Harder to Keep: SPS or LPS?

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

I have been thinking about this for a little bit? Are SPS really actually harder than LPS?

I feel like i’ve had a harder time with LPS, specifically euphyllia coral, than i’ve have had with some SPS. Granted, when i say SPS, i’m not talking about all the super fancy high price Acros.

I’d love to hear what others think. Let me hear your thoughts.


Oh and since we all like pictures, here’s a rabbit!

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

In my experience, SPS need a more stable system, with more extreme lighting. LPS is to a limit more tolerant of tanks that are not stable. But with that said, I have lost LPS during the time it took my tank to get stable.

 

[Matt L]

It depends on the species, but LPS are more difficult for me in general.

 

[Biokabe]

As with most things...

It depends.

With modern equipment, I think it's somewhat easier to find the ideal conditions for SPS corals. More expensive, but easier. With LPS, I think part of the problem is that most equipment caters to people chasing acro-dominated systems, so they're tuned more towards that side of things. You have to tune down the equipment or use other tricks (creative rockwork, etc). to bring things down into that lower side of the spectrum.

Anecdotally, I also think that LPS corals want a tank that is fed much heavier than most people are comfortable doing. I know for me, many of my LPS corals really started taking off once I added an anthias and started feeding my tank heavier... at least until the anemones took off and dominated everything.

 

[bobnicaragua]

My tank is completely acro focused. I’ll occasionally put some LPS at the bottom under high flow and they do well. I personally find acros a lot more demanding than frog spawn.

 

[Dorsetsteve]

The issue here is that it’s a bad question/comparison. It’s not your fault, it’s the hobbies. The terms SPS and LPS are chocolate teapots, worse than that Fruti Pebblez Acro name your seller users, it’s a classification that means nothing.

 

[Waters]

Assuming you are talking about a mature tank, I struggle more with LPS than SPS.

 

[CHSUB]

Same. However, LPS seem more tolerant of lower light and flow but imo that is not a difficulty. All corals do best in aquariums with similar conditions that many call “SPS” parameters , some corals can tolerate conditions that deviate farther from these conditions.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I never tried SPS in my tank, but I didn't have great success with LPS, maybe it is just me though.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

I feel like i’m always losing my mind over LPS and giving the the right flow