Corals are special living animals. Many people think corals are just rocks, but they are living. They have the same basic need for air, food, sun, and water as any other animal.

Corals are invertebrates that are in symbiosis with an algae "that means they exchange nutrients or other services with one another in order for both to survive". They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some resemble trees with leafless branches. Some look like mushrooms. Some remind us of human brains. The list goes on and on. Regardless of what they appear to be, they are usually fixtures on rocks.

A Coral is a living marine invertebrate that we also refer to as a coral polyp or a polyp. It is also the limestone skeleton that some coral species have and leave behind when they die.

Corals with a hard internal structure, are called "hard corals", and those without hard structure are called "soft corals." Hard corals have six or multiples of six tentacles around their mouths, whereas soft corals possess eight. Despite the appearance dissimilarities, both hard corals and soft corals have the same anatomy.

Most soft corals contain the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae within their bodies, and receive nutrients from the algae when exposed to high light levels. Members of the genus Dendronephthya do not contain zooxanthellae, and require the supplemental feeding of micro foods designed for filter-feeding invertebrates.

Soft corals benefit from the addition of calcium, strontium, and iodine, along with trace elements, to promote growth and maintain the health of the specimen.