"I am not ready for SPS corals, I am only able to keep LPS corals in my tank since I am new to reefing. Do you have a Holy Grail Torch?"
This may sound familiar - a lot of beginning aquarists are under impression that LPS corals are easy and SPS corals are hard, after all they are literally called "hard corals". From my 15+ years of keeping and growing corals and having seen literally thousands of aquariums nothing could be further from the truth. Many LPS are finicky and you also get to expose yourself to some species specific diseases that can literally wipe out the whole class of corals.
It is true that most LPS can be a lot more forgiving of higher nutrients in the water, but so can be many SPS. Let's dive right in.
SPS - Small Polyp Stony corals have a defined skeleton composed carbonate, calcium and other elements and don't sway in the flow, what they lack in "movement" they make up with their shapes and exceptional colors. You get every color imaginable and every color combination. For SPS in a reef aquarium we are primarily considering three main families of corals: acropora, anacropora and montipora.
Montipora is the easiest and most forgiving, you get vibrant greens, purples, reds and yellow colors in branching, encrusting or plating formations. They grow fast and can handle a variety of lighting and flow conditions, preferring medium to low light and flow. There are many varieties to choose from and most are inexpensive compared to other SPS.
Anacropora is slightly harder to keep with significantly lesser variety, while some are easy and hardy, they would not be the first coral to choose for a beginner.
Finally, Acropora is the king of the domain and stems a whole range of levels of hardiness. The rule of thumb is the more expensive it is the more finicky and harder they are to keep. Majority of corals in this hobby are propagated, the faster it grows and easier it is to keep alive the more of it will be available and thus the cheaper it will be. Green Slimer acropora is ubiquitous and can survive almost everywhere, while Walt Disney acropora that costs ten times as much is not a good choice for anyone other than an experienced reefer.
It is now a lot easier to keep SPS because a reputable aqua culture facility would have conditioned the coral to tank conditions and made sure to eliminate pests that could slowly eat at the coral.
If you are ready to keep SPS, try to follow the following guidelines: medium flow and medium light setup, try to keep parameters close to the following ranges (apps like AquaticLog can help you with this): Alkalinity 8-9 dKH, Calcium 450 ppm, Magnesium 1350 ppm. It is important to have both Phosphate and Nitrate in the water column (0.2 ppm and 10 ppm respectively). We recommend Hanna test kits.
Here are the perfect 5 corals to start with.
Very easy coral that adds one of the most vibrant shades of green into your tank. It forms beautiful branches and grows extremely fast. The reason it is called a slimer is because if you take it out of the water it will start forming harmless slime that makes it quite unique amongst other SPS corals. Can handle a variety of tank conditions but prefers medium light and flow.
Another branching and fast growing variety of a rich blue color. Extremely forgiving and hardy coral. Can handle a variety of conditions.
How about a splash of red in your tank? This is a montipora coral that is robust and grows like weed, which is a good problem to have for a beginner reefer. Keep in mind that montipora is a bit more brittle than acropora, so if you break a piece you can easily reglue it and this will only add to the look of the colony. Medium to low light and flow.
Your first multi-colour coral - a stunning combination of blue, yellow and green. It can candle a variety of conditions and the more light you give it the brighter and nicer it will look.
Two-color coral with a very unique smooth skin branching formation. It can handle a variety of conditions but be careful when dipping the coral, these deepwater corals prefer a shorter or milder dip. Once established in the tank they will reward you with fast growth and bright yellow tips.
Hopefully now you have a much better understanding of your options when it comes to hard (think hardy!) corals and are going to take a chance on them. If you happen to live in Canada, Treasure Corals does overnight shipping all across Canada that is fast and reliable.
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