are SPS reefs the way do go now??

[ca1ore]

I haven’t bought any LPS in a while - mostly just trade these days - so I wouldn’t know about the prices. I don’t have a lot of patience for ‘fads’ ..... just wait a bit and it’ll change. Go with whatever tank you want. I was recently looking at the few pictures I have of my reef tanks back in 1990; one was a softie tank and it looked really nice. I don’t have life bandwidth (mostly flagging motivation) for another tank right now, but if I did: softies!

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I wouldn't consider acro tanks to be inexpensive, at least not the acros I buy. The reason I went with an acro tank is the difficulty level. I've been keeping reef tanks for almost 40 years and acros are IMO the most difficult, therefor the most rewarding when you can grow them right and get nice colors.

 

[JLynn]

I think part of it is that you get a lot more crazy color variants with LPS. Like there are some rainbow SPS, sure, and those ones go for crazy prices. But most SPS are one or two colors. Beautiful, but nothing like say, a rainbow Symphillia. You know? You get a lot more wild colors and patterns on LPS so more of them will go for crazy high prices than SPS, which tend to have more tame coloration.

 

[hart24601]

I would say you’re right. Locally there are plenty of sps from people in the hobby, they grow fast and easy to frag. Most of the sps I see are aquacultured. While most lps are wild and grow much slower, although there are exceptions of course. I would suspect lps to keep increasing in price while legacy Ora corals and the such (birdsnests) keep dropping.

 

[oldbob50]

Cost of livestock is only part of the overall cost of a reef. Prices will very as demand and supply does. The most expensive animal in my tank was $75. I have 1 elegance, 2 candies, 5 Acans, 1 frogspan, 1 hammer, 3 recordia, 1 blue zenia, 1 green polyp, 1 condi nem, 4 different Zoa colonies. Softies and LPS don't require as much monitoring equipment. So an SPS tank with picky corals would still be as expensive if not more than an LPS tank. Either way, there is a real cost to this hobby.

If you have to have the best, the lastest or the most fashionable then it is going to cost you. I buy what I like, build what I can and wait for sales on whats on my wish list. Still looking for a bright blue Zoa colony.

 

[Devaji]

I think part of it is that you get a lot more crazy color variants with LPS. Like there are some rainbow SPS, sure, and those ones go for crazy prices. But most SPS are one or two colors. Beautiful, but nothing like say, a rainbow Symphillia. You know? You get a lot more wild colors and patterns on LPS so more of them will go for crazy high prices than SPS, which tend to have more tame coloration.

yeah that is why I love LPS over sticks. they are either fluffy or flowy and have nice colors

heck I even like some softies...
with a big tank to fill up it;s gonna tank a while for it to look full with the prices these days. maybe i'll get lucky and a big sale.

i think i'll try to few stick like the green slimmer, but after thinging about it I just love LPS way more...

 

[Heabel7]

The reason I went with an acro tank is the difficulty level. acros are IMO the most difficult, therefor the most rewarding when you can grow them right and get nice colors.

100% agree I started with lps/softies because it moved and was kinda majestic in the tank. Then I read some forums, watched some videos, talked to some store owners. All said only the best have SPS. Changed my mind on the whole thing. I love my sps. My family and visitors love the motion and don’t get why I have the sticks. It’s the challenge. Are they cheaper? Not if your comparing apples to apples.
On a side note, although they still require more care, all the advancements in equipment have made sps care much easier.

 

[C. Eymann]

I wouldn't consider acro tanks to be inexpensive, at least not the acros I buy. The reason I went with an acro tank is the difficulty level. I've been keeping reef tanks for almost 40 years and acros are IMO the most difficult, therefor the most rewarding when you can grow them right and get nice colors.

Exactly this ^^^ I kept my first brown Acropora "rescued" from a LFS back in 2002, I had a 58gal lit with a 175w halide and 2 power compacts. Flow wise I was using several maxijets and Rio powerheads "fighting" eachother to produce random water movement, because as a
highschooler I couldn't afford a $450 Tunze (the only wave pump available the time)
Seeing the first signs of growth and general happiness of my first Acropora was one of the most gratifying feelings I have ever experienced in the hobby.

 

[Devaji]

100% agree I started with lps/softies because it moved and was kinda majestic in the tank. Then I read some forums, watched some videos, talked to some store owners. All said only the best have SPS. Changed my mind on the whole thing. I love my sps. My family and visitors love the motion and don’t get why I have the sticks. It’s the challenge. Are they cheaper? Not if your comparing apples to apples.
On a side note, although they still require more care, all the advancements in equipment have made sps care much easier.

I totally get why some reefers like the challenge. But if I am honest, for me it's the feeling tone i get from a nice aquarium something about movement, size, shapes, color and flow in a mix reef heavily towards LPS nice softies with a few sticks mixed in makes the WOW factor for me.

glad I know that even with a nice SPS I think It would still be lacking something for ME.

 

[Heabel7]

I’m mixed, left 25% is all moving, right side sps. And I have my bubble tip area for my clowns. Gotta have clowns in a reef tank. Nemo is the first thing every kid and adult wants to see 1st.

 

[Devaji]

I’m mixed, left 25% is all moving, right side sps. And I have my bubble tip area for my clowns. Gotta have clowns in a reef tank. Nemo is the first thing every kid and adult wants to see 1st.

mind posting a pic of your reef? that is an interesting thought to have sides..

 

[Bob Weigant]

I have an sps dominant tank and now in the process of converting my FO to an LPS dominant reef. I see what you mean on the pricing. It has gone way way up but I do still see many tank breakdowns so thats always a good place to look

 

[Heabel7]

mind posting a pic of your reef? that is an interesting thought to have sides..

It’s not the newest, and a work in progress but you can see where it’s going. Wish I had something that’s eats zoas. I have them popping up on the other side of the tank where they have never been. All things soft were bought when I started up to about 2 years ago when I switched to sps only. This is about 4 months ago. Feel like I’m running out of space. So only looking for select acros nowadays.

 

[SliceGolfer]

You could look for LFSs that have online coral sales and shipping. One shop local to me has a live sale every Friday night. They post on FB, comment mine on the item, and ship or local pick up. They are primarily LPS with good prices.

(Hoping I didn‘t break any rules here, not intentionally advertising)

 

[Devaji]

You could look for LFSs that have online coral sales and shipping. One shop local to me has a live sale every Friday night. They post on FB, comment mine on the item, and ship or local pick up. They are primarily LPS with good prices.

(Hoping I didn‘t break any rules here, not intentionally advertising)

thanks for that. I will look into it. great idea!