Zoanthid & Soft Coral Care Guide: The Best Corals for Beginners

Why Zoanthids and Soft Corals Are Perfect for Beginners

If you've just cycled your first reef tank and you're wondering what to add first, zoanthids and soft corals are the answer. They're hardy, fast-growing, colourful, and far more forgiving of water parameter swings than their SPS cousins. Get these right and you'll build the confidence — and the stable tank — needed to move on to more demanding species.

This guide covers everything you need to know to keep zoanthids and soft corals healthy and growing.

Water Parameters

Soft corals and zoanthids are tolerant, but that doesn't mean parameters don't matter. Aim for these ranges and keep them stable — sudden swings cause more stress than slightly imperfect numbers.

• Temperature: 25–26°C
• Salinity: 1.025–1.026 SG (35 ppt)
• pH: 8.1–8.3
• Alkalinity (kH): 8–10 dKH
• Calcium: 400–450 ppm
• Magnesium: 1250–1350 ppm
• Nitrate: 5–20 ppm (soft corals and zoas actually benefit from some nutrients)
• Phosphate: 0.05–0.1 ppm

Test regularly with reliable kits. For alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium we recommend the Salifert range — the Salifert kH/Alkalinity Test Kit, Salifert Calcium Test Kit, and Salifert Magnesium Test Kit are all excellent choices.

Lighting

Zoanthids and soft corals are adaptable when it comes to lighting. They can thrive under a wide range of intensities, making them ideal for tanks that aren't yet dialled in on lighting.

• Zoanthids: Low to medium light. PAR 50–150 is ideal. High light can cause bleaching.
• Soft corals (leathers, toadstools, mushrooms): Low to medium light. PAR 50–200 depending on species.
• Xenia and pulsing corals: Medium light. PAR 100–200.

Place new corals lower in the tank and gradually move them up if needed. Watch for signs of stress — a closed or bleaching coral is telling you something is wrong.

Flow

Good water movement is essential for coral health — it delivers nutrients, removes waste, and prevents detritus settling on coral tissue.

• Zoanthids: Low to moderate, indirect flow. Avoid blasting them directly — they'll close up and struggle to open.
• Leather corals & toadstools: Moderate, indirect flow.
• Mushroom corals: Low flow. These are one of the most flow-sensitive soft corals — too much and they'll shrink and detach.
• Xenia: Moderate flow to encourage their characteristic pulsing.

Feeding

Zoanthids and most soft corals get the majority of their energy from photosynthesis via their zooxanthellae. However, supplemental feeding accelerates growth and improves colour significantly.

For zoanthids and soft corals, we recommend Soft Coral Food by Vitalis — a fine-particle food specifically formulated for filter-feeding soft corals and polyps. Target feed 1–2 times per week by turning off your return pump and wavemakers for 10–15 minutes and broadcasting food near your corals.

The Acrylic Coral Feeder by Vastocean makes target feeding much easier, letting you direct food precisely to individual polyps without it dispersing across the tank.

Zoanthid Care: What You Need to Know

Zoanthids (zoas) are one of the most popular corals in the hobby for good reason — they come in an extraordinary range of colours, they're fast to propagate, and they're tough. Here are a few zoa-specific tips:

• They like some nutrients. Unlike SPS corals, zoas actually do better with slightly elevated nitrate and phosphate. An ultra-low-nutrient tank can cause them to pale and close.
• They can be aggressive. Zoas spread quickly and can overtake slower-growing neighbours. Give them space or frag them regularly.
• Palytoxin warning. Some zoanthid and palythoa species contain palytoxin, one of the most toxic naturally occurring substances known. Always handle zoas with gloves, avoid getting water in your eyes or mouth, and never heat or frag them without proper protection.
• They close up for a reason. If your zoas are persistently closed, check for pests (zoa-eating nudibranchs or spiders), flow issues, or a water quality problem.

Common Soft Corals for Beginners

Not sure where to start? These are some of the most beginner-friendly soft corals available:

• Toadstool Leather (Sarcophyton): Hardy, fast-growing, and a great indicator coral. Periodically sheds a waxy coat — this is normal.
• Mushroom Corals (Discosoma/Rhodactis): Extremely tolerant, low light, low flow. Great for shaded areas of the tank.
• Green Star Polyps (GSP): Fast-growing, bright green, and nearly indestructible. Keep them contained — they spread aggressively.
• Xenia: Mesmerising pulsing motion, fast growth, and very hardy. Another one to keep in check as it can spread rapidly.
• Zoanthids: The ultimate beginner coral. Hundreds of colour morphs, fast growth, and very forgiving.

Browse our full Zoanthids collection and Soft Corals collection to find your next addition.

Fragging: How to Propagate Your Corals

One of the best things about soft corals and zoas is how easy they are to frag (propagate). Zoa frags can be made by cutting a small section of the mat with a sharp blade and attaching it to a frag plug with reef-safe glue. Leather corals can be fragged by cutting a branch or lobe and securing it until it attaches naturally.

Regular fragging keeps your tank tidy, prevents aggressive spreading, and gives you frags to trade or sell.

Signs of a Healthy vs. Stressed Coral

• ✅ Healthy: Fully open polyps, vibrant colour, visible growth, active feeding response
• ⚠️ Stressed: Persistently closed, pale or bleached colour, tissue recession, slime production (in leathers, this can be normal during shedding)

If a coral is stressed, check parameters first, then flow and lighting placement. Don't move corals repeatedly — give them at least a week to adjust before making changes.

Ready to Go Further?

Once your soft corals and zoas are thriving, you might be ready to try LPS corals — the next step up in reef keeping. Or explore our full Corals collection to see everything we have available.

Questions about a specific coral or your tank setup? Get in touch — we're always happy to help.