Sensitivity/Difficulty:
Level 1 – Easy. Good for beginners.
Level 2 – Still easy, but may require slight additional care.
Level 3 – Moderate. Requires reasonably stable parameters and possibly additional feeding.
Level 4 – Difficult. Requires extremely stable water conditions, extra chemicals and feedings.
Level 5 – Extremely difficult. Requires perfect water conditions, specific foods and chemicals. Survival rate in captivity very low.
Lighting Scale (approximations):
Level 0 – no light
Level 3 – 50-100 PAR | Innovative Marine 8 gallon Nuvo (Bottom of tank)
Level 5 – 100-200 PAR | AquaMedic Yasha Nano (Top of tank)
Level 6 – 200-300 PAR | CADLights 22 gallon LED (Top of tank)
Level 7 – 300-400 PAR | 28 gallon JBJ 150 watt 14k HQI (Top of tank)
Level 8 – 400-500 PAR | 250 watt 20k Ushio HQI (Top of tank)
Level 10 – 500+ PAR | 400 watt 20k Ushio (Top of tank)
Please note that these sensitivity and light levels are merely meant as a guide. Corals may adapt to a diverse range of conditions, and their care may be very different from this scale.
Soft Corals:
Carnation Coral
Clove Coral
Leather Corals
Pipe Organ Coral
Star Polyps
Xenia
Zoanthids
Corallimorphia (Ricordia and mushrooms)
Large Polyp Stony Corals:
Acanthastrea
Blastomussa/ Micromussa
Catalaphyllia (Elegance Coral)
Caulastrea (Trumpet and Candy Cane Coral)
Dendros
Duncan Corals
Euphyllia (Hammer, Torch and Fox Coral)
Favia and Favites (and other Moon corals)
Fungiidae
Galaxea
Goniopora
Gorgonians (Sea Fans and Sea Rods)
Lobophyllia/ Symphyllia/ other Mussideans
Pectiniidae (Chalice Coral)
Plerogyra and Physogyra (Bubble Coral)
Scolymia
Sun Coral (Azooxanthellate)
Trachyphylliidae (Lobed Brain Coral)
Turbinaria
Small Polyp Stony Corals:
Acropora
Heliopora (Blue Coral)
Hydnophora
Montipora
Pavona (Cactus Coral)
Pocillopora (and Stylophora)
Porites
Seriatopora (Bird’s Nest)
