Is there coral commonly considered “easy to keep” that you find challenging to keep healthy/alive?

[WAfrican]

Montipora and Acans. Have tons of acropora, torches, zoas, and a chalice that are all thriving but my acan and monti refuses to grow.

 

[Laughterman]

I have challenges with Xenia and Zoa's.

 

[Surskit]

i've tried clove polyps a few times and they've never worked out for me at all

 

[JoJosReef]

Duncans. Always a pitiful performance. Either it stays as one head and eventually closes up or it starts to sprout heads and they all close up at once and just die. Meanwhile, other LPS are getting on just fine.

 

[JayM]

GSP. That stuff melts away in my tank like a stick of butter in a hot cast iron pan.

 

[VintageReefer]

I actually have terrible luck with acans and blastos. They do great then randomly recede and die.

I’m trying again, and have some thriving but recently lost two acans that were grouped with all the others. Same conditions. Was fine for months. Then receded and died. Target fed 2-3x a week also

 

[Saffer1]

Blastos just fade away in my tank. Oh, and designer zoas, they never seem to take.

 

[edsbeaker]

We have moved several times over the years and at some of these locations I have had trouble keeping various corals, while they grow perfectly well in other locations. In Wisconsin I couldn’t keep softies, in suburbs of Chicago my acans would close up and die, in the more rural area outside of Indianapolis area torches and goniopora wouldn’t survive, and here in the Indianapolis area it is monti digitata. I’m not sure if it can be contributed to the locations I have lived, or just differences in flow and light set up between these tanks. There are so many possible variables, higher nutrients vs lower, too much flow vs too little, too much par, not enough. I think most likely it is just hard to have a set up that pleases all corals.

I’m curious if most of us that have issues are trying to keep mixed tanks with everything from softies, LPS, and SPS?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hammers and Torches - I gave up on them

 

[AUSXMD]

Easy peasy? Pleasey (I'm not sure if that's a word, but at least it rhymes)! There are a lot of things about this hobby that people told me were "easy" that were not! The fact of the matter is that some people are better than others at certain things. The same argument could be made about coral care. There are some corals out there that lots of people keep, and it's easy for them, but for no good reason, they don't work out for you. And I'm not talking about parameters, nutrition, flow, or lighting issues -- I'm talking about everything else in your tank is fine and dandy, but there is just that one type of coral that is always giving you grief...

Is there coral commonly considered “easy to keep” that you find challenging to keep healthy/alive?

You to that one coral:

Easy peasy? Pleasey (I'm not sure if that's a word, but at least it rhymes)! There are a lot of things about this hobby that people told me were "easy" that were not! The fact of the matter is that some people are better than others at certain things. The same argument could be made about coral care. There are some corals out there that lots of people keep, and it's easy for them, but for no good reason, they don't work out for you. And I'm not talking about parameters, nutrition, flow, or lighting issues -- I'm talking about everything else in your tank is fine and dandy, but there is just that one type of coral that is always giving you grief...

Is there coral commonly considered “easy to keep” that you find challenging to keep healthy/alive?

You to that one coral:

I'm just starting to turn my FOWLR into a coral tank. I feel lost at how to keep them, what to get, my lighting, etc. I've always been intimidated by them, but giving it a shot this time. I have lots of research to do.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Fungia (plate coral). They last about a month or two.

 

[Doctorgori]

Ive got 3 tanks now and IME there is no rhyme nor reason to any of it… Ive had shrooms, Xenia, palys, and gsp overrun one tank, only to melt away in another…

Leathers and kenya trees are similar…some tanks the multiply like pest, other tanks they struggle..

i got nothing constructive to add

 

[PeterReefer]

I’ve tried Goni’s a few times, never had any luck! Any help is appreciated, I think they are beautiful and would make a great addition to my display

 

[danieyella]

Used to have a beautiful colony of gsp - my engineer goby buried it..... Have not been able to keep it in any tank since then.

 

[pwfess]

Cannot keep Kenya trees.
Ever.

Had this guy from a small frag in January. That photo was June. He was with me until I gave him to an LFs

 

[friendlyAlien]

They are all challenging ... why undersell our skill?

 

[ros3to]

Duncans are it for me, tried several times with no luck!

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

I'll start with Candy Canes. Both times I have attempted to keep them, but it hasn't turned out well. And I've heard Candy Canes are one of the most hardy corals. Of course, I wouldn't know what. I hate real candy canes, so I'll just stay away from the saltwater ones, too.

Totally agree. Same for me. 3 different types and all died. So no more candy for me!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

duncans for me!

 

[CHSUB]

This hurts my heart. All that real estate taken over. I would remove all those rocks and replace them.

It actually made a beautiful display, but it did smother out dozens of other corals.