SPS Coral

Short Poly Stoney (SPS) Coral

What is an SPS
SPS corals have small polyps on a hard skeleton and are generally considered more difficult to keep than the LPS or soft corals.

How to Care
Moderate to intense lighting, good / strong random flow and clean stable water quality are keys with SPS coral.

Maintaining the right level of MG, Ca, and Kh is very important
When properly cared for, SPS coral can grow rather quickly.
Include branching plating and encrusting varieties
Strategic use of amino acid may be beneficial
Placement mid tank or higher

For the most part, SPS corals require fairly strong light. High power reef LEDs, metal halide and T5 lights are generally used to grow these corals. According to Borneman, 12 hours on and 12 hours off is a pretty straightforward recommendation for most lighting systems.

Care = Easy
Aggressiveness = Low
NOTE: They may however be fast growing and can at time overtake nearby corals simply by growing over them
Lighting = Moderate
NOTE: Some specimens can be prone to bleaching under excess, or sometimes just new, lighting conditions. Acclimate carefully for best results
Flow = Moderate / High
Placement = Low / Mid
Water = Most are not only tolerant of ‘dirty’ water but may exhibit better growth under such conditions where they can absorb some nutrients directly from the water.

Types for Beginners