The hobbyist idea of "soft corals" refers to the true Soft Corals. The true soft corals consist of many beautiful species that occur in all the colors of the rainbow and come in all sorts of attractive shapes. Soft Corals are quite dynamic in the reef aquarium. Besides being very attractive and colorful, they can change form and create a lively motion. They will expand and deflate their bodies as well as extend and retract their tentacles.
To the hobbyist soft corals are those that lack a hard skeleton, like the hard corals or stony corals. The true soft corals also don't have a tough skin like the Leather Corals. This is basically what we are listing in this section. There are many well known favorites that make great soft corals for beginners. Leather Corals, another group of soft corals, also make great beginner corals.
Besides the well-known varieties, there are hundreds of different types of soft corals. These include Gorgonians and other unique Octocorals like the Blue Coral, Organ Pipe Coral, Green Star Polyps, and the Sea Pens. Each of these beautiful corals will have care requirements that are just as diverse as the animals they are; consequently not all soft corals are easy keepers. It is very important to learn about the species you are keeping for a successful reef aquarium.