Scientific Name: Nepthea SP

Common Name: Green Palua Neptha, Green Neptha Leather

Type of Coral: Softie

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to Low

Flow: Moderate and moderate to high

Care Level: Easy

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Appearance

Generally speaking, leather corals are a soft skinned coral with visible polyps all over their skin.  A leather coral can look one way in a aquarium and then (over time) look very different when placed in another tank based only on the water parameters, lighting and flow.

The green nepthea will look like a little tree with fat branches and are green in color.  The coloring can range from bright almost neon green to a darker green. The branches of the green nepthea leather coral will be covered in short polyps a little lighter in color than the base which, at times, can make it look almost “furry”.  This coral should ideally get around 10 inches of tank space for its long term growth.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions a green nepthea leather coral will require.  I have had the best luck when they were kept in water with 1 to 2 ppm of nitrate when lighting and flow requirements were met and all other water parameters in line as described in the below link.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

They do not have a calcified skeleton structure making them a little more tolerant of some water parameters like calcium. However, they will not be very tolerance to swings in pH, Temp, or salinity which is no different than any other coral or fish.  They are a very hardly coral making them a good choice for people new to the hobby. Most leathers have some very effective defensive abilities.  Leathers commonly have the ability to sting other corals and some fish along with emitting chemicals to ward off other corals from entering their space.   For this reason it is very important to understand how big your leather coral can get and plan for enough space between your leather coral and other corals.  Just leaving a few inches may not always be enough as some leathers can get surprisingly large. It would also be a good idea to have some carbon in your set-up in case your leather will start to emit defensive chemicals.  This is one coral that will be the least likely to be picked on by most fish in the hobby.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber glove whenever you handle corals

Fragging

This Leather can be easily fragged with very high success

Scientific Name: Protopalythoa sp.

Common Name: Palythoas, Palys, Button Polyps

Type of Coral: Softie

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to Low

Flow: Moderate and Moderate to Low

Care Level: Easy

Temperament: Peaceful to Semi-aggressive

Appearance

These corals can come in a wide range colors and color combinations. While the heads can range in size from ½ to 2 inches, and the colony can grow at a fairly fast pace.  The edges of the heads can have a different texture when compared with zoas, however, for the most part palys are very similar in appearance to zoas.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions palys will require.  I have had the best luck when they were kept in water with 1 to 2 ppm of nitrate when lighting and flow requirements were meat and all other water parameters in line as described in the below link.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Palys are a colonial coral, meaning they form a colony of many individual polyps all connected together. As they do not have a calcified skeleton structure, they can be more tolerant of swings in the alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium when compared to other corals.  However, they will not be very tolerant to swings in pH, Temp, or salinity which is no different than any other coral or fish..  This makes palys are a very hardy soft coral placing them amount the easier to keep corals and making them an excellent choice as corals for beginners. They have also been known to grow very fast, almost like an invasive coral. Palys are also the least aggressive when it comes to defensive abilities. They can quite frequently become damaged and even start losing heads when they fall victim to another coral’s sting or exposed to those toxins.  In addition, the protective slime like coating that is on the palys can sometimes be a delicacy among the “coral nipping” fish.  This corals typically dies when a fish removes the outer slim coating from the coral.

The exterior slime coating on some types of palys is among the most toxic to humans as compared to other common corals in the hobby.  For this reason, please handle palys with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber glove whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Palys can be easily fragged with very high success

Scientific Name: Euphyilla Glabrescens

Common Name: Torch Coral, Pom-pom coral

Type of Coral: LPS  (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to High

Flow: Moderate

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive to Aggressive

Appearance

Torch corals will have a base that consists of an exposed calcified skeleton structure.  At the end of this structure will be individual fleshy heads with long flowing polyps with lighter coloring at the tips.  The heads can be a within a range of colors ranging from pink, green, gold, and brown.  As this coral grows, the heads will split and the skeleton base will branch almost like a tree grows.  These corals can sometimes be mistaken for a Hammer coral or a Frogspawn Coral.  The appearance of the polyps on the heads will allow you to properly identify a torch coral.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions torch corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.  In addition to the article in the below link, this coral can also benefit from maintaining strontium levels if you do not have a good water change routine using a very good quality salt.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Torch corals, as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. Provided all their requirements are met, they can grow to a colony about the size of your average basket ball within a few short years.  Unless you are planning to move or frag your torch coral, you should give it as much as 30 inches of space in your tank.

The torch coral will release long sweeper / feeder tentacles from its heads to collect food.  This will mostly happen when the tanks lights are off.  These tentacles can also sting and damage or kill other corals within reach, which is how the torch coral will defend itself.  This is what makes the torch more of an aggressive coral as the tentacles can extend as much as 6 to 7 inches beyond the heads.

Although the torch coral will get what it needs from the lighting in your tank, it can also benefit from micro plankton or manual feeding of small pcs of meaty foods placed directly on the mouths at the center of each head.  Although manual feedings are not required, it will help to accelerate growth.

Clownfish have also been known to host in torch corals in aquariums that do not have anemones.  Although this will not harm the clownfish, this can sometimes stress the coral to the point where some of its heads could die off.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Torch corals can be fragged with very good success.

Scientific Name: Euphyilla Paradivisa

Common Name: Frogspawn Coral

Type of Coral: LPS  (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to High

Flow: Moderate and Moderate to High

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive to Aggressive

Appearance

Frogspawn corals will have a base that consists of an exposed calcified skeleton structure.  At the end of this structure will be individual fleshy heads with polyps on it. The tips of the polyps will typically be a lighter color when compared to the rest of the polyp.  The heads can be a within a range of colors ranging from green, pink, gold, and brown.  As this coral grows, the heads will split and the skeleton base will branch almost like a tree grows.  The polyps on the heads of this coral will look almost like a mass of frog eggs which is where its common name originated from.  These corals can sometimes be mistaken for a Torch coral or a Hammer Coral.  The appearance of the polyps on the heads will allow you to properly identify a frogspawn coral.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions frogspawn corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.  In addition to the article in the below link, this coral can also benefit from maintaining strontium levels if you do not have a good water change routine using a very good quality salt.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Frogspawn corals, as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. Provided all their requirements are met, that can grow to a colony about the size of your average basket ball within a few short years.  Unless you are planning to move or frag your frogspawn coral, you should give it as much as 30 inches of space in your tank.

The frogspawn coral will release long sweeper / feeder tentacles from its heads to collect food.  This will mostly happen when the tanks lights are off.  These tentacles can also sting and damage or kill other corals within reach, which is how the frogspawn coral will defend itself.  This is what makes the frogspawn more of an aggressive coral as the tentacles can extend as much as 6 to 7 inches beyond the heads.

Although the frogspawn coral will get what it needs from the lighting in your tank, it can also benefit from micro plankton or manual feeding of small pcs of meaty foods placed directly on the mouths at the center of each head.  Although manual feedings are not required, it will help to accelerate growth.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Clownfish have also been known to host in frogspawn corals in aquariums that do not have anemones.  Although this will not harm the clownfish, this can sometimes stress the coral to the point where some of its heads could die off.

Fragging

Frogspawn corals can be fragged with very good success.

Scientific Name: Caulastrea Furcata

Common Name: Candy Cane Coral, Bullseye Coral, Trumpet Coral

Type of Coral: LPS (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to High

Flow: Moderate and Moderate to High

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Peaceful to Semi-aggressive

Appearance

Candy Cane Corals will have a base that consists of an exposed calcified skeleton structure.  At the end of this structure will be individual fleshy heads (polyps) with a small mouth in the center. The heads can be green, blue, or brown like in color.  One of the more common colors is a bright almost neon green.  As this coral grows, the heads will split and the skeleton base will branch almost like a tree grows.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions candy cane corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.  In addition to the article in the below link, this coral can also benefit from maintaining strontium levels if you do not have a good water change routine using a very good quality salt.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Candy cane corals, as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. However, I have found candy cane corals to be among the easier of the LPS corals to keep. Provided all their requirements are met, that can grow to a colony size bigger than your average basket ball within a few short years.  Unless you are planning to move or frag your candy cane coral, you should give it as much as 30 inches of space in your tank.

The candy cane coral will release sweeper / feeder tentacles from its heads to collect food.  This will mostly happen when the tanks lights are off.  These tentacles can also sting and damage or kill other corals within reach, which is how the candy cane coral will defend itself.  What makes the candy cane coral more peaceful than most LPS coral is that its sweeper tentacles are much shorter in comparison only measuring a few inches in length.

Although the candy cane coral will get what it needs from the lighting in your tank, it can also benefit from micro plankton or manual feeding of small pcs of meaty foods placed directly on the mouths at the center of each head.  Although manual feedings are not required, it will help to accelerate growth.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Frogspawn corals can be fragged with very good success.

Scientific Name: Briareum sp (used to be classified as Clavularia viridis)

Common Name: Star Polyps.

Type of Coral: Softie

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to Low

Flow: Moderate and Moderate to Low

Care Level: Easy

Temperament: Peaceful

Appearance

Star Polyps are a smaller coral having a height of about ½ to 1 inch and a head size of about ¼ to ½ inch.  The heads of these corals can completely retract into the base making it look like a think purple coating on your rocks. Green and pink are the more common color to find this coral in.   I have read they can be found in other colors, but I have only seen them in green and pink.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions star polyps will require.  I have had the best luck when they were kept in water with 1 to 2 ppm of nitrate when lighting and flow requirements were met and all other water parameters in line as described in the below link.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Star polyps are colonial type corals, meaning they form a colony of many individual polyps all connected together. As they do not have a calcified skeleton structure, they can be more tolerant of swings in the alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium when compared to other corals.  However, they will not be very tolerant to swings in pH, Temp, or salinity which is no different than any other coral or fish..

Star polyps are a very hardy soft coral placing them amount the easier to keep corals and making them an excellent choice as corals for beginners. They have also been known to grow very fast, almost like an invasive coral. These corals can grow on your rocks, on the substrate, and on the glass of your aquarium.  They grow almost like a carpet of small polyps.  Star polyps are also the least aggressive when it comes to defensive abilities. They can quite frequently become damaged and even start losing heads when they fall victim to another coral’s sting or exposed to those toxins.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber glove whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Star polyps can be easily fragged with very high success

Scientific Name: Hydnophora SP
Common Name:, Horn Coral, Hydno Coral, Velvet Horn Coral
Type of Coral: SPS  (Small Polyp Stony Coral)
Lighting: High
Flow: High
Care Level: Moderate to Difficult
Temperament: Semi-aggressive to aggressive

Appearance

This is a branching SPS coral, as with many other commonly found SPS corals. It can range in color from a brown or cream color to a bright neon green color.  The surface of the coral will be covered in very short than thick polyps almost giving it an appearance of being covered in “fur”.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions horn corals, as with most SPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult to very difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with nitrate and phosphate levels almost undetectable by very good quality test kits. This coral will not tolerate changes in water chemistry very well at all.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of SPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Horn corals as with all other SPS corals, should only be added to mature aquariums. Provided all their requirements are met, they can grow very large to about 12 inches.  Horn corals typically do best when placed on top of rocks, closer to the aquarium lighting and in areas of higher flow.  When provided with the correct conditions, they will grow very fast in an aquarium.

The horn coral can be a somewhat aggressive SPS coral.  It will sting other corals close by. The horn coral would require a distance of around 3 to 4 inches from other corals

Generally speaking, SPS corals can also benefit from the occasional feeding micro-plankton designed for filter feeders

Fragging

As with all SPS, they can be fragged with very good success assuming the environmental conditions in the aquarium are suited to SPS corals

Scientific Name: Euphyilla Parancora

Common Name: Hammer Coral

Type of Coral: LPS  (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to High

Flow: Moderate and Moderate to High

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive to Aggressive

Appearance

Hammer corals will have a base that consists of an exposed calcified skeleton structure.  At the end of this structure will be individual fleshy heads with polyps on it. The tips of the polyps will typically be a lighter color as compared with the rest of the polyp. The heads can be a within a range of colors ranging from green, pink gold, and brown As this coral grows, the heads will split and the skeleton base will branch almost like a tree grows.  The polyps on the heads of this coral will look almost like the head of a hammer which is where its common name originated from.  These corals can sometimes be mistaken for a Torch coral or a Frogspawn Coral.  The appearance of the polyps on the heads will allow you to properly identify a hammer coral.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions hammer corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.  In addition to the article in the below link, this coral can also benefit from maintaining strontium levels if you do not have a good water change routine using a very good quality salt.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Hammer corals, as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. Provided all their requirements are met, they can grow to a colony about the size of your average basket ball within a few short years.  Unless you are planning to move or frag your hammer coral, you should give it as much as 30 inches of space in your tank.

The hammer coral will release long sweeper / feeder tentacles from its heads to collect food.  This will mostly happen when the tanks lights are off.  These tentacles can also sting and damage or kill other corals within reach, which is how the hammer coral will defend itself.  This is what makes the hammer more of an aggressive coral as the tentacles can extend as much as 6 to 7 inches beyond the heads.

Although the hammer coral will get what it needs from the lighting in your tank, it can also benefit from micro plankton or manual feeding of small pcs of meaty foods placed directly on the mouths at the center of each head.  Even though manual feedings are not required, it will help to accelerate growth.

Clownfish have also been known to host in hammer corals in aquariums that do not have anemones.  Although this will not harm the clownfish, this can sometimes stress the coral to the point where some of its heads could die off.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Hammer corals can be fragged with very good success.

Scientific Name: Fungia Repanda

Common Name: Plate Coral, Fungia Plate Coral,

Type of Coral: LPS  (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate

Flow: Low/Moderate to Moderate

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive to Aggressive

Appearance

As the name suggests, the plate coral is shape almost like a plate, with a round and somewhat flat body which raises a little in the center where the mouth is.  It is also covered with short little tentacles which can typically range in length from 1/8 to ¾ of an inch.  They can also come in a very wide range of colors from brownish colors to bright yellows, reds, blues and oranges.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions plate corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Plate corals as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. Provided all their requirements are met, they can grow to about 8 inches. Plate corals typically do best when place in a smooth and sandy substrate on the bottom of the aquarium

This can be a somewhat aggressive LPS coral.  It will release sweeper tentacles that will extend a few inches beyond its base.  They can also over inflate their bodies with water to over twice their normal size allow them to move a little.  These two factors would require a distance of around 5 inches from other corals

These corals can benefit from the occasional feeding of meaty foods, or pellet foods meant for corals.  I would recommend feeding this coral once every week or two for its best long term health. The below link can explain how to feed these corals in more detail

 https://www.reefaquarium.com/2012/feeding-corals/

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Plate corals should not be fragged.

Scientific Name: Trachyphyllia Radiata

Common Name:, Brain Coral, Folded Brain Coral

Type of Coral: LPS  (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate

Flow: Moderate

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Appearance

Brain will typically have irregular but round like shape with the appearance of folded flesh forming ridges and lower spots in the smooth surfaces in between.  They can have more than one mouth, but these mouths will always be located in the smooth low spots between the folds.  Brain corals will also come in a wide range of colors and can have more than one color on their body. These unique color variations and combinations can make these corals more appealing to many hobbyists.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions brain corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Brain corals as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. Provided all their requirements are met, they can grow to about 6 inches.  Brain Corals typically do best when place on a smooth and sandy substrate on the bottom of the aquarium.

The brain coral can be a somewhat aggressive LPS coral.  It will release sweeper tentacles that will extend a few inches beyond it’s base.  The can also over inflate their body’s a little with water making them a little larger than normal and in some cases, that can allow them to move by a very small amount   These two factors would require a distance of around 3 to 4 inches from other corals

These corals can also benefit from the occasional feeding of meaty foods, or pellet foods meant for corals.  The below link can explain how to feed these corals in more detail

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2012/feeding-corals/

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Brain corals should not be fragged.