• Observe the coral

    Your coral's response matters more than a universal recipe.

  • Change one thing at a time

    Small, measured adjustments are easier to understand.

  • Protect stability

    Consistency is usually more valuable than chasing perfection.

Four ideas before your next coral

Use these fundamentals to slow the decision down just enough to make a better one.

Reef fundamentals

Start with what the coral needs

Begin with stability

Healthy coral starts with a mature, consistent system. Learn your tank's normal rhythm before chasing a single reading or adding livestock quickly.

Read light and flow

Placement is a starting point, not a permanent verdict. Watch extension, color, inflation, and tissue response as the coral settles into your system.

Plan compatibility

Leave room for growth, sweeper tentacles, and chemical competition. A quiet-looking frag can become a very different neighbor over time.

Prepare for arrival

Have the tank, inspection supplies, and placement area ready before delivery. A calm first hour reduces unnecessary handling and guesswork.

Care level is a useful signal, not a promise

  • Beginner Friendly

    Generally more forgiving of normal variation and a practical place to begin. Beginner Friendly still means stable water, deliberate placement, and observation.

    Browse Beginner Friendly 

  • Intermediate

    Benefits from a better-understood system and closer attention to light, flow, feeding, spacing, and changes in appearance.

    Browse Intermediate 

  • Advanced

    Best for experienced reef keepers who can recognize subtle stress, respond gradually, and maintain a highly consistent environment.

    Browse Advanced 

Choose a coral family

  • LPS care

    Learn starting points for fleshy stony coral, including placement, flow, feeding, spacing, and observation.

    Read the LPS guide 

  • SPS care

    Build the stability, lighting, flow, and monitoring habits that small-polyp stony coral generally demand.

    Read the SPS guide 

  • Softies care

    Understand the adaptable nature, growth habits, spacing, and placement considerations of soft coral.

    Read the Softies guide 

Blue-light images, with context

Coral fluorescence is best represented under reef lighting, so our livestock photography keeps the blue-light look familiar to reef keepers. WYSIWYG means the pictured specimen is the specimen offered for sale.

We photograph with an orange filter and a macro lens. Appearance can vary with lighting spectrum, intensity, water conditions, camera, and viewing lens.

Shop WYSIWYG

Receiving coral

Be prepared first

Inspect before opening

Check the bag and coral immediately. If anything appears wrong, photograph the sealed bag and follow the current arrival policy.

Match temperature

Follow the coral-specific arrival instructions and current store policy before opening or transferring livestock.

Inspect with intention

Inspect new coral carefully before adding it to the display. Use only a coral-appropriate process you understand and follow product directions.

Begin observation

Place the coral in a suitable lower-stress area, then make small adjustments based on its response over the following days.