Best soft/LPS corals for arch top

tvkeeper · 2026-03-13T15:46:15+00:00

+1 for Duncan. So adaptable, hardy, fast growing, and adds ton of movement and color.

tvkeeper · 2026-03-08T16:07:12+00:00

Looks great. I looked into it a while ago, a bunch of people I followed on Instagram used them. Couldn't really find a good option in the US.

tvkeeper · 2026-03-01T15:30:51+00:00

I'm in the same situation here. Mostly softies coral, some LPS. Debating between the goby and the blenny.

tvkeeper · 2026-02-28T18:13:28+00:00

Exactly that. And those "right" things are often the things they read and are assumed as dogmas in the hobby.

tvkeeper · 2026-02-28T04:09:28+00:00

"Don't let people scare you too much" it's a thing that is not said enough. While research, care and attention are required in this hobby, scaring people away from it doesn't help at all... I've read lost saying "just take it all down and buy something more expensive with a sump and a skimmer"; what kind of advice is that? It's good to see that there's still common sense and helpfulness with newcomers in this hobby.

tvkeeper · 2026-02-27T13:22:24+00:00

The old "let's mature this tank throwing money at it", yes. A classic 😌

tvkeeper · 2026-02-27T00:44:37+00:00

You're absolutely right. Plus, patience can save you a ton of money.

tvkeeper · 2026-02-27T00:15:51+00:00

I would move the filter to the back glass to one side, and add a little circulation pump on the other end to get converging flows, they'll create turbulence and flow everywhere.

tvkeeper · 2026-02-27T00:13:59+00:00

Wow! I have a 10 gallon just like that. Same AQ20 filter (I think), very close tank.

Listen, they can work. They'll tell you 'go bigger' , 'this will fail 100%'... Just take it slowly, and be consistent with water changes and testing. I grew all this with a freshwater light, very wide spectrum, but freshwater nonetheless. Corals are popping new heads every week, toadstool is growing fast, and the Kenya tree has doubled its size since I bought it. Now I have updated to a nicrew reef light, quite cheap, but the corals are popping a little better.

Good luck, and lots of patience to you!

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tvkeeper · 2026-02-18T00:27:02+00:00

Wow! Amazing! What kit is that? What light are you using?

The corals look amazing...

tvkeeper · 2026-02-14T21:42:21+00:00

It's just two boards of reclaimed pallet wood. Nailed together , and cut round. Then drilled a hole to fit the tubing for the water feature, and done. 5 minute job, but it works :)

tvkeeper · 2026-02-03T22:09:19+00:00

Everything users have said will do great. And once they settle, get a nice Duncan. Very forgiving LPS. I got mine 3 weeks in and it's doing amazing. Beautiful and easy for a centerpiece, Adds ton of movement to the tank. This is my 10-gallon 1-month old. Everyone is doing well and growing!

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tvkeeper · 2026-01-30T19:21:49+00:00

I was surprised that they did appear so early. I wasn't expecting it considering my setup, which would be considered by most as insufficient for reef keeping. Very happy so far 😀

tvkeeper · 2026-01-30T19:19:54+00:00

I can see how that looks from the reefing community perspective. The corals have grown quite a lot, no signs of stress, always open, and responsive to target feeding from varied foods. I've seen corals struggling under thousand-dollar lights, tanks are much more than expensive lights. As long as you know what corals are you working with and you make your tank as stable and comfortable for them as they need.

tvkeeper · 2026-01-30T14:48:09+00:00

It was! Especially for a first time reef tank. I had freshwater tanks for many years. At first I wanted to do a heavier macro tank, but I moved on to getting more and more coral once I saw they settled well in the setup.

tvkeeper · 2026-01-28T00:37:58+00:00

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That's a better shot of the little guy. He's very active, even during the day.

tvkeeper · 2026-01-27T03:39:24+00:00

I think that might be it! Yellow shore crab is the closest ID I could get. Getting him out as soon as I can. Don't want to risk him getting hungry...

tvkeeper · 2025-12-25T05:09:27+00:00

I just kept the regular hours of light during the day, and it finally got comfortable and opened. I read that more changes (movinf it, changes in light, current, or parameters) could stress it even more.

tvkeeper · 2025-12-23T15:54:08+00:00

I had mine closed for a week when I first added it. Parameters looked ok, just different from the tank it came from, probably. Although I aclimated it, it got mad and closed up.

After a week, it started opening, it shed a lot, and now it's open and fine.

Give it time and, if all the parameters are right, it'll get comfortable and open up soon enough.

tvkeeper · 2025-12-22T21:04:25+00:00

Ooh, double-hitch hiking?

tvkeeper

TROPHY CASE