Reef Aquarium Coral Types
Soft Corals
Soft coral is a
category that includes the leather
corals, carnation corals,
chili corals, pipe organ, and
Kenyan tree corals. This
category of corals can be
complicated to summarize as there are
varying conditions
in which each needs to be kept.
We’ll describe
these corals in two categories; the first
category contains the
soft corals that use photosynthesis
to create food and the
second has the corals that do not.
In the photosynthetic
category are the Pipe Organ and
Leather corals. These
corals, like the others described above,
use zooxanthellae
for photosynthesis and collect food and
nutrients from the
water. Photosynthetic soft corals require a
higher flow
than most as they do not use the light as
effectively as
LPS or SPS corals; therefore, they need to
capture food
and nutrients from the water to flourish. The
Leather
Corals need higher flow because, on occasion, they will
slough their outside skin which must be carried away by the
current. The Pipe Organ is unique in this category as
it
actually lays down a calcareous skeleton in which it
protects
itself. The Pipe Organ coral is very peaceful and
does not
have sweeper tentacles, making placement an
aesthetic
focus.
The
non-photosynthetic
category has the Carnation, Kenyan Tree and
Chili corals.
These corals are difficult to keep and are
recommended for
experienced hobbyists or those that have
aquariums
especially suited to the care of these corals.
Non-photosynthetic soft corals do not use zooxanthellae
for
photosynthesis and, thus, must be fed every day to
maintain
health. They should be placed under overhangs and
out of
direct light where they have a strong flow that
brings food and
nutrients constantly.
