First coral for beginner

[youngy]

What type of coral for the novice? Do they all need to be fed?

[travie]

It depends on where you want to go with the tank. If you want it to be a softie dominated coral tank in the end then mushrooms, zoanthids, or palythoas, would be wise first choices. If you want an LPS dominated tank, Candy Cane (Caulastrea) or Favites, are a good starting point. Or if you want to have an SPS dominated tank in the end, Montipora Digitata or Capricornus, are good places to start for beginners.

If you want to mix types of coral, start with the softies, because they are typically the best for beginners.

All corals need the right lighting, flow, and water parameters, to survive and thrive. Even an expert can't keep corals alive if they don't meet those needs.

As far as feeding goes, only a few corals that are kept in aquariums need to be directly fed. Lighting feeds the zooxanthellae which are found in most coral and feed said coral internally. Anemones, sun corals, and gorgonian corals, are the first corals that come to my mind that need to be directly fed. A few other corals, mainly LPS corals, can be directly fed, but it is not a requirement to their survival.

Sorry for the long-winded post, and I hope it helps. If any of it confuses you, let us know, so we can clarify it for you.

EDIT: Didn't mention this too clearly, but it can be a pain to switch a softie dominated tank to an LPS or SPS dominated tank. Your end goal/vision for this tank, should dictate equipment and coral choices you make now.

[Cliff]

+1 Travie

I would stick to easier coral like mushrooms and leathers (provided you have the correct lighting and flow)

[youngy]

Thanks ill take that onboard and have a look at lfs.

Cheers

[travie]

I haven't been on the forums a lot lately, so sorry if you have answered this question elsewhere. But what kind of lighting are you using for the tank, and what are you using for flow?