Why is most advice based on keeping SPS tanks?

[Ocean’s Piece]

Why is a lot of the advice given in this hobby focused on keeping difficult corals like SPS? I find that whenever I'm browsing for advice on YouTube, R2R, etc., I always find advice that is focused on keeping finicky SPS corals.

This is one of many examples but just to pick one, parameters. We all know that SPS are very picky about their parameters and stability. But it's quite the opposite for most softies and some LPS. But we're always told to keep our tanks at these parameters and to keep them super super stable or things are going to die. While this is true for SPS tanks, it's not quite the same for tanks with low-demand corals. This is one of many examples.

I keep mainly LPS and Softies. Whenever I was first starting out, I always received advice that was more geared to keeping SPS-dominated tanks, which is not my tank style. I later realized this and now I realize that I spent way too much time, mental energy, money, etc. on things that I don't need to keep my tank healthy and thriving. There are thousands of tanks with low-demand corals that are successful and don't follow hardly any of the advice given for SPS tanks. Now, I'm not saying that if I keep my tank suited for SPS, and keep LPS and Softies, that it's bad. I just find it is a waste of (what I said above) for me and isn't necessary. I always see people giving new reefers advice on how to keep SPS tanks when their goal may not necessarily be focused on keeping difficult corals.

I want to see how many of you keep SPS in your tanks, so I included a poll. I want to see around what percent of the reefers this SPS-focused advice actually applies to. Do you agree with what I said above? Have you realized this before?

 

[happyhourhero]

I have found that all coral like medium to high light, medium to high flow and phosphates around .15 with nitrates anywhere from 5-25. I just shoot for that and my acros grow and so do my lps and softies. I think good flow is super important.

 

[MnFish1]

IMHO the reason you see more comments/questions, etc - is because some varieties are more difficult to care for than some of the other corals

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

any examples of people giving sps specific tank advise?

There are lots of posts about "what kind of lighting do I need?", the usual forum reply is "what do you intend to keep?".

Another popular question on the forum is "is my tank ready for corals?", and the usual reply is "what kind of corals?", or "depends on what kind of corals".

So I would not really agree that most give advise based on sps tanks. Furthermore, peeps gotta do their own research, should never ever just take someones word for it, especially if its over the internet from someone you dont know. So again, I dont think people are being mislead, people should be doing their own homework anyway

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

any examples of people giving sps specific tank advise?

There are lots of posts about "what kind of lighting do I need?", the usual forum reply is "what do you intend to keep?".

Another popular question on the forum is "is my tank ready for corals?", and the usual reply is "what kind of corals?", or "depends on what kind of corals".

So I would not really agree that most give advise based on sps tanks. Furthermore, peeps gotta do their own research, should never ever just take someones word for it, especially if its over the internet from someone you dont know. So again, I dont think people are being mislead, people should be doing their own homework anyway

I agree with this, this was similar to the types of advice I got. But I guess there's always been a sense of someone saying that something is the best product and it caused me and many others that I have seen to want the best and think that the products that weren't the best were bad. Similar to the salt debate. I don't want to start a fight, but I find that salts are also this way. We're all told by BRS that Tropic Marin is the best. They hardcore promote TM and say that none of the other salts really compare. I believe this is why so many people later down the line move away from Tropic Marin because they realize that other salts do the job as well as TM (there are other factors like supply, but that's not the point I'm shedding light on). I just find that the best of the best equipment is the only thing that people see and hear, so that's why they buy it, even though there's another product that isn't as glorified that may suit their needs better and is cheaper.

**I'm not saying that Tropic Marin is a bad salt, quite the opposite. I'm just saying that it isn't necessary compared to salts like IO purple bucket and such for certain reefers.

 

[davidcalgary29]

SPS generally requires high water quality and decent lighting for it to thrive. Those are conditions which can support most organisms kept in home aquaria, so it's a good standard to maintain for all life, and not just SPS. And in reality, very few people want to keep dedicated mushroom tanks with hardy damselfish, so I find nothing wrong in starting with baseline advice for incorporating SPS int a build -- most of end up with a frag or two at some point.

 

[Tidal Gardens Verified Sponsor]

I think you hear that more often because generally if you can keep SPS then everything else will do fine as well.

 

[fish farmer]

Why is a lot of the advice given in this hobby focused on keeping difficult corals like SPS? I find that whenever I'm browsing for advice on YouTube, R2R, etc., I always find advice that is focused on keeping finicky SPS corals.

This is one of many examples but just to pick one, parameters. We all know that SPS are very picky about their parameters and stability. But it's quite the opposite for most softies and some LPS. But we're always told to keep our tanks at these parameters and to keep them super super stable or things are going to die. While this is true for SPS tanks, it's not quite the same for tanks with low-demand corals. This is one of many examples.

I keep mainly LPS and Softies. Whenever I was first starting out, I always received advice that was more geared to keeping SPS-dominated tanks, which is not my tank style. I later realized this and now I realize that I spent way too much time, mental energy, money, etc. on things that I don't need to keep my tank healthy and thriving. There are thousands of tanks with low-demand corals that are successful and don't follow hardly any of the advice given for SPS tanks. Now, I'm not saying that if I keep my tank suited for SPS, and keep LPS and Softies, that it's bad. I just find it is a waste of (what I said above) for me and isn't necessary. I always see people giving new reefers advice on how to keep SPS tanks when their goal may not necessarily be focused on keeping difficult corals.

I want to see how many of you keep SPS in your tanks, so I included a poll. I want to see around what percent of the reefers this SPS-focused advice actually applies to. Do you agree with what I said above? Have you realized this before?

I see where you are coming from. I felt the same way when I reentered the online community in 2017 and noticed SPS was an obtainable goal, plenty of incredible mixed reefs or SPS dominant reefs. When I started in 2000 we were trading xenia, zoas and leather frags. Occasionally you would find a local who had figured out SPS and get a frag you could try.

The advances in equipment, knowledge and actual live product makes any dream a reality if you put forth the effort.

I feel many times advice given is, "you might as well think about spending for your big tank now or your sps dream tank, you will eventually want that."

FWIW, I have mostly softies and LPS, but still have gear like a skimmer, ATO, chaeto fuge, kalk doser and still struggle with easy sps.

 

[GARRIGA]

I'm running an experiment so I can make my hobby more enjoyable and less hands in the tank. Fact is. I really prefer mushrooms. Yet I know that if parameters kept to SPS standards (outside of lighting) then mushrooms will thrive. Striving to maintain uptimum conditions shouldn't prevent one from keeping easier but does help if later that affection for mushrooms turns to sticks. Necessary equipment easier to get at start and not fully utilized then having to add it later. Plus one gets to practice maintaining proper husbandry and parameters. Life changes. Best be prepared for it sooner than later. Therefore welcome all the contributions to improving our water to keep the most finicky to the most simplistic.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I see where you are coming from. I felt the same way when I reentered the online community in 2017 and noticed SPS was an obtainable goal, plenty of incredible mixed reefs or SPS dominant reefs. When I started in 2000 we were trading xenia, zoas and leather frags. Occasionally you would find a local who had figured out SPS and get a frag you could try.

The advances in equipment, knowledge and actual live product makes any dream a reality if you put forth the effort.

I feel many times advice given is, "you might as well think about spending for your big tank now or your sps dream tank, you will eventually want that."

FWIW, I have mostly softies and LPS, but still have gear like a skimmer, ATO, chaeto fuge, kalk doser and still struggle with easy sps.

That's exactly what I mean. I tell my dad, who used to do reefing in the 2000s, about my struggles, and he just says I overcomplicate it. His tank was successful. Mine is too. There are a million ways to run a tank.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I'm running an experiment so I can make my hobby more enjoyable and less hands in the tank. Fact is. I really prefer mushrooms. Yet I know that if parameters kept to SPS standards (outside of lighting) then mushrooms will thrive. Striving to maintain uptimum conditions shouldn't prevent one from keeping easier but does help if later that affection for mushrooms turns to sticks. Necessary equipment easier to get at start and not fully utilized then having to add it later. Plus one gets to practice maintaining proper husbandry and parameters. Life changes. Best be prepared for it sooner than later. Therefore welcome all the contributions to improving our water to keep the most finicky to the most simplistic.

Mushrooms are great. I personally don't like Acropora, or really any sticks of death. I think the only SPS I sorta like is montipora, and maybe birdsnest. But I don't think I would put them in my tank. There are still a lot of people who just want to run tanks with easy corals, and I feel like some people make this hobby look more daunting than it really is to newcomers who just want to keep basic corals. Seems like now, everyone is just thrown into one SPS aimed category of "do this" to keep a thriving reef tank, but in reality, that methodology really isn't needed to keep a thriving reef tank with easy corals.

 

[Dan_P]

Why is a lot of the advice given in this hobby focused on keeping difficult corals like SPS? I find that whenever I'm browsing for advice on YouTube, R2R, etc., I always find advice that is focused on keeping finicky SPS corals.

This is one of many examples but just to pick one, parameters. We all know that SPS are very picky about their parameters and stability. But it's quite the opposite for most softies and some LPS. But we're always told to keep our tanks at these parameters and to keep them super super stable or things are going to die. While this is true for SPS tanks, it's not quite the same for tanks with low-demand corals. This is one of many examples.

I keep mainly LPS and Softies. Whenever I was first starting out, I always received advice that was more geared to keeping SPS-dominated tanks, which is not my tank style. I later realized this and now I realize that I spent way too much time, mental energy, money, etc. on things that I don't need to keep my tank healthy and thriving. There are thousands of tanks with low-demand corals that are successful and don't follow hardly any of the advice given for SPS tanks. Now, I'm not saying that if I keep my tank suited for SPS, and keep LPS and Softies, that it's bad. I just find it is a waste of (what I said above) for me and isn't necessary. I always see people giving new reefers advice on how to keep SPS tanks when their goal may not necessarily be focused on keeping difficult corals.

I want to see how many of you keep SPS in your tanks, so I included a poll. I want to see around what percent of the reefers this SPS-focused advice actually applies to. Do you agree with what I said above? Have you realized this before?

For me, I give my critters the best water I can, whether they tolerate something else or not. Of course I don’t fuss much with alkalinity and calcium and let PO4 drift up.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

Why is a lot of the advice given in this hobby focused on keeping difficult corals like SPS? I find that whenever I'm browsing for advice on YouTube, R2R, etc., I always find advice that is focused on keeping finicky SPS corals.

This is one of many examples but just to pick one, parameters. We all know that SPS are very picky about their parameters and stability. But it's quite the opposite for most softies and some LPS. But we're always told to keep our tanks at these parameters and to keep them super super stable or things are going to die. While this is true for SPS tanks, it's not quite the same for tanks with low-demand corals. This is one of many examples.

I keep mainly LPS and Softies. Whenever I was first starting out, I always received advice that was more geared to keeping SPS-dominated tanks, which is not my tank style. I later realized this and now I realize that I spent way too much time, mental energy, money, etc. on things that I don't need to keep my tank healthy and thriving. There are thousands of tanks with low-demand corals that are successful and don't follow hardly any of the advice given for SPS tanks. Now, I'm not saying that if I keep my tank suited for SPS, and keep LPS and Softies, that it's bad. I just find it is a waste of (what I said above) for me and isn't necessary. I always see people giving new reefers advice on how to keep SPS tanks when their goal may not necessarily be focused on keeping difficult corals.

I want to see how many of you keep SPS in your tanks, so I included a poll. I want to see around what percent of the reefers this SPS-focused advice actually applies to. Do you agree with what I said above? Have you realized this before?

I have a separate tank for each type of coral. Much easier to keep. They all have different parameters.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I think if you look at your poll you will find the answer. Most people seem to have some.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I think if you look at your poll you will find the answer. Most people seem to have some.

That's what it was created for . Just wanted to see where everyone was at. But it's undeniable that there are some reefers that don't want to keep those types of tanks. Guess we're somewhat unconventional but I think that those reefers, especially new ones, should know that there are easier ways to run a tank.

 

[Ghost25]

SPS = difficult is quite an oversimplification. Many SPS are quite hardy (montipora, stylophora, pocillopora, pavona etc.)

It's not very difficult to get to the point of growing many soft corals like zoas and mushrooms. So most people don't need lots of help keeping zoas. Once they're alive they rarely melt, unlike across which can be fine for months then RTN or STN.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

I mean you should always try to keep your water in parameters where all corals can survive, its best for all the inhabitants. Just cause some softies can survive at 50+ppm of nitrates doesnt mean its good for the tank. Lighting and flow should be based on what corals you plan on keeping.

 

[GARRIGA]

Mushrooms are great. I personally don't like Acropora, or really any sticks of death. I think the only SPS I sorta like is montipora, and maybe birdsnest. But I don't think I would put them in my tank. There are still a lot of people who just want to run tanks with easy corals, and I feel like some people make this hobby look more daunting than it really is to newcomers who just want to keep basic corals. Seems like now, everyone is just thrown into one SPS aimed category of "do this" to keep a thriving reef tank, but in reality, that methodology really isn't needed to keep a thriving reef tank with easy corals.

I'm running my test tank without sump, skimmer or nutrient export. I'm doing everything I'm not supposed to do. Confident I can keep mushrooms and with proper lighting I can add sticks. Only concern is PH still not over 7.9 but in a display with more room that wouldn't be an issue. At the moment I have no problem keeping nitrates under 5 ppm or phosphates near undetectable and I feed heavily. Fish only but the parameters arent that hard to keep with dosing and my alkalinity is solved based on type of filtration employed. However, to keep sticks I will need to automate dosing and add an ATO to stabilize salinity.

I honestly don't think there's much that separates going all out and just sitting back and enjoying. We are maintaining water. Solve that and life thrives. With today's equipment it's not difficult to put the tank on autopilot and enjoy what you want from lovely mushrooms to "is it going to die" sticks. Always been about maintaining water. Which we had dosing and controllers when I started. Did have kalk and that worked. Going to employ it once I get something in the test tank to consume my alkalinity. will be incorporated into my DT. Old school sometimes the easiest path too.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I'm running my test tank without sump, skimmer or nutrient export. I'm doing everything I'm not supposed to do. Confident I can keep mushrooms and with proper lighting I can add sticks. Only concern is PH still not over 7.9 but in a display with more room that wouldn't be an issue. At the moment I have no problem keeping nitrates under 5 ppm or phosphates near undetectable and I feed heavily. Fish only but the parameters arent that hard to keep with dosing and my alkalinity is solved based on type of filtration employed. However, to keep sticks I will need to automate dosing and add an ATO to stabilize salinity.

I honestly don't think there's much that separates going all out and just sitting back and enjoying. We are maintaining water. Solve that and life thrives. With today's equipment it's not difficult to put the tank on autopilot and enjoy what you want from lovely mushrooms to "is it going to die" sticks. Always been about maintaining water. Which we had dosing and controllers when I started. Did have kalk and that worked. Going to employ it once I get something in the test tank to consume my alkalinity. will be incorporated into my DT. Old school sometimes the easiest path too.

Do you have a build thread for that tank? It seems very interesting. And agree on your last sentence for sure.

 

[GARRIGA]

Do you have a build thread for that tank? It seems very interesting. And agree on your last sentence for sure.

Haven’t found the time. It’s going to be a lengthy write up. Was thinking of putting it in the experiment section but might just link it there to the build.

Been working on this theory for 40 years. I honestly feel I’ve finally figured it out and it was always about flow as I had assumed and contact time. Plus a few more details I picked up along the way. Once I get some coralline algae it should really take off