SPS Corals

Background Classification All of the hard corals fall under the order, Scleractinia, which falls under the subclass Hexacorallia. Hexacorallia is under the class, Anthozoa, within the phylum, Cnidaria. So, when we talk about SPS coral, some people say, "small polyp stony" coral, while others...

I have often been asked many of these questions, and thought it would be useful to post here. I'm basing my observations and tips here on what I have seen work and not work over the years, what seems to work better in my opinion, and offers the greatest chance of success. There is not a "one...

Mariculture vs Aquaculture Frags: How to Have Success with Maris! While I always think its better to buy aquaculture frags from established tanks as the colors are already mature and you know what you're going to get, getting some mariculture colonies is a nice way to jump start your tank and...

It’s a pretty easy thing to do. Pick up some good looking maricultures, these days the line between consumer, retailer and wholesale's a little fuzzy anyway, so just about anyone can get their hands on a box of Indo's, or maybe a few wild Aussies. Cut them up into nice extra chunky frags...

Hello reefers, So there's been a new type of coral that we've been collecting here at LC. Now this type of coral isn't as popular as say zoanthids, acroporas, or chalices. But oddly enough they still usually carry a high price tag. These corals have very thin layers of tissues that just encrust...

When I first started keeping SPS (small polyped stony) corals, I had done my research. Well, I thought I had, but as it turns out there is always more to learn and SPS corals are not all that forgiving when it comes to learning. It is for this very reason that most reputable retailers will...

The Pearlberry is one of those corals that most people look at and think “It’s soooo beautiful – I’m going to try my hand at keeping SPS!” For sure, this is an inspiring coral – it is one of the most spectacular corals in our system, and we sure do love to stare at it. But as most SPS keepers...

How about a complete reversal of nearly all of the preconceived essential rules to keeping our sps healthy? Now this really isn’t so new a concept, as I’ve been having this conversation with many of you over the years. In fact, so many that I felt it was finally time to just lay this one on...

Acropora secale is buff. It works out. Not like a “10 minutes on the treadmill” kind of work out, either. This coral is one of the most dense that I have ever kept in my system. It is a high-energy, high-output kind of coral. It obviously loves to consume high amounts of calcium and other ions...

Figure 1. A close up look at the author’s “California Tort” (A. tortuosa) showing classic green and blue coloration. Tortuosa are an especially interesting species of Acropora. As SPS lovers have come to know, the variety of color and growth forms in this group of corals perpetually attracts...

Figure 1. A. efflorescens captive colony Last month, I wrote about the thick, fusing branches of Acropora austera. This month, I present another thickly growing SPS, the beautiful A. efflorescens. The “efflo” as is frequently called in the aquarium trade, is a plating coral that is rare by SPS...

We all love Acros! That’s not even like an opinion. It’s a fact…You just do, and if you don’t, you’re lying. End of discussion. Yup. That being said, we sell, and people seem to ask for, lots and lots of “deepwater” Acropora. What is it about them? Their smooth skin, unusual shape, cool...

Are you into rare corals but also like preserving life in the ocean? The Merulina coral, also known as Lettuce, Cabbage, Ridge, or Ruffled Coral, may just be your ticket to preservation! Some species of Merulina coral fall within the Marine Protected Areas. Growing these corals in captivity to...