Corals for beginners

[MagReef]

In general what are some corals that would be considered for beginners/hardy? Also considering my setup below?

I have a 75 gallon tank with Orbit 520 watt PC. I have a bubble coral, (which I don't think is going to make it), zooanthids, and green star polyps.

[MDeth]

Zoos and Palys, Mushrooms, Ricordea Mushrooms, Leathers

Acanthastrea, blastomussa, micromussa are also relatively easy, but require feeding every 2nd or 3rd day.

[nemo79]

Leathers - not yellow ones. mushrooms, zoo's.

[MagReef]

How about frogspawn? Is that okay for the set up I have. I am on my second bubble coral. If the one I have doesn't make it, I don't think I will get another one. My water checks good, but for some reason, I haven't had such good luck with the bubble coral. Neither have ever opened like they did in the store. (that's a different thread)

[MDeth]

All of the euphillia (sp) Hammers, Torch, Frogspawn can do well under correct lighting, but you MUST ensure you get a good specimen. My hammer died from unkown causes.

Pretty much ALL corals are easy when you know the care requirements for them.

^Saying that...id stay away from Goniopora (flowerpot coral). Their care isnt known, and they typically (90%) don't thrive or live in captivity.

And how old is the tank if I may ask? Typically bubbles and other corals with a skeleton that they retract their polyps dont do well in underestablished tanks.

[MagReef]

Well its a bit of drama when it comes to how long the tank has been set up. We actually started in a 125 gallon. It sprung a leak so we fixed it. Leaked again, I said its out of the house this time!!!! It had been set up several months. So we switched everything from it into the 75 gallon we have now in about October of 2006. Well, since then we had MAJOR trial and error, lol. We got a LTA and BTA and we had several other fish: Yellow tang, blue tang, cole tang, royal gamma, pair saddle clowns, pair oscellaris clowns, diamond goby, algae blenny, 6 line wrasse, and a scat. Well the LTA started to die off and I loved it so much that I did not want to believe that it was dying and thought that I could SAVE it (BIGGGG mistake). Well, it went behind rocks and died, I found days later, I think. Well, chain reaction, my BTA then began to die off and it's clownfish left it. And, EVERYTHING in the tank died except the yellow tang and the 6 line wrasse. That was about 3 months ago. We did not get rid of our old stuff, just cleaned everything up and this time are going really slow.

We decided to go with a more coral based tank than fish. So, now we just have the pair of gobies, 6 line wrasse, yellow tang, scooter blenny, and algae blenny. We want to get another tang and I am getting a pair of saddle clowns for my saddle carpet and then that will be it.

The bubble coral is my favorite but in the mix of all this drama, I have had two die. My saddle clowns are supposed to be in today. Under "coral health" I've had a little issue with my bubble coral but just for the record I think it's gonna make it. I saw several little bubbles emerging last night.

[Jason McKenzie]

So you lighting is Metal Halides and PC. So you have the lighting needed to support the Bubble or hammer or Frogspawn. So there is another factor contributing to the deaths of your corals.
What are your Nirate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Calcium, Alk, Mag levels? Temp SG, PH?

J