This simplified through sophistication of coral reef tank aquarist culture makes it easy for the industry layperson, and the novice to easily grasp what kind of animal they are raising without the complication of non-integrated lexicons.

Coral are broken down into two types in general: Soft Coral, and Hard Coral.

In some cases telling the difference between a soft coral and a hard coral can only be done with a microscope in order to determine if the animal is producing calcareous material in the way that is generally attributed to hard coral.

This article deals with soft coral.

Soft Coral Aquarium – 55 Gallons with stone corals, gonioporas, hammerheads, frogspawn, finger leather, toadstool leather, xenia, torch coral, pollups, and other various forms of life…

Soft Coral are part of the order Alcyonacea and the phylum Cnidaria.

One of the main things that differentiate soft coral from hard coral is that graduating from marine fish care to oft coral care is one step closer to becoming a fully skilled aqua marine reef tank aquarist. To best understand the difference between soft and hard, soft corals do not produce calcium carbonate skeletons and are not reef-building corals.

These creatures characterized by there soft internal skeleton, are easier to remove from the natural reef since it is not necessary to break them off and expose or damage the reef.

Other creatures of the reef, don’t necessarily need most soft coral as a home base.

All these reasons add to the sentiment that soft coral make better pets, even if they are more prone to hunting and stinging other creatures.

Soft coral have radial symmetry as another noted characteristic.

Some of the other characteristics of all soft coral are:

• Stinging Cells

• Ecto- and endoderm comprising both of two germ layers

• A bag like hollow body called coelenteron.

• No central nerve system, instead uncomplicated nerve groups.

• A single opening that both eats, and excretes waste.

• A lack to tentacle segmentation.

• A lack of body segmentation.

Most of these reef host soft coral at depths from 5 to 30 meters.

Of the Classes in the Cnidaria phylum soft corals belong to Anthozoa.

The Subclass of Anthozoa that soft coral are a part of is called Alcyonacea.

Some of the notable regions that soft coral thrive in are saltwater reefs of:

• The Caribbean

• Hawaii

• The Indo-Pacific

• The Great Barrier Reef

• The Red Sea

• Elsewhere in the world to a lesser extent.

These soft coral are hardier than some hard coral, and provide a great bridge for the aquarist who wants to graduate beyond just fish and other more mobile aqua marine animals.

This article is about hard coral: SPS/LPS.

In linguistics as far as breaking down the popular term coral into three usable terms that are compatible with science; the terms hard coral, soft coral, and other coral named animals are used to keep the colloquial and factual synced in definition.

Hard corals belong to the phylum Cnidaria, and the Class Hydrozoa.

Some animals that look like soft coral are actually hard coral. But, it takes a microscope to be able to determine this from the calcareous material they produce on a microscopic level.

Some of the features that define hard coral in addition to calcium processed into exoskeletons are:

• Hard coral have more defined tentacles

• Sectional body parts of the polyp

• Six smooth tentacles, rather than being like the soft coral which has 8.

• Multiples of six tentacles.

Out of 70 separate genus or genera there are approximately 359 known species of hard coral.

Some of these hard coral species are:

• Cup Coral

• Brain Coral

• Closed Brain Coral

• Mushroom Coral (This coral has only one polyp. In juxtaposition to having many).

• Table Top

• Stag Horn

• Turret Coral

• Elegance

• Torch

• Trumpet

• And many more stunning varieties.

Coloration of coral can come from algae in the tissue of the polyp. These symbiotic algae are referred to as zooxanthallae.

This algae coloration in hard coral gives these animals their brown gold hue.

Pigmentation’s in the tissue or exoskeleton give hard coral a great variety of other colors and combination’s of colors.

And unhealthy hard coral will loose the zooxanthallae symbiotic algae. This will cause the brownish areas to turn white.

Hard corals are the final stage in the difficulty level that an marine reef tank enthusiast can attain. These hard corals are considered the most difficult to maintain.

A great in-depth book on the subject of coral reef husbandry is Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History, by Eric H. Borneman.

Knowing how to care for the individual reef coral that you want to have in your reef tank is essential. The book by Eric Borneman goes into great detail about both easy to care for, and hard to care for species.

Tropical regions are what we think of when coral comes to mind. For the most part this is true. However, there are coral reefs that do well in cold water, and in much deeper water.

The material saltwater reef aquarium enthusiasts use to brighten up, and add dimension to the reef tank is itself a polymorph. This means that CaCO₃ (which is what the coral exoskeleton is), exists in more than one crystal form. Simply stated; the secretions from the living organisms that form a coral reef is just one way CaCO₃ exists as a material. One of the other natural ways this compound occurs in nature is limestone.

The unique coral structures that scuba divers, snorkelers, and aquamarine reef tank enthusiasts love, come from polyp creatures. These coral exoskeleton building animals are exactly identical;yet so unique from one family, genus, or species to the next that each polyp in a colony will build the coral head in the exact same mesmerizing pattern and color as the generations it is building upon.

Many authorities on various types of coral and live rock husbandry emphasize that treating reef coral as animals first, and ornaments secondarily will greatly add to the life of what is truly an animal. This type of animal is referred to as a polyp. And the phylum that is modernly used to categorize reef coral animal characteristics is cnidaria.

Coral polyps as animals feed on photosynthesis for the most part. They also have stingers like other invertebrates that sting the smallish prey like plankton to be consumed as food. This happens during the nocturnal hours of the day.

Reef coral reproduce asexually and through spawning: Aiding the process of building the exoskeleton over many generations.

The spawning process for polyp reef coral consists of them releasing eggs and sperm into the water. The resulting planula is the larval stage of life for reef coral polyps.

The ensuing life cycle leaves the jellyfish like planula floating about in the tide.

Usually these small creatures are washed back against the reef they were spawned from.
But, no matter where they land, a larval coral reef planula polyp will attach itself by forming a small shell. This shell is usually open at the top. Some people describe the shape as being vase like.

Colorful exoskeletons indicates that the polyps inside are alive. When the reef coral polyps die, the shell or exoskeleton will turn brown.

Recipes and formulas for keeping coral alive in a saltwater aquarium tank have increased the in tank life span of the coral themselves up to a year or more. And the knowledge is increasing as more calculated experimentation is done by enthusiasts and professional scientists alike.

In general in the wild and in the reef tank salinity should be 34 to 37 parts per thousand. Any less than that and the creature can die easily from exposure to too much fresh water.

Reef coral in the aquarium tank should not be crowded out. Each desirable species has a range and parts per radii unique to itself. Knowing what you have, how it grows in nature, and what other researchers, as well as hobbyists have both failed or succeeded with is a best practice.