Easy colorful sps for beginner

Aeb1419 · May 8, 2021

I am looking to start getting into the sps game. I have a 22 gallon tank with an AI prime HD. Really wanted to get some more color popping at the top of my rocks. I have looked into the search and majority of corals recommended for beginners are green or blue. Looking for some pink or yellow. Any recommendations?

Uncle99 · May 8, 2021

Aeb1419 said:
I am looking to start getting into the sps game. I have a 22 gallon tank with an AI prime HD. Really wanted to get some more color popping at the top of my rocks. I have looked into the search and majority of corals recommended for beginners are green or blue. Looking for some pink or yellow. Any recommendations?

Digi

Tim'sReef · May 8, 2021

purple stylophora was my first sps since they should be a bit hardy. The tank is relatively but it is doing well in there plus i think they look nice

Perry · May 8, 2021

Ok, I want to be encouraging, but I wouldn't associate "easy" to any sps. So many variables come into play. Chemistry, understanding parameters, and keeping them stable. Nutrients, understanding levels, and keeping them relative to alk levels. Lighting, sure the hd will work, but you will probably find yourself adding another, or a more powerful one. Temperature stability, salinity stability, not to be overlooked. Dry rock system versus Liverock system, this is a major topic that should be considered, as many key micro life promote maturity and stability of the system. Simply put, with everything above stated, it's possible the sps will die, until this the system meets maturity, despite keeping solid ionic balance and proper nutrients. I know this firsthand and lost MANY sps, then one day, the corals started living, that's an achievement in itself. As far as pulling colors, this is when your ecosystem has found balance. This is the holy grail of sps keeping

Welcome to the club! Get ready to see a whole other level of addiction in reefing, careful, lol. Been keeping sps for 16 years, and still just as addicted as ever

guylaga · May 8, 2021

Monti Caps are great, they grow fast and are pretty hardy. Come in purple, green and red/orange.

Birdsnest come in Pink and the Ponape variety has some yellows and Stlylopora come in a bunch of colors and are also pretty hardy.

Bubble Gum digi was already mentioned but worth it again!

Aeb1419 · May 8, 2021

Perry said:
Ok, I want to be encouraging, but I wouldn't associate "easy" to any sps. So many variables come into play. Chemistry, understanding parameters, and keeping them stable. Nutrients, understanding levels, and keeping them relative to alk levels. Lighting, sure the hd will work, but you will probably find yourself adding another, or a more powerful one. Temperature stability, salinity stability, not to be overlooked. Dry rock system versus Liverock system, this is a major topic that should be considered, as many key micro life promote maturity and stability of the system. Simply put, with everything above stated, it's possible the sps will die, until this the system meets maturity, despite keeping solid ionic balance and proper nutrients. I know this firsthand and lost MANY sps, then one day, the corals started living, that's an achievement in itself. As far as pulling colors, this is when your ecosystem has found balance. This is the holy grail of sps keeping Welcome to the club! Get ready to see a whole other level of addiction in reefing, careful, lol. Been keeping sps for 16 years, and still just as addicted as ever

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. My tank has been up for 3 years. When I meant easy I was gearing towards the more hardy kind with the best colors. I will for sure do this slowly. I know sps are more demanding and so I want to take it slow.
Oh man I hoke i dont get addicted to sps. I know thats another monster where parameters are key! Especially when it comes to dosing and what have you. Its gonna end up burning a whole in my pocket!

my pH stays stable at 8.3 and calk/alk are on the high side with only doing a water change every 2 weeks. If I start dabbling in sps im hoping the hardy corals wont deplete everything too fast. Again very slowly and monitoring everything is my
plan.

homer1475 · May 8, 2021

Most of the "easy" SPS are either green or brown. lol

Thats why they are easy. No real concern on lighting intensities for optimal color.

Perry · May 8, 2021

Aeb1419 said:
Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. My tank has been up for 3 years. When I meant easy I was gearing towards the more hardy kind with the best colors. I will for sure do this slowly. I know sps are more demanding and so I want to take it slow.
Oh man I hoke i dont get addicted to sps. I know thats another monster where parameters are key! Especially when it comes to dosing and what have you. Its gonna end up burning a whole in my pocket!

my pH stays stable at 8.3 and calk/alk are on the high side with only doing a water change every 2 weeks. If I start dabbling in sps im hoping the hardy corals wont deplete everything too fast. Again very slowly and monitoring everything is my
plan.

Ok 3 years should be a ok. PH at 8.3 is awesome, all life will appreciate it. Sounds like you are on a good path

Keep us updated, and all corals mentioned are good starters, but acros.... hmmmm that's where the fun really begins

Best wishes in your journey!

SamMule · May 9, 2021

Bubblegum Digi is great.
Montipora Setosa is an awesome orange/pink and seems to be pretty durable for me.
Kung pao monti is a very bright yellow, although, mine doesn't seem to like much over 200 PAR.
Leptoseris and cyphastrea have some really great colors available.
IMO. Don't be afraid of acros. Give em a try!

monkeyCmonkeyDo · May 9, 2021

Forest fire digi
Purple stylo
Myagi tort
Branching montipora if u can find.
Rainbow or skittles montipora
Any birdsnest.

hds4216 · May 9, 2021

Yellow SPS are all pretty difficult. Yellow corals in general tend to be more green than yellow. All the true yellow SPS are mostly acros.

monkeyCmonkeyDo · May 9, 2021

Hydrnophora. Actually a lps i guess?!
Setosa

monkeyCmonkeyDo · May 9, 2021

Yellows ur gonna start getting into actual acropora. Like the pickachu coral.
Tenius.
Millipora
Validia.
Id say these 3 are a step up.
D

monkeyCmonkeyDo · May 9, 2021

Porities
D

blasterman · May 9, 2021

I have a 20long crammed full of fast growing SPS. Less than a year old. Small tanks have different quirks than bigger ones.

Key thing is you have stable nutrients, and this is the bane of small tanks given they dont have much capacity. Phosphate at least .03 and nitrate 5-10 ish. My SPS could care less if calcium is 350 or 450 and alk just needs to be between 8-10. I dont even do water changes because they screw with nutrient levels. If phosphate hits zero though or nitrate is climbing or falling there is hell to pay. Again, small tank means things happen fast.

If your tank doesn't have these values you will likely have issues and dead coral. If you have these params and no algae issues I would start with some easy stuff like purple stylos, pocillopora, or blue digis. They are the hardiest and most tolerant SPS in my experience. They will color up right and start growing quick if your params are solid.

Flame and bubblegum digipora are gorgeous, but they are a bit of a step up in difficulty in a small tank. They arent nearly as rugged as German blues and decline fast and turn pale if nutrients are too low. I had trouble with them for years until i figured out they prefer 'gummy'water that make acropora brown out. Guess you cant please everybody.
Birdsnests and monti caps will do fine if phosphate is on target.

Aeb1419 · May 9, 2021

blasterman said:
I have a 20long crammed full of fast growing SPS. Less than a year old. Small tanks have different quirks than bigger ones.

Key thing is you have stable nutrients, and this is the bane of small tanks given they dont have much capacity. Phosphate at least .03 and nitrate 5-10 ish. My SPS could care less if calcium is 350 or 450 and alk just needs to be between 8-10. I dont even do water changes because they screw with nutrient levels. If phosphate hits zero though or nitrate is climbing or falling there is hell to pay. Again, small tank means things happen fast.

If your tank doesn't have these values you will likely have issues and dead coral. If you have these params and no algae issues I would start with some easy stuff like purple stylos, pocillopora, or blue digis. They are the hardiest and most tolerant SPS in my experience. They will color up right and start growing quick if your params are solid.

Flame and bubblegum digipora are gorgeous, but they are a bit of a step up in difficulty in a small tank. They arent nearly as rugged as German blues and decline fast and turn pale if nutrients are too low. I had trouble with them for years until i figured out they prefer 'gummy'water that make acropora brown out. Guess you cant please everybody.
Birdsnests and monti caps will do fine if phosphate is on target.

Not sure if I understood entirely. Are you saying that po4 should be .03 and no3 5-10? I am pretty stable at 0 for both.

JWsticks · May 30, 2021

Any montipora species are somewhat forgiving and can hand an alk swing or two.

I would stay away from acros until you're comfortable in maintaining a stable tank for more demanding species.

Robert Binz · Aug 4, 2021

homer1475 said:
Most of the "easy" SPS are either green or brown. lol

Thats why they are easy. No real concern on lighting intensities for optimal color.

That’s just so wrong lol