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For the vast majority of reefers, the goal is to end up with some kind of mixed reef to varying degrees. That means having a combination of softies, LPS, and SPS. However, one thing I would like to know is, how common are “mixed reefs” in the wild? Do these different types of soft and stony corals congregate together in the wild, or are we a lot more likely to see softies congregating with other softies, LPS congregating with other LPS, and SPS with other SPS?
I would imagine that the whe concept of the “mixed reef” might not be as common as we think in the wild due to the various flow and sunlight requirements necessary for these different kinds of corals to grow, and I would imagine that below a certain depth the amount of sunlight will not be enough to sustain large colonies of, if any stony corals (maybe 250-300+ feet), so all we find are softies and NPS at those depths.
Of course, I could be wrong though. But so far, every time I see large colonies of SPS (especially Montis and Acros) they always tend to be in relatively shallow, sunlit reefs above 100 feet.
I would imagine that the whe concept of the “mixed reef” might not be as common as we think in the wild due to the various flow and sunlight requirements necessary for these different kinds of corals to grow, and I would imagine that below a certain depth the amount of sunlight will not be enough to sustain large colonies of, if any stony corals (maybe 250-300+ feet), so all we find are softies and NPS at those depths.
Of course, I could be wrong though. But so far, every time I see large colonies of SPS (especially Montis and Acros) they always tend to be in relatively shallow, sunlit reefs above 100 feet.