Why do YOU like SPS?

[Blumy]

Because SPS looks like the reefs I have seen in my travels. No fancy aquascape, pile of live rock with caves and hiding spots with SPS fanning out across every flat surface. I have no idea where the softies come from but have never seen one in nature. Zoas and such grow like weeds and take over your tank so you couldn’t add anything if you wanted to.

 

[Midrats]

What's not to like? They are plagued by every pest in the book. They die if you look at them the wrong way. Booger-sized frags with stupid names sell for even more stupid prices. Any "civilian" looking at the tank will pass right over those expensive SPS without mention and instead be dazzled by the star polyps. My wife actually cried when I told her that the new tank would be bare bottom, and that it would be SPS.

I buy them for the same reason I buy British and Italian cars: the challenge. It's so rewarding to put on my hi vis vest and get under the hood on the side of the interstate. I also would never be caught dead in the Sinularia of automobiles: a Honda.

 

[ScottB]

What's not to like? They are plagued by every pest in the book. They die if you look at them the wrong way. Booger-sized frags with stupid names sell for even more stupid prices. Any "civilian" looking at the tank will pass right over those expensive SPS without mention and instead be dazzled by the star polyps. My wife actually cried when I told her that the new tank would be bare bottom, and that it would be SPS.

I buy them for the same reason I buy British and Italian cars: the challenge. It's so rewarding to put on my hi vis vest and get under the hood on the side of the interstate. I also would never be caught dead in the Sinularia of automobiles, a Honda.

British and Italian cars? Lordy, you really are a glutton for punishment.

That said, when a modern car "breaks down", nothing you can do but throw up your hands and call a tow.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Soft corals and LPS add movement with their soft bodies and tentacles, while SPS are stiff. SPS are harder to care for as well.

As someone who never tried SPS: Why do you like them over the faster-growing counterparts?

 

[Miami Reef]

Wow! How do you get that polyp extension?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Wow! How do you get that polyp extension?

Uhhh
Probably from my “wrong” method approach. I don’t worry about no3/Po4, alk or big 3 swings, icp, chemicals to help this or that. Just make sure they’re pest free, blast them led’s, high ph, medium flow, and plenty of fish poop….. oh…and no Angel fish.

 

[acropora4u]

sps are very very hard to keep and grow succesfully.. as someone with all the high end gear - i still struggle with sps in a well established tank.

 

[KevinC]

Rather than liking sps, I think I lost so much money, in a sense tuition, on keeping acropora that it’s too late for me to quit

 

[Doctor Derp]

I grew a really beautiful master scoly once to like a foot and a half - we are talking like all of the colors (almost) where a 3" one would be many hundreds of dollars. Nobody had room or wanted it, even for free. Tried to frag it and it all died... and I really did my homework and took my time... I am not an idiot and have reefed a lot in my life. This really hurt me and I felt like I let it down (which is crazy, I know). While it can suck to break up a foot wide acro colony, you at least have hope of new beginnings with the fragments.

This is probably my biggest reason for SPS. I don't keep any corals that I can't reproduce in some way. There are some gorgeous LPS varieties out there, but I just can't do it. Maybe I'll try spawning them one day. SPS and fish keep my mind occupied to a level I enjoy.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Hey

Soft corals and LPS add movement with their soft bodies and tentacles, while SPS are stiff. SPS are harder to care for as well.

As someone who never tried SPS: Why do you like them over the faster-growing counterparts?

I like them because they have great colors and they grow fast. I feel like once a tank is in good shape, sps grow really fast (faster than lps).

 

[FishTruck]

Like others have said, filling a big tank with LPS is a matter of buying a ton of expensive coral and then replacing the colonies periodically when stuff happens. SPS become immortal and do a better job of filling and keeping full a large tank. For something in the 55 gallon range though or smaller, I would totally do an LPS tank.

 

[Hydrored]

Like @Midrats said, only because I’m a gluten for punishment. Wife reminds me all the time

 

[ScottB]

Wow! How do you get that polyp extension?

Yeah, he clearly does it all wrong. I can't figure it out. Here is a pic of Matt V psycho asylum that he sent me. This is straight out of the shipping box, no joke. In my system it is growing fine, but not a polyp to be seen.

 

[Miami Reef]

Yeah, he clearly does it all wrong. I can't figure it out. Here is a pic of Matt V psycho asylum that he sent me. This is straight out of the shipping box, no joke. In my system it is growing fine, but not a polyp to be seen.

Do you keep angel fish/SPS nippers?

 

[Miami Reef]

Uhhh
Probably from my “wrong” method approach. I don’t worry about no3/Po4, alk or big 3 swings, icp, chemicals to help this or that. Just make sure they’re pest free, blast them led’s, high ph, medium flow, and plenty of fish poop….. oh…and no Angel fish.

Do you do water changes?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Do you do water changes?

Yes. Probably about 25% monthly.

 

[Miami Reef]

Yes. Probably about 25% monthly.

What levels do you keep your phosphates and alk? I really want to know because I’m so inspired by you! What salt mix do you use?

 

[ScottB]

Do you keep angel fish/SPS nippers?

In my display, yes but my frag tank is not much better and there are suspect fish in there.

 

[Miami Reef]

In my display, yes but my frag tank is not much better and there are suspect fish in there.

What are the types of fish you keep in your frag and display? Specifically?

I’m turning a FOWLR into an SPS tank and I need to know which fish are reoccurring SPS pickers from people that has experience with them!

 

[shakacuz]

i like SPS because of the growth pattern. i keep bonsai as a hobby (2x ficus religiosa still growing out before training) and this is my indirect (or perhaps direct) way of having "bonsai" in my reef - so much that i have a GARF Bonsai, and BC Bonsai humi in my DT!