Mature Reef. Why SPS???

[BlazinNano]

So I have a question. Don't know if it has been talked about. Don't know if it will start a fight. But why do I have to have SPS for other people in the hobby to think my reef is mature? My current tank was upgraded over a year ago and I have been in the hobby almost 3 years now. But so many people I meet through the club or even friends of mine who helped me get started in this hobby always tell me I need sps. Just take the plunge. Go sps. You can do it. Sps would make the tank look great. Don't get me wrong I understand how some people feel like they have accomplished something if they can get sps to grow and have crazy colors. But it is colorful sticks. I love when my acans and blastos are so full and puffed. I have a mussa that puffed up big enough that one polyp could probably eat a whole clown. Why do so many people not appreciate a tank that is not full of sps. So many people in this hobby would over look a 30+ head duncan colony if the person had a 4" red planet (just an example). Is it because it has been burned into everyones head that you have to be a great hobbiest to grow that red planet? Do you even ask the person what it took to get his duncan that big or how long he has had it? Or do you only ask him about the red planet? What makes SPS the ultimate goal in this hobby?

Sorry about my rant....

 

[SDguy]

But why do I have to have SPS for other people in the hobby to think my reef is mature?

You don't. SPS should have mature tanks. Mature tanks don't have to have SPS.

 

[drainbamage]

I think it's a lot of snobbery at play- where because SPS as a class have always been trickier to care for, it's assumed that it's some sort of gold standard to measure against. Same as the people who look down on frag tanks- they've accomplished a goal, and enjoy looking down at those who don't care to accomplish the same goal. Sort of like "to make myself feel good for this accomplishment, I need to make sure there's people who envy my acomplishments."

That's how I've always looked at it and just don't worry about it- I like what I like, and don't care what others say about "should" and "nice"

 

[drainbamage]

You don't. SPS should have mature tanks. Mature tanks don't have to have SPS.

you should have told me this when I put my birdsnest, slimer, red planet, and hawkins echinata into my 2 month old tank- oops! they're all healthy colonies a couple years later, so good thing they didn't know!!

 

[capt85]

I would agree with snobbery being the issue.

I think huge stick colonies look great but nothing beats a large fleshy LPS the size of a dinner plate.:bigsmile:

 

[Troylee]

It's all opinion bro... Sticks do look good in tanks no doubt "stick head here :tongue:" but let me tell you this I have a reef jam packed with sticks it's very colorfull but very boring also!!!! No movement besides long polyps on millies etc... Do what you like I actually started adding softies haha.... I needed the movement it just didn't look good without it IMHO.....

 

[JackoChang]

I would expect to see large colonies of whatever you have in a mature tank.

I too put SPS in my 2 month old tank...actually it was my first coral

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[btkrausen]

I think its partially about skill. As most people start in SW, they tend to stick with the easier corals to care for. As their skills progress, they slowly move to more corals that require such skills. SPS does require some more advanced skills, so as they move to it, they move to a more mature looking tank.

I also believe in the above, that SPS should have mature tanks. Mature tanks don't have to have SPS

 

[BlazinNano]

It's all opinion bro... Sticks do look good in tanks no doubt "stick head here :tongue:" but let me tell you this I have a reef jam packed with sticks it's very colorfull but very boring also!!!! No movement besides long polyps on millies etc... Do what you like I actually started adding softies haha.... I needed the movement it just didn't look good without it IMHO.....

I only have what I like. I have had SPS. It normally comes from people giving me a small frag to try. Most I keep on a frag rack and trade them for something else later. Except this one piece I just got. Some wild tabling really really hairy Acro. That one I might hold on to. The rest all go away at some point. I did get bored because for the most part the top of my reef was empty. Well if you give zoas some time you they can handle the top of the reef as well. So now the whole top left side of the tank is becoming zoas. And my goni frag is up there.

 

[SDguy]

you should have told me this when I put my birdsnest, slimer, red planet, and hawkins echinata into my 2 month old tank- oops! they're all healthy colonies a couple years later, so good thing they didn't know!!

You know better than to comment like that, smartalec . A mature tank usually equals stable parameters, which makes keeping SPS a lot easier. For a notice reefer, this is a good rule of thumb, regardless of your, or my, experiences.

 

[Paul_N]

That is just the mindset of some people. It seems like it started way before when you did not see the colorful lps that we have now. I actually went the opposite. I jumped right in with sps and clams when I first started. I recently sold off a bunch of sps to get more lps. I will mostly likely go 25% at the most sps and the rest lps.

 

[Triggerman77]

Opinions are like ******s! We all have one and some of them are bigger than others!!! And SNOBBERY is a Issue too LOL!! IMO most SPS only (or Dominate) tanks Look LAME!!!......... I have had it all thru the years If your happy with your tank dont listen any SPS SNOB

 

[Troylee]

Then that's all you need... don't worry about other peoples opinions man I don't I buy and keep what I like named un-named pink, purple, blue hard soft it don't matter haha..... I have never owned a mature tank myself I swap them every 6 months haha..... There just jeleous....:tongue:

 

[Troylee]

Opinions are like ******s! We all have one and some of them are bigger than others!!! And SNOBBERY is a Issue too LOL!! IMO most SPS only (or Dominate) tanks Look LAME!!!......... I have had it all thru the years If your happy with your tank dont listen any SPS SNOB

watch it there buddy!!!! Haha :xd:

 

[BlazinNano]

Don't get me wrong I can grow them. I respect people that can grow them. I understand what it takes to grow them and make them nice. But I also respect people who have beautiful LPS colonies. Where I don't think some people respect LPS people as much as the respect SPS people. Honestly who would get more replies a person with a softball sized frogspawn or a softball sized birdsnest? I am not trying to be a pain. I have just had a couple people look at my tank and not be so impressed as they look at peoples tanks with sps.

 

[Troylee]

I truly don't know why people think sps is a level above.... I break every rule known to man and neglect my tank so bad and yet my sticks flourish!!!! Haven't changed water in over a year forget to dose for a week here and there etc.... Sps is easy I don't care what anyone says lol.... The secret ingredient is vodka!!! I never could keep a stick untill I started dosing vodka and now I very seldom lose a piece...

 

[SDguy]

I have just had a couple people look at my tank and not be so impressed as they look at peoples tanks with sps.

Do what you do in this hobby for yourself, not for others. Do you know how many times I got made fun of for keeping "saltwater goldfish" or "swimming carrots" aka anthias? Pfft, they can all suck it :bigsmile:

 

[Brad Syphus]

I'm always told that I have way too many fish. Doesn't bother me a bit what they say. You build your reef for the pleasure of yourself.

 

[BlazinNano]

I do what I want. I keep what I want. I am just saying a little respect and/or acknowledgement would be nice even if I don't have sps. I would post pics but my camera phone does not like all the blue from my ATI bulbs.

 

[SteezySPS]

if your tank can grow sps and you choose to have lps good for you. who caresw what others think. Do you have some sort of complex? I jumped straight to sps in the beginning and my lps thrived only when my sps were doing well. IMO colored sticks always looked nicer so it's all opinion.