The Magic Touch: Have you ever successfully kept SPS?

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

If you ask a reef keeper, "Have you ever faced challenges with your tank?" and they say no, they're lying. Many challenges befall this hobby, but there is one challenge that almost everyone can agree upon: SPS. These demanding but stunning corals have been plaguing the peace of mind of our community for too long. Have you cracked the code?

Have you ever successfully kept SPS? And if you have, drop your biggest and best piece of advice for us poor unfortunate hobbyists who haven't figured it out yet! :face-with-tears-of-joy:

@BrandonMcHenry

 

[helmsreef]

My systems are 90% sps, this will probably be repeated multiple times but it all came down to stability and time. The time it takes for the tank to become stable in its own form and ability to offer the right environment for sps. The funny thing is after you gain the stability, you can have more room to make mistakes. It could be my maturity in reef keeping plus what I have learned over the years, but I feel I would have to do something astronomically stupid to kill any of my colonies.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I did for a couple years before I took my tank down
Nit to toot my own horn but I was pretty good

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

I did for a couple years before I took my tank down
Nit to toot my own horn but I was pretty good

We will place you under the "Yes, I'm a reefing wizard" category. Beautiful!

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I called myself a reefing wizard (but I'm really not).

 

[Reefer Matt]

I do okay. I wouldn’t call myself a “wizard” or anything. I just learned what works for me. I share my tips in this article, and on my youtube channel, Reefer Matt.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/demystifying-sps-coral-care.987/

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I do okay. I wouldn’t call myself a “wizard” or anything. I just learned what works for me. I share my tips in this article, and on my youtube channel, Reefer Matt,

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/demystifying-sps-coral-care.987/

Where do i get that reeftoreef sticker or light or whatever that thing is above your tank?

 

[Reefer Matt]

Where do i get that reeftoreef sticker or light or whatever that thing is above your tank?

It’s a color changing lighted display sign. They had a limited supply a while ago. Not sure if they will have more made.

 

[Reef Wizard]

I am a reef wizard but not in the sense of I know it all but just that ive got a magical build but I do have some SPS growing now :)

 

[PharmrJohn]

I've never tried to keep SPS. My last tank was strictly LPS and Softies. Not that I was intimidated or had lack of skill, I just never bought one! That will change with the next build.

 

[RSNJReef]

I’m sometimes a wizard. I can melt corals without even trying, lol. Lps I’ve got down, but SPS is a whole new endeavor for me. Slowly getting there.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I barely can keep LPS, I don't even want to attempt sps right now

 

[MoshJosh]

I tend to have the best success with SPS, probably my low nutrient philosophy. They can be tough though and require monitoring and dosing that would otherwise not be needed. . .

 

[Dburr1014]

I grow them, kill them, and bring them back to life. LOL
Am I a wizard? No.

 

[Australian_Reef]

SPS are the challenge .. no doubt. but it’s not right to say it the pinnacle of reef keeping. Keeping your choosen livestock alive is the winner.
Everyone and every tank has its own place.. so sps, softie , lps, specimens, or fowlr you just do your way best.

 

[Fritz05]

I only picked corals marked as “easy” to care for on most sites, and most of my SPS are doing well in my mixed reef (Stylophora, various birdsnests). The only one that died was the yellow porite. I managed to kill Xenia and Green Star polyps in the same tanks… (do not ask me how I did it, I have no idea).

The SPS do not grow like crazy, but I am quite happy with that, as it reduces space issues.

 

[Matthijs]

I would say stability, good parameters, good light, good flow and again stability :)
My second advice, take advice from experienced people that have proven to be succesful reefkeepers and don't believe everything you read.

Grtz,
Matthijs

 

[Treefer32]

I've got SPS and LPS doing well throughout from Gonis to Acropora. SPS do amazing in my tank, I don't know if it's the lighting ongoing maintenance. But 340 gallon with 1-2 water changes a year (around 40-50% each).

Secrets / tips and tricks:
1. I think number 1 is lots of lightning, but I have not tested my par to confirm.
2. Maintaining strong alk and calcium. (I don't test calcium or mg more than once a year. Alk I test weekly, but dose all 3.)
3. Lots of filtration: Skimmer, Algae turf scrubber, Reefmat 1200, Denitrator.
4. Maintain some nitrates / phosphates - Mine phosphates range between .1 and .3 ppm and nitrates between 10 and 20.
5. Trace element dosing weekly.

I've had alk swings while on vacation (alk doser clogged up. Alk fell to around 6 while I was gone. Got it back up to 9 over a 2 week period, nothing missed a beat!)

SPS get a bad wrap, I find they're easier than Elgance or Acans. I can't keep either of those to save my life. Hammers and frog spawn doing great. I have a blasto I'm experimenting with, it's doing great on my frag rack. I had a second I glued down on a rock and within 2 weeks it died, but was doing awesome on the frag rack... I'm also experimenting with a torch. It's doing awesome on my rack as well. I'm scared to glue it somewhere. Heh. But yeah, SPS doing amazing!

 

[Bob Weigant]

I had to click other. I in no way consider myself an expert. My tank is sps dominant and I am doing very well with them. Getting good growth and color. I think keeping the tank stable is my key to success. I don't chase numbers but I do test every two weeks for the usual suspects ( Alk , Ca , Mag etc ). I'll do a water change every 2 weeks. If your thinking about doing sps start off with the easier ones and see how you do and branch out from there. I have lost frags here and there and to me thats expected. Ive never met anyone who has 100% success rate

 

[formallydehyde]

If you ask a reef keeper, "Have you ever faced challenges with your tank?" and they say no, they're lying. Many challenges befall this hobby, but there is one challenge that almost everyone can agree upon: SPS. These demanding but stunning corals have been plaguing the peace of mind of our community for too long. Have you cracked the code?

Have you ever successfully kept SPS? And if you have, drop your biggest and best piece of advice for us poor unfortunate hobbyists who haven't figured it out yet! :face-with-tears-of-joy:

@BrandonMcHenry

I've only been at this like 1.5ish years but my newbie-to-newbie tips for SPS would be to focus on hardy fast growing corals that aren't Acropora so you don't pull your hair out. Pavona cactus, Pocillopora damicornis, Montipora digitata, Leptoseris and Cyphastrea have been particularly good to me. Something I really do not like about Acropora is that once they become unhealthy they usually don't bounce back for me, but Pocillopora can lose half its skin and bounce back once the issue is resolved.
Also Instant Ocean Reef Crystals with large water changes a few times a month seems to make my corals happier overall than trying to dose anything or use other salt mixes.