our maintenance technicians strongly recommend testing your water weekly. You will need reliable test kits, like Hanna Checkers or Salifert, to monitor your major elements.
Here are the target water parameters for LPS success:
| Parameter | Ideal Range |
|---|---|
| Alkalinity | 8 to 12 dKH |
| Calcium | 400 to 450 ppm |
| Temperature | 77 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit |
| PAR Level | 100 to 200 |
Great LPS Choices for Beginners
Duncan corals are incredibly adaptable and readily accept small meaty foods like brine shrimp. Candy Cane corals (Caulastrea) are another low-maintenance option that splits its heads rapidly as it grows. Both options require moderate lighting and low to moderate flow.
Too much direct current can actually rip the delicate flesh of an LPS coral off its skeleton. We always place them in areas with gentle, alternating flow.
Why SPS Corals Come Later
Small Polyp Stony (SPS) corals come later because they require unwavering chemical stability and extremely high lighting to survive. A sudden drop in alkalinity can trigger Rapid Tissue Necrosis (RTN), causing the coral to shed its flesh in hours.
We advise clients to wait until their tank is at least six to twelve months old before attempting them. Most SPS species thrive under intense PAR levels ranging from 250 to over 400. You must pair this bright lighting with strong, turbulent water flow to blast away waste.
The Best First SPS Corals
There is no rush to buy sensitive Acropora species right away. Build your experience with softs and LPS first to prove your tank can hold steady for months.
When you are ready, Montipora Capricornis (Monti Cap) is an excellent starter SPS. This plating coral is much more forgiving than a branching species. Bird’s Nest coral (Seriatopora) is another sensible early choice that shows fast growth in stable conditions.
Our experts recommend testing your alkalinity daily when you begin adding stony corals. Consistent daily dosing makes keeping SPS far more achievable and less stressful.
Placement and Lighting Basics
The best placement strategy is to start every new coral near the sandbed in moderate flow to prevent light shock. If the coral fully opens and displays rich color over a few days, you can safely move it higher up to its final location.
We highly recommend renting or purchasing a PAR meter, like the Apogee MQ-510, to map your light intensity. This specialized tool completely removes the guesswork from coral placement. You can measure exactly where the low, medium, and high light zones exist in your specific setup.
It is always easier to give a coral more light than to nurse a bleached one back to health.
Creating Placement Zones
Match the coral to your lighting rather than adjusting the lights to match the coral. Our service technicians organize reef tanks into three distinct zones.
- Bottom Zone: Perfect for low-light soft corals and mushrooms.
- Middle Zone: Ideal for LPS species like Hammers and Duncans.
- Top Zone: Reserved for high-light SPS corals once the tank matures.
Placing aggressive corals with long sweeper tentacles too close to neighbors will cause chemical warfare. Leave at least three inches of clear space around any Euphyllia species.
Realistic Growth Expectations
You should expect slow, measured growth, with soft corals doubling every few months and SPS corals growing mere millimeters. Patience is absolutely essential, as many stony corals will spend months encrusting a base over the rock before growing upward.
We tell new clients to watch for full polyp expansion during the day as the primary indicator of health. Deep coloration and an active feeding response also confirm that a coral is thriving.
You can set realistic expectations by understanding the different growth speeds of each category:
- Soft Corals: Can double in size every few months in nutrient-rich water.
- LPS Corals: May grow one to two new skeletal heads every six months.
- SPS Corals: Often measure growth in mere millimeters per month during their first year.
To understand these specific behaviors in more depth, see our comprehensive guide on soft, LPS and SPS corals.
Our team is always ready to assist you in person. Come into our Bee Ridge Road store in Sarasota and bring a fresh water sample. A quick water test allows us to match the best beginner corals directly to your current parameters.