Difference between SPS, LPS, Soft Corals, and more.

[Reef Devils]

What is the Difference between SPS, LPS, Soft Corals, and more. What are some of the others? I am new to all of the coral stuff and what to get a better understanding of how it all works.

 

[MoshJosh]

EDIT: here is a "better" more basic answer.

Soft corals or "softies" are corals that do not make a calcium carbonate skeleton (are NOT "stony"). Some of these corals produce a substance called gorgonin in their bodies and they are called gorgoania/gorgonians. Soft corals are also octocorallia (have 8 tentacles per polyp/mouth).

Stony corals are corals that produce a calcium carbonate skeleton, they are sometimes called "true corals" or "reef building corals". Stony corals are also hexacorallia (have 6 tentacles per polyp/mouth). Hobbyists and the aquarium industry break stony corals down into 2 basic groups based on their relative and subjective polyp size. Those corals with large polyps are called large polyp stony or LPS and those corals with small polyps are called small polyp stony or SPS. Both LPS and SPS are further broken down by a number of factors including polyp/tentacle shape and growth pattern.

Note that in this hobby it is not uncommon for trade names, common/hobbyist names, and scientific names (both correct, incorrect, outdated and up to date) to be used in conjunction with each other and interchangeably. Example might be: Hobbyist says "that is a nice flowerpot coral, is that a goni or an alveopora?" and the store owner replies. "that a 'Miss Piggy' goniopora, it is one of my favorite LPS"

 

[MoshJosh]

If I had to make some general statements about care (probably a dangerous thing to do).

Softies: low light, low flow, high nutrients and very tolerant of less than ideal conditions. Don't require feeding unless NPS

LPS: medium flow, medium light, some nutrients and less tolerant of less than ideal conditions. Some require feeding other not so much.

SPS: high flow, high light, low nutrients and do not tolerate less than ideal conditions. Broadcast feed I guess. . . or don't. . .

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Time to get your YouTube hat on. Tons of videos that explain it better than we can post here. You will have to watch some videos over a few times but it's worth it to gain the knowledge

 

[Propane]

Have you checked out 52 weeks of reefing?

 

[Reef Devils]

Have you checked out 52 weeks of reefing?

No but I will now.

 

[Propane]

They also have shorter versions called 5 min guides but the long ones are pretty informative. Just don’t go on a purchasing spree after lol.

 

[MoshJosh]

EDIT: here is a "better" more basic answer.

Soft corals or "softies" are corals that do not make a calcium carbonate skeleton (are NOT "stony"). Some of these corals produce a substance called gorgonin in their bodies and they are called gorgoania/gorgonians. Soft corals are also octocorallia (have 8 tentacles per polyp/mouth).

Stony corals are corals that produce a calcium carbonate skeleton, they are sometimes called "true corals" or "reef building corals". Stony corals are also hexacorallia (have 6 tentacles per polyp/mouth). Hobbyists and the aquarium industry break stony corals down into 2 basic groups based on their relative and subjective polyp size. Those corals with large polyps are called large polyp stony or LPS and those corals with small polyps are called small polyp stony or SPS. Both LPS and SPS are further broken down by a number of factors including polyp/tentacle shape and growth pattern.

Note that in this hobby it is not uncommon for trade names, common/hobbyist names, and scientific names (both correct, incorrect, outdated and up to date) to be used in conjunction with each other and interchangeably. Example might be: Hobbyist says "that is a nice flowerpot coral, is that a goni or an alveopora?" and the store owner replies. "that a 'Miss Piggy' goniopora, it is one of my favorite LPS"

Some softies and some stony corals can be non-photosynthetic or NPS. As the name implies, these corals do not get energy from photosynthesis and they must be fed. Typically these types of corals feed on phytoplankton, zooplankton, and other particles (of various sizes) that float around in the water. Many of the colorful gorgonia mentioned before fall into this category.

 

[KrisReef]

Note: NPS - non-photosynthetic , they have to catch plankton foods to acquire energy.

By the time you have a good understanding about coral and names and care the scientists will likely have changed some of the names and families that you have learned.

It’s only been around 80 years since the ability to get under water long enough to study corals and learn about them. This is changing faster all the time.

 

[MoshJosh]

As said above YouTube can be an excellent source of information.

I highly recommend checking out Tidal Gardens' videos about specific corals and their care!