Coral is a sea invertebrate that has been used for centuries for decorative purposes. Whether living or dead, coral is unmatched in its immense variety of shapes, colors, and forms, and its stark beauty. Today, coral is widely used in aquariums, in jewelry, even as a home decoration. Two main categories of aquarium coral exist: decorative coral and living coral. Decorative coral is basically dead coral. It is this coral with which most of us are familiar, as it is the traditional coral of choice for aquariums. Decorative coral comes in many shapes and colors and can commonly be found in aquarium supply and tropical fish stores. Besides periodic cleaning, it requires very little maintenance.

Decorative and Living CoralSince decorative coral is no longer living, when placed inside the environment of the aquarium, it doesn't actively contribute to the ecosystem. This is another reason why it's called decorative coral--because it is not functional. Living coral, however, does interact with the aquatic community in which it is placed. Incorporating living coral into aquariums is a relatively new development, indicative of the growing environmental awareness among aquarium enthusiasts. Living coral requires more maintenance and planning than decorative coral, because just like fish and other living marine life, it has specific survival needs. For example, an excess of food and fish wastes, as well as low levels of waterborne toxins, can prove fatal to living coral. Thus, anyone who invests in living coral must be prepared to provide an extremely clean aquatic environment. There are some popular coral colonies that can be found on eBay: Ancanthastrea, Zoanthids, and Ricordia coral colonies are often listed for sale.