Corals are a unique group in nature. They are neither plants nor animals but somewhere inbetween.

Some feed mainly on the energy produced by the photosynthetic algae that live inside them, zooanthelae, others rely mainly on planktonic food.

There are two basic types of coral - hard and soft. Hard corals produce a "hard" skeleton of calcium while "soft" corals do not have a skeleton though they do have calcerous tissue, sclerites, which help support there structure.

Different corals have different needs: the key to keeping them successfully is to match those needs. Requirements to consider include lighting, water movement, diet and tolerance of neighbours - some corals will kill their neighbours if placed too close to them.

Click on a thumbnail picture below to see its full-size version and some info about the coral.

These guys look quite attractive at first but they spread at an alarming rate and can smother your rocks in months. I introduced these before I knew better. It's now a battle keeping their numbers down. Theyr'e harder to kill than apstasia and peppermint shrimps don't have a taste for them unless the anemones are injured.

Ricordea Yuma

These ones have a potent sting - they will kill other mushrooms and probably other corals. They expand enormously but don't seem to spread too much.