All About Corals
Corals are made up of tiny animals called coral polyps, which form homes to millions of reef animals.
The polyps have hollow bodies that are soft and their mouths face upwards so that food can drop into them. They have small tentacles containing cells that sting. The tentacles are attached their mouths and they can help capture food, and they have the ability to absorb nutrients through microvilli
Coral grow together to create reefs, which are great hiding places for other fish, turtles, eels and Shrimp.
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Types of Corals Coral Farm
Soft Corals
Soft corals are fleshy or leathery colonies and have a soft skeleton. They grow rapidly and are easy to care for, are filter feeders who eat byproducts that algae make, so they need the food suspended.
LPS Corals
LPS are large calcareous corals with large fleshy polyps. Some have long tentacles called
“sweeper tentacles,” and they keep other corals away from them.
Brain Corals
Composed of tiny animals called coral polyps, hard coral is made up of rigid calcium carbonate
or limestone and look like rocks. Polyps secrete the exoskeleton that is made of calcium
carbonate. They have chalky internal skeletons that stays in place after they die, making
homes for other aquatic life.
Coral continue growing larger as each coral generation dies. It is the algae that forms on
corals that gives them their color. Huge colonies of hard coral will grow into large
formations such as the Great Coral Reef near the Australian coast.
Hard corals are scientifically known as “scleractinians.” Examples include the brain coral,
which has convolutions on the surface that looks like the human cortex, the pillar coral and
the Elkhorn coral.
Brain Corals are classified as hard corals
SPS Corals
Small-polyp stony or SPS corals are only recommended for advanced aquarist. They need an advanced lighting system and the correct water chemistry levels. SPS corals also need a good, strong water system.
NPS Corals
NPS corals are only recommended for advanced aquarist. They need cooler temperatures and you will need to implement some kind of system to dose plankton throughout the day, and low lighting is used only for viewing.
Polyps Corals
Polyps are colonial corals, and most of them are extremely hardy, making them ideal candidates for the beginner reef aquarist. Most Polyps contain symbiotic algae and require moderate to strong lighting. Some Polyps, such as button polyps, will also benefit from meaty food such as brine shrimp or plankton.
Mushroom Corals
Mushroom corals are easy to care for, and are considered hardy, except for the fact that they cannot take sudden changes in water salinity, PH or temperature . The mushroom corals that have tentacles are aggressive and may bother other corals. Allow plenty of space between mushrrom corals and other species.
