Top 7 Beginner Corals (That Aren't Boring)

[@ReefDork]

Now watch this - 6 easy fish! kzbin.info/www/bejne/enzUiGaNn710hJI

[@asylumassistsa5316]

Love my rock flower anemones. Thought they were zoas initially because of the small round size. But learned otherwise when one split itself and travelled to other end of the tank!

[@oliviadutton5226]

I have a pulsing xenia and a kenya tree, and I really like them

[@ReefDork]

And that's all that matters 🙂

[@lilolmecj]

I just love Xenia, so beautiful. I had what was verging on an over growth, but then I had a huge die off. They are now slowly recovering. I have a hitchhiker which I have been unable to identify, but it may be the problem. It looks like it would be a stinging coral.

[@freemansaquatics5326]

You seariously have me considering rock flowers now

[@ReefDork]

🤤

[@Sweeeetpeaches69]

Do it. Sexy shrimp with them would be amazing

[@JohnnyV174]

They are my all time favorite. And they can sometimes spawn in aquariums.

[@420lovless]

I Had one that would eat beef jerky.. lol

[@34r343]

@@ReefDork uh uh life finds a way - ian malcolm

[@el_guapo1318]

No mention of Euphyllias? Hammers, Frogspawn and Torches are beautiful, get big, and have movement. Also can host Clownfish. And murder the crap out of other corals. Oh wait...

[@TriniFishHobbyist]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing. I hope to convert my salt to a reef tank soon... so I appreciate your advice.

[@Zeptyche]

Thanks for the info man. I’m in the process of beginning my first reef tank and I’m teetering between SPS/LPS and soft corals.

[@dimitriweemhof]

Soft corals are alot easier and more forgiving than hard corals. Hard corals have more water requirements.. As a beginner i would suggest : soft coral - sps corals - lps corals. This means.. if you're getting bored with soft coral.. try to get a sps and see how you do, once sps corals are steady, you might wanna try lps coral.. If you can maintain lps coral.. all the others will survive aswell!

[@darcy1226]

D. Weemhof I’ve typically found that SPS corals are harder. They need a lot more flow and lighting compared to LPS and are harder to keep.

[@KingAdeft]

Nice video! I agree flower anenomes are amazing. My nano tank is a flower anemone tank. It's not a coral though. I still think it's a great option. Again good video.

[@paranorman1646]

i love my green finger leather coral good for beginners plus have color

[@33vialli]

Great channel and this video is really helpful as I'm just starting my second reef tank and it's given me some ideas for nice looking corals

[@kevinkane1405]

I have not had a good experience with hammers and torch corals. But I’m going to get gsp and put it in my sand bed and then have zoas on my rock. I have a 10 gallon tank.

[@MatrixFuse]

Finally a British reefer! Where do you go to buy your fish/equipment? We don't really have marine aquarium stores here in the UK do we? In fact, fresh water chains include pets at home and.... pets at home. I think the biggest thing from holding me back from the marine hobby which I've wanted to do since I got my tropical freshwater is the lack of available places to go. There are a few independents round me in Derby like maidenhead aquatics that do a very small section of saltwater fish and equipment but when you compare to the likes of America where's there's a big Al's on each corner of town it seems like, the UK just seems to be dead in comparison. So yeah, where do you go? Can you reccomened anywhere? Literally nothing comes up when I Google marine aquatic stores are actually marine stores. They're just freshwater!

[@ReefDork]

Maidenhead can be a bit hit and miss. Places I'm aware of near you are Kettering Aquatics, ReefKeeper Rugby, Wharf Aquatics in Notts and Dream Reef in Leicester. I'm in Surrey - ReefKeeper Windsor is my local shop. But great shops near(ish) me are Reefdreams in Winchester, Taylor's Marine Room in Portsmouth and (if I fancy a journey) Advanced Aquarium Consultancy in Harlow is fantastic! Going to local shops is what gives you inspiration more than anything else.

[@MatrixFuse]

@@ReefDork Thank you very much for your suggestions, I'll be sure to check them out!

[@erect4e369]

Luke James don’t fret about not having any Big Al’s in the uk. I’m from Canada, and anything marine related from Big Al’s dies. Freshwater is ok, but marine is terrible.

[@alancunningham5120]

my first coral was a frogspawn it's been in wars and still looks good. good vid sir.

[@ReefDork]

Another awesome coral 👌

[@samdunstan6916]

Love your work and channel in general. Wish there were more British content creators in the marine fishkeeping hobby. Good coral seems to be so much harder to acquire in the UK. Besides fraggingmad, where do you typically source your coral? Locally? Online? Do you have any recommendations? I'd love to see some videos of you reviewing UK based coral (and fish) suppliers!

[@ReefDork]

I get a lot of it from other hobbyists on ultimate reef. Frag Kings on FB are very good too then it's just a matter of doing the rounds at your local fish shops

[@JakeDogg-RIP]

My first corals in my tank will probably be blastos and Duncan’s I think 🤔 I still waiting for my FragBox tv reef Casa tank to come all way to australia, but when it here I can start reefing 🥰🐶 after those I plan to add acans, and maybe a hammer or torch, and then maybe some zoas to get some colours I will be missing 🤷‍♂️ as for fish I would like to have pipe fish or dragonets, and plan to seed the tank with lots of copepods from the cycling phase 🥰🐶

[@magalimckay4685]

If you can't get ahold of lobos you could get acans which have similar looks and beautiful colours too, and usually cheaper. Thanks for the list!

[@shia7421]

Thank you so much for your informative videos. I'm setting up my salt water tank this year and your videos contain the best info I've come across. So far I've only had cold water and tropical fish.

[@aidenmcdaniel4641]

Just for perspective on how hardy pulsing xenia's are. In one of the tanks I had, we got some xenia's from a guy. We had a fish the we found out too late are coral and most of the xenia's we're eaten except for one small pit of them which got into the sump and for about six months, long after we got the of the coral eating fish, I find that xenia in the sump not having grown much in there since there was no light or anything down there. I put them in an auxiliary tank that has a mantis shrimp in there and they took off. They dominated the whole tank in a matter of months.

[@tracytaylor2943]

another great tutorial- Fabulous now i can go with ease & get my tank ready with some awesome selections :) :)

[@daisyduke1591]

Will you make a coral for beginners guide? I have slowly added all of my livestock but now I don't even know where to begin with corals. What are the basic things to know about the different species? and what are their different needs? And just all the other things like par and direct feeding? Sorry if you already have that kind of video I just couldnt find it. Thanks!! 😊 Your videos have been so helpful to me.

[@ReefDork]

Possibly at some point...

[@Exibit1]

Hello mate love you videos very helpful I sawn the plastic dipping tank can you do a quick video of the set up of this would be really helpful advice

[@ReefDork]

Already done one 😎 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZa7imuGgJqfbKM

[@kashmullaa7970]

Lol I like nature a lot so to me as long as they look nice, movement isn't a big if a deal but ofc if they can move that is still rlly cool.

[@andym209]

I've got fish only do I need protein skimmer for that pulsing xena

[@mrsgraceestores]

I’m scared shitless when I see a coral in real life

[@marcelrodriguez2067]

Wtf why?

[@larimari87]

Wtf

[@FreddieST3]

@@marcelrodriguez2067 Look at the vids and youll see why lmao

[@mooselarock5596]

Your not alone they give me anxiety when they are big as fuck

[@MrPatrickdanysh]

Thanks for the good video. I appreciated the Jurassic Park quote.

[@johnbon472]

New to marine but not new to keeping fish, loving the videos that much I'm sat ere with a notepad writing stuff down. Cheers

[@diskuslars7527]

Good advice to Beginners. I once did what most do. SPS. The Hype was Real.Spend tons of Money for extreme Light,Balling (Litrewise) and so on. After 2 Years i got bored. Now i have some Acropora and Montipora, and the Rest are Zoas and other Stuff you mentioned here. And it gives so much more.Fishes are much more Happy,everywhere something is moving. Calm and Peaceful. Ocean is Life and Life is Movement. Never would build a pure SPS - Tank again

[@mannib9850]

Great Tips , Thank you. I wonder how you made such amazing underwater videos? Cheers

[@ReefDork]

Top down, turn all pumps off and shoot directly above. Side on - keep the camera straight, angles are your enemy 🙂

[@andy2798100]

Hi. So glad I found your channel. I’m really enjoying your videos. Great information and advice. Cheers.

[@MumRah]

aww man, my cabbage leather is one of my favorites. it's got a great green color and has by far grown the most of the bunch. but lets be real, it's growth is probably why lol

[@amccann99]

Love the RFA's. Very easy and always get a ton of comments and attention. Fun to feed also.

[@dannycockburn5238]

Hi im a beginnerish, can i use local rocks from the seaside near by? also sand. it would be nice to incorporate local stone. possibly mixed with the store bought stuff?

[@ReefDork]

Depends where you're getting it from. Better to ask someone in your area, maybe a store. I personally wouldn't though

[@rc2300s2r]

Love RFAs I have 8 and they just recently spawned. Now I have little pea sized green and red ones popping up all over. This my present a problem(warfare)so I’ll need to figure out how to move or remove them to bring to my LFS.

[@fraggingmad1072]

Great Vid.... A great insight into corals....

[@erich8756]

Cool list! Do rock nems really like to cuddle up?

[@ReefDork]

They bloody love it 💑

[@paulskillman7595]

Do you really like to see wallpaper through your fish tank? It would look better if you had some sort of backing on it, or rock effect in the tank.

[@panduarifsaputra4645]

thanks dude your video is very useful

[@chinhnguyen7977]

Great vids! Are there any interesting hardy corals I can put in a new yet-to-cycle tank? Or do I have to wait till it's completely cycled before adding any corals at all?? Thx

[@ReefDork]

No, absolutely not I'm afraid - ammonia is poisonous to corals. The longer you can wait before adding corals, the better they'll do. Your future self will thank you for leaving it until at least 3 months before adding your first coral 🙂

[@pauldeacon8764]

Hi! Really enjoyed the video! don't any of your fish ever jump out of your tank?? 😀

[@ReefDork]

Thanks! They definitely would do, but I have a cover - I just take it off for filming 🤓

[@irfanaziz550]

Can you suggest a few of this coral that is suitable in my 5 gallon tank?

[@empresspetsandplants]

I love corals and I am new to coral growing. I grow my corals in the reef in our backyard. Are you from NSW Australia?

[@theodoresherron8796]

Love the information

[@scantilyclad6696]

George st Pierre reff needed to be made! Subbed

[@Youmakele]

Hello, are Zoas really poisonous?

[@andreasbergmann8780]

Hi Reef Dork, great Video thank you 😊. What’s you favorite place to order rock flowers from ?

[@ReefDork]

My LFS - Reefdreams in Winchester. There are some stunners on whitecorals.com if you're quick enough...

[@jamessmith2404]

Do they not move?

[@victorsinclair3707]

Thank you

[@Thebossatmserfgsd]

pulsing xenia are so sick. I used 30 gallons RODI water and 10 gal tap my first time filling my tank and since then all water changes have been tap and theyre growin

[@FreddieST3]

Great vid even 2 yrs later!!

[@brandonezdoofenshmirtz2916]

What is the coral in the thumbnail it looks so cool? Colt?

[@ReefDork]

Capnella aka Kenya Tree

[@labradormcgraw]

These videos are such a tonic; escapism from all the crap in the world.

[@shazzataz]

How soon after setting up a new tank can you start adding coral

[@ReefDork]

Best to leave it a couple of months after you add fish ideally.

[@maxwellvankuiken7827]

Whatever filter you were using to film looks really freaky, does anyone else feel like he looks animated? The CGI Reef Dork?

[@ReefDork]

No filter, just a freaky face 🤓

[@danmacey5170]

Hello mate, I have a 46L fluval edge tank with 2 clowns, tank has been going 2 weeks with those guys and all is well :) what coral can I add? Does tank size matter for corals? Also when is best to add? Also could I get away with a 3rd fish? Not planning on but curious. Thanks Dan love the content!

[@Timbofowl]

I would get zoas and pulsing xenia ,and i would add them in a couple months. Be careful with zoas though because they can let out a toxins

[@Timbofowl]

Ya you could get a third fish

[@evscope]

Xenia is cool. But in a large tank it gets to the stage where you can almost see it spreading in real-time 😆

[@rustyshackleford234]

No corals are boring! 😁

[@allybrown6511]

Hi. Just started my tank a month ago. At what point would you say it’s safe to add a rock flower anemone Also will clown fish pair with this type. ??? Ta

[@ReefDork]

I've never seen clowns in a RFN and their tentacles are quite grippy - mine try to catch me when I get close to them! So I'd say probably not. The longer you can wait, the better. But after a few months is probably OK - as long as you're over any algae or bacteria blooms, you should be OK.

[@allybrown6511]

Reef Dork thanks a lot 👍

[@darkerjungle5347]

Are black lights used in saltwater aquariums to make the animals glow??

[@ReefDork]

Nope, it's royal blue that causes fluorescence not UV. Same kind of idea though 👍

[@darkerjungle5347]

@@ReefDork thanks man I’ve been asking this everywhere and your the only one who’s answered

[@ReefDork]

@@darkerjungle5347 🙏

[@jakescot7850]

EXCELLENT!

[@carlosazparrent4212]

Great video! Regards.

[@xisotopex]

whats a good way to ID a coral or anemone? I have some rather bland looking ones on stalks, with a flat wide disk, with thick tentacles with a bulge or bubble near the tip almost like a condom lol) anyone know? is it majano?

[@ReefDork]

Post a photo on a Facebook reefing group

[@adussoap4852]

Thanks!

[@braveheartreefer525]

Great video Alex 👍

[@franklinreinoza]

Nice vídeo, do you know if it is possible to buy rock anemonies In Germany? Or where can I find one to buy it? Germany or Europe. Thanks

[@ReefDork]

Yes, try White Corals - they have them regularly 👍

[@franklinreinoza]

@@ReefDork Thank you very much, one last question i dont want to disturb you any further. I tried to find them in White corals, but I don't think they're in stock. Usually in what categories are they placed? Anemones? Thank you

[@ReefDork]

@@franklinreinoza can't remember what category I've seen them in but check back later and I'm sure they'll have some.

[@franklinreinoza]

@@ReefDork thank you

[@el_guapo1318]

Hey!! There are some damn pretty mushrooms out there!!! And in my experience, Ricordeas are hard to keep as they are suicidal as fuck and keep ungluing themselves and winding up getting shredded in the filter, or land on another coral that proceeds to murder the fuck out of them. Might just be my experience though lol Edit: I do love me some blastos though.

[@ReefDork]

🤣 That's my experience of rics too!

[@PersianChristianity]

Zoas and Xenia

[@BoY860]

Search mike soft coral reef....it will make anyone rethink soft corals

[@Steve-514]

So 5 of the 7 are aggressive or invasive, how are these good for beginners?

[@ReefDork]

No such thing as perfect I'm afraid - there are compromises with pretty much ALL corals! These are all stunning corals that are easy to keep and there are ways of mitigating the problems 🙂

[@cat5ghostbusters]

What about Duncan corals

[@ReefDork]

They would've been 8th on my list 👍

[@enzomontini758]

Why do I struggle to grow gsp and Zoas but my monti plate + Duncan’s and hammers are growing fast any tips?

[@ReefDork]

Too low nitrate and phosphate? They like higher levels than monti.

[@rockmicah4060]

very low nutrient tank

[@JohnG-gu5wo]

Hi alex, im looking for some good online coral retailers can you suggest some? Already been on fragging mad

[@ReefDork]

Jason's aquatics on eBay are deceptively good. Mail Order Corals are OK. But the daddy is White Corals 👌

[@JohnG-gu5wo]

Thank you!!! On whites now... wow 😛

[@ReefDork]

If you have a seven figure salary, check out Euro Corals too 🤑

[@christianfebus2764]

Great vid sir....

[@kp-gbuniqueinterest]

How far do the isolated rocks need to be from other rocks ?

[@ReefDork]

A few inches or more. They can detach and float anyway but islands give you a better chance of isolation.

[@kp-gbuniqueinterest]

@@ReefDork Thank you for the reply. I really like GSP but dont want it taking over my tank

[@Sabertooth_54]

Are all Zoas poisonous?

[@ReefDork]

Don't know to be honest.

[@colossuses]

Nice peninsula tank. Who makes it?

[@ReefDork]

It's a Red Sea Reefer 👍

[@colossuses]

@@ReefDork had a feeling it was. Cheers for that👍🏿

[@yourmomeats6557]

Can I grow corals on live rock that I got from the sea?

[@ReefDork]

If you mean rock you've collected yourself, I think it's illegal to do so in many countries. But live rock bought from the shops - absolutely

[@yourmomeats6557]

@@ReefDork In my country it’s not. Also question number 2, can I use dead rock from the pet store?

[@ReefDork]

@@yourmomeats6557 hmm. Possibly but different rocks are made of different things so I wouldn't like to commit without knowing more. Ocean rock sounds OK, but again it's hard to say without knowing more...

[@yourmomeats6557]

@@ReefDork Ok! Thanks for the help!

[@TheIncredibleHieb]

Make sure to isolate :D Yeah, all of those do find a way .

[@yyyeau]

Nice tank....I think I need more fish

[@ReefDork]

Spot on 🐠🐟🐠

[@jerrynino4987]

0:12 Where did u get your tank?

[@ReefDork]

It's a Red Sea Reefer Peninsula 500 - got it from my LFS

[@powertoast401]

You forgot recordea?!

[@rickbond79]

Jeff Goldblum... Coral mathematician / Raptor wrangler :D

[@gazavalleyodg2911]

Where can i find the #7? Plzzzzz

[@ReefDork]

Pretty much any local fish shop should be able to get it if you ask 🙂 if you're in the UK, try Prestige Reef

[@gazavalleyodg2911]

@@ReefDork in the USA but i love the UK....ps UP THE CHELS!!!🔵

[@Xam06]

What about seriatopora hystrix?

[@ReefDork]

A great shout as a first SPS. But for a first coral, I'd avoid it - it'll deplete alkalinity quickly and a rookie might not cope.

[@matthewgosz8900]

Idk I kinda like mushrooms and leathers

[@nanoreefchannel7240]

Top 7 Beginner Corals

[@wormnail6569]

that do be the title

[@TheRicegrinder]

What about BTA?

[@ReefDork]

Notoriously difficult to keep...

[@TheRicegrinder]

@@ReefDork I have added BTA with the hope my clowns would host it, but no luck.😅 I currently have no other corals. Would you suggest I remove it? Thanks!

[@ReefDork]

@@TheRicegrinder try showing them a video of clowns in a nem on a laptop or tablet. Apparently that actually can work!

[@paulhopkins1905]

I have never been able to keep clove polyps alive

[@chazebutler2438]

Ok MMA knowledgeable I like

[@ReefDork]

🤣

[@6eastModej25]

Just looking at your wallpaper making me think twice . 😅

[@squidyspecifications7709]

The boring corals don't look that bad tbh.

[@adamday4283]

Who sells rock flowers in the uk.

[@ReefDork]

Lots of places - reefdreams in Winchester has a few nice ones in stock at the moment.

[@Venantes1]

Link to the zoa seller?

[@ReefDork]

Just added it to the description.

[@Venantes1]

Thank you

[@Don.keybals]

Didnt know Jason statham was a reefer

[@ReefDork]

🤣

[@KerpooHater]

i think generalizing leathers as dull and boring is very unfair because not only do they have lovely growth patterns and some are extremely colourful

[@TheRenatoVideo]

Mushrooms can be beatiful corals.

[@andrepinto6726]

U absolutly forgot euphilias!

[@gokuthetypeofningen1688]

Bro first time my fish store showed me GSP I straight up said “George St Pierre”?

[@ReefDork]

🤣

[@artificialecosystems5874]

But I like mushrooms... lol

[@ReefDork]

🤣 At the end of the day, that matters more than what some di*khead on KZbin says!

[@IINemz]

Not george st pierre 😂😂

[@MrStosh12345]

thanks for the great video check my nano tank vids out!