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As more and more people set up saltwater aquariums, more are also adding coral to the dcor. As with any living thing, it is best to understand the creature and how to care for it properly before bringing it home. Coral is no different as it is a live animal that you will be adding to your tank. The care and maintenance of coral should be well understood before making the final decision to add this beautiful animal to your aquarium.

The most common species of coral that are used in aquariums are called bubble coral. Due to the fact that they are so common, we will use this species as a guideline. Within the bubble coral family, there are three subspecies. They are simple bubble coral, pearl bubble coral and grape bubble coral. They are all cared for in the same way, so they will be referred to as bubble coral throughout the rest of the article.

One of the most important things to know about is how to space them when you put them in the tank. There are long stinging cells tentacles in each bubble coral. In most cases, they keep them closed till the time they are fed. If they are too close, they may hurt their neighbor coral by stinging them. You have to be aware of this case when locating corals in your tank. It is recommended to keep them apart by least 6-inch away.

Not only should the placement, the available lighting where they're placed also be taken into account. Bubble coral will be good in the aquarium if you have sufficient light sources beside the tube in the hood, considering to place the coral near the surface would be even better. Bubble coral love slower water movement. Don't place it in any direct current, it will keep coral's vesicles remain closed which will cause it to death in the long run.

As you know, coral is living animal; animal needs to get food, coral needs food too. You can feed a few small pieces to your coral every three days. Place the food morsels on the polyp of the coral. The food will be trapped by the tentacles or among vesicles and will be eaten almost immediately. Not to mention that it does more harm than good if you over feed it. Algae are a pest that may damage or kill your coral. If you do follow up the schedule and clean your tank on a regular basis, the amount of algae will be controlled. Another type of thing that is bad for coral is flatworm. Fortunately, flatworms are not that hard to find, you can see them by your eyes without any trouble. They are circular spots on the coral's vesicles; however, they are not that harmful than algae. You should still keep an eye on when they grow to a large amount, with a big amount of flatworms can hurt your coral as well.

Coral is a wonderful addition to any aquarium. Many people are uninformed as to how to care for this animal. It is advised that you learn all you can about the animal, how it functions and lives before adding it to the aquarium. Once you have the knowledge and can properly care for it, coral will help to create a studding underwater paradise.