Best beginner corals for a UK reef tank

Wait until your tank has been running and stable for several weeks before adding corals. Then start with species that tolerate a range of conditions. This is a short list of the usual starting points, and a few to hold back on.

Good first corals

• Mushroom corals (discosoma and bounce mushrooms): low light, low flow, and they suit shaded spots. Too much light or flow makes them shrink or detach. They can spread.
• Zoanthids (zoas): colourful colonies that tolerate a lot. They can contain palytoxin, so use gloves and eye protection when handling.
• Soft corals such as green star polyps and xenia: hardy and fast-growing. They spread quickly, so give them their own rock.

Good second step

• Torch corals: striking, but their sweeper tentacles can sting neighbours, so leave space.

Hold back for now

• Goniopora: beautiful, but they need steady alkalinity and regular feeding. Better once you have a mature tank.
• Acropora: need strong light, strong flow and very stable water.
• Chalices: very aggressive. At night their sweepers can reach several inches and burn corals that looked safely spaced.

Before you buy anything

• Test the basics (temperature, salinity, alkalinity) and make sure they are steady, not just in range.
• Know your light. Our PAR guide explains typical ranges.
• Plan where each coral goes, with space for it to grow.
• Read how to acclimate corals that arrive in the post.

Every piece is one of a kind and photographed as it is. See what is in stock on the shop.