the MOST colorful corals that do well together

[cowbuoy]

I want to have a VERY VERY colorful coral tank with every possible color.
..............red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple
so they MUST be compatible with each other and have VERY intense color
right now I have 400 watts of power compact lights over 50 gallons but I can get more light
I would consider mh or vho or t5's to add

[hr]
I have heard of l.e.d. lights but I don't know much about them

[hr]
I would rather just keep only what I have (ie 400 watts pc with 2 10000K and 2 blue actinic 03 ) if I can get very good color corals to do well
any good ideas???

 

[nm reef]

Very difficult question to answer...maybe show&tell!!!
I run a 55 display with an additional 100 gal or so in the sump/refugium. Lighting is 4x65 PC's & 2x110 VHO's...circulation is about 12x per hour thru the display. Below is what I've collected over the past 3 years.
Not all of them but a majority anyway!!!

 

[aaronw78]

I like zooanthids. they come in many colors, are very hardy, and are great for filling bare spots in your tank.

 

[cowbuoy]

bump

 

[thomas712]

Sorry NM but that tank is in trouble of being overgrown, I can't speak for Sammy but I am sure we could both swing by and trim that jungle down for you.
***(subliminal message for NM, send frags to Thomas, send frags to Thomas, send frags to Thomas, send frags to Thomas)***
Cowbouy - I would consider going with the MH+VHO combo, you would have a better Par value I believe.
Consider the brain coral, good color, look for colonial polyps which can also have some very nice color to them. With the MH lighting you could have clams.
Thomas

 

[donjasper]

You won't do better than mushrooms / zoonathids. The fact they they're easy to care for is an extra bonus. Trouble is we all want color - so there are plenty of brown ones available. The best ones need to be sought out.

 

[smarls]

I agree with zoos, very colorful. I added some over the last few months - orange, green/purple, and some pure pinks...very cool.
There are some amazing ricordia out there are also very colorful, i have pink/purple, orange/blue, green, lime green, and silverish.
Shrooms can be very colorful as well, reds, blus, purples etc.
LPS - hammers etc are also very cool looking, and are incredibly cool under actinics.
Most colorful thing I have is a sun coral (tubistrea)... I have a pure yellow one, and a yellow/orange/pink one...very cool, but they are high maintenance to keep.
That should get you started! I keep all of these things under less light than you (240 watts over a 55 gallon). Good luck, and post some pics when you get it going.
Stewart

 

[cowbuoy]

thanks
anyone else with ideas?

 

[reefer44]

I jsut wanted to say if u want color go with sps...i would post a pic of my tank but i don't have a camera........also i have 2 175w MH (10000k) pendants and 2 actinic blue (15w) over a 55 gallon tank and they grow like crazy!

 

[nm reef]

Basically the options are virtually limitless. Depending on your system...its size...your filtration&circulation...your lighting. There are thousands of corals available that could blend well together. Part of the pleasure of this hobby is the individual systems folks create...each different that the others.
I have plans to radically alter the size of my current display and increase the lighting source...both improvements will eventually allow me to expand my selections to include SPS type corals and assorted clams...IMO the diversity available is one of the best aspects of this hobby.

 

[chinnyr]

Red mushrooms,Zoanthids,and how about a Tonga yellow leather.I just got a sweet new one today that has opened up to about 8" across.Ricordias are colorful as well,and all the above are fairly easy to care for.

 

[spsfreak100]

The most colorful corals, in my opinion, come from the scleractinians (which include both large and small polyped scleractinians). As Thomas already stated, you would be best off with a Metal halide/VHO combo. There's plenty of possibilities when it comes to halides. For your tank size, I would recommend 2x 250wt 10,000k Ushio's on dual PFO (Optional: HQI ballast) ballast along with 2-4 "03" actinic URI VHO's on Icecap 660 ballast.
so they MUST be compatible with each other and have VERY intense color
What corals do you have in your tank currently, if any? Small polyped scleractinians (SPS) do not fair well with a few types of soft corals, including Sinularia and Sarcophyton. Both are known for releasing chemicals into the water column which stunt Acroporid and Porites growth. It doesn't matter how far apart you place these corals away from eachother. SPS are not found near soft corals and will not ajust to these scents and chemicals given off by these "Strangers." Small polyped scleractinians will also require strong amounts of current, as well as a stable calcium and alkalinity level.
In my opinion, you can't beat the coloration of SPS...such as this A. nobilis

 

[spsfreak100]

...or this A. valida
Graham

 

[aarone]

[hr]
I have heard of l.e.d. lights but I don't know much about them

[hr]

L.E.D stands for light emitting diode. Wont be suitable for corals at all. I have two led's for my moonlights. Both together equal 1 watt. They are just for decoration.
hth
aaron

 

[dima96]

i have seen sps corals under led lighting with the poylps out, but this can only be done in very small tanks right now. these could replace halides someday. but i think some sort of mh vho combo is the best right now

 

[donjasper]

Ok - Let's talk color (not texture and shape - just color)
I really wish these pictures were mine, but there are not. Maybe someday (sigh).
Here's some shrooms:

 

[donjasper]

Zoos:

 

[donjasper]

It's really hard to get a good yellow - some of the leathers come pretty close.
Anyone care to guess what good the color does to the creatures? Humans are no doubt breeding the colorful ones and spreading them all over the world, but what good do it do them before we started adding them to our aquariums?

 

[aarone]

i have seen sps corals under led lighting with the poylps out, but this can only be done in very small tanks right now. these could replace halides someday. but i think some sort of mh vho combo is the best right now
You have seen SPS under LED???? who what when where how?
that is almost impossible IMO.
aaron

 

[cowbuoy]

thanks for the input guys
for the MOST part
the consensus seems that the easiest corals (shrooms - including ricordia (which are a type of shroom right??) and zoos and leathers) are also the most colorful
I really like the sun corals I have seen too
i don't really care for the look of brain corals for some reason and although I have seen some really stunning clams I think I will still clear of those as well
********* SO ----MY QUESTION

[hr]
would shrooms, ricordia, zoos, leathers and a sun coral give me a good mix of bright color with no chemical warfare between them and fairly easy maintence (except the sun coral which I understand each polyp must be feed seperately) **********
.........AND all this do well under 400 watts pc light (1/2 white and 1/2 actinic) over 50 gallons
I think - as some of you have said -that SPS are really the most colorful but when I factor in easy care --- and the majority of opinion here with zoos etc that the combination of good color with simplicity is the way to go
I just want to double and triple check since more than once in this new hobby I have exclaimed "Well $%# no one told me THAT"!
and I have read a number of books and such but for the most part all the new and unique info I find is right here on the web
############OH AND ONE MORE THING - WOULD ANY OF THESE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME HAVING

[hr]
too much light????????? is there such a thing?????? I thought not but heard that shrooms really don;t like much light but then I also heard that their color comes from them fending off bright light/too much light