Live coral is an extremely popular addition to the modern salt water aquarium, and there are many varieties to choose from. While coral reef fish aquariums were once considered to be the specialty of aquarium experts who had a lot of money to blow, they are now attainable for many hobbyists. There are types of coral that are affordable enough for many different types of people to afford. A coral reef fish aquarium should have a variety of life forms in order for it to be as beautiful and mysterious as the ocean floor itself, as long as they are compatible with one another. There are a few different types of coral that a hobbyist can choose from, which are normally broken into three categories. When it comes to live coral, hobbyists can generally choose from soft coral, stony coral and large polyp stony coral.
The best type of live coral for a beginner, according to many of the experts, is the soft variety. Of all the types of coral, the soft ones are the hardiest and most of them do not require expensive lighting to grow and thrive in the tank. They are called soft coral because they have no hard skeleton. The large polyp stony coral is considered to be best for the intermediate hobbyist, and the stony coral is considered to be best for experts. All of these types of live coral will add beauty and movement to the tank, though, as long as the owner knows how to care for them properly. After filling a tank with many varieties of coral reef, fish should be added to complete the beauty and mystery of the underwater environment. There are many to choose from, but the hobbyist must be sure that they are compatible and that they know how to care for them properly.