A saltwater aquarium simply isn’t complete without coral. While some might disagree, these marine water invertebrates certainly look beautiful and offer the benefit of a healthy ecosystem. But adding coral to an aquarium isn’t as simple as picking the most appealing or least expensive pieces at your local fish store. Coral is challenging to maintain and grow, with different types requiring specific water parameters, lighting, and temperatures.
To help you make the best investment, this guide delves into six things to know about getting coral for your aquarium.
1. Some Coral Is Less Maintenance Than Others
Many marine aquarists avoid a reef tank because of the maintenance that comes with it. However, certain types of coral are easier for novice keepers; aquarists don’t require additives or special conditions to maintain their color and growth.
For the reef tank, there are only two varieties, hard (stone-like) and soft corals. The rigid exterior in stony corals is actually a skeleton that is made up of calcium carbonate. Soft corals have a flexible jelly-like structure and are the easiest to grow. They can adapt to changes in water parameters and grow rapidly without a great deal of care. Some of the most well-known corals include Xenia polyps and mushroom corals. The hard coral requires strict lighting, water, and salinity and is better suited to experienced hobbyists.
2. Keeping Coral Can Be Costly
Coral can be costly because of the time and care it takes to raise these invertebrates successfully. In addition to the expertise required to farm coral, aquarists will pay more for certain types or species. The more popular a specific type of coral, the higher the price because of the increase in demand. The high price tag of coral is also attributed to shipping charges when ordering from out-of-state suppliers. The least expensive types of coral can be found at your local fish store or sourced from domestic hobbyists.
Species such as the meat coral are approximately $900, whereas soft corals like the green polyp are $70 and the leather coral $50. The price ultimately depends on the species and maintenance level.
3. Coral Requires Balanced Water Parameters
Corals differ in terms of their general care, daily light requirements, temperature, salinity, and water parameters. If you’re new to keeping coral, look at hardy species that tolerate temperature fluctuations and changes in water conditions. If you’re new to coral, the softer varieties are best because they don’t need strict water parameters, and they grow in low light.
To maintain a healthy reef and saltwater tank, you must monitor the pH, calcium, and magnesium levels, and lighting. In general, coral prefers temperatures of between 76 and 82℉. These seawater invertebrates are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, which should always read at 0 ppm (mg/l). Calcium levels between 400 and 500 ppm (mg/l) are ideal, while lighting depends on the species.
Another important factor for healthy coral is water movement. In the ocean, water flow stops particles from settling on these marine invertebrates. A good filtration system can agitate water and move zooplankton and phytoplankton through the tank, allowing corals to catch and consume their food.
4. Coral Needs Specialized Lighting
Take the time to determine whether your coral needs light. The photosynthesizing corals have zooxanthellae, which is a type of algae. Together, they have a symbiotic relationship providing one another with food.
To support coral growth, you must use the correct type of light to enhance the vibrancy of each species. Most invertebrates respond to wavelengths of blue light. Saltwater aquarists use LED lights for their energy efficiency, and it prevents overheating the fish tank. The light intensity should also be regulated to avoid damaging the delicate reef. Harsh lighting in a reef tank will cause stress and bleach the corals. Do not rely on regular sunlight because it causes sporadic algae growth, which is difficult to manage.
5. Research the Food Your Coral Needs
Before deciding on a particular variety of coral, determine which species relies on light and which has to be hand-fed. Some of the most common corals that require feeding include mushroom, soft, and hard or stony corals––adding to their overall maintenance.
All corals that do not photosynthesize need daily feeding to thrive. Zooplankton is considered the best food for the reef aquarium because it contains vitamins and amino acids. Most fishkeepers add the zooplankton to the coral with a syringe, ensuring that the invertebrate receives the proper nutrition. They should be fed at least once a week and only in the evenings.
6. Ensure You Have the Correct Tank Size
Your coral’s size and growth rate should be factored into the size of your aquarium. Some types of coral, such as large polyp stony (LPS) coral, grow fast and branch out. These corals can quickly take over a small aquarium. For smaller tanks of around 20 gallons, soft marine invertebrates that don’t spread too rapidly, such as mushroom corals, are recommended. Larger corals need up to 120 gallons to spread.
It’s always a good idea to understand the growth requirements of the corals you are interested in adding to your aquarium. If you don’t care for a lot of maintenance, then leather and stony corals can provide a stunning reef display without much fuss.
Coral requires a fair amount of maintenance, but they’re beneficial for marine tanks in that they create a natural environment for fish by reducing stress. These unique marine organisms are biologically significant because they play a part in keeping the water clean while sheltering small fish and crustaceans. Choosing the right coral species will help you sustain a vibrant and flourishing ecosystem for your fish.
