gtiguy
Member
Taken from ReefCentral's ReefKeeping Magazine Section..
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Mushroom Polyps (order Corallimorpharia): They like dirty water with high nutrient levels. They don't like bright light or much water flow. They don't need food, just some light and nutrient-rich water. They're very hardy and are great inhabitants for a new tank.
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Zoanthids (order Zoanthidea): They should be called zoos because they are ZOOanthids. They don't care about dirty water with high nutrient levels. They don't need much light or water flow. They don't eat; they just use light. They're very hardy and ok to put into a new tank.
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Soft Corals (subclass Octocorallia): They need dirty, nutrient-rich water. They don't like bright light or strong water flow. They produce toxins that hurt "SPS." They don't need food, just light and nutrients in the water. They're good to put into a new tank, and to later upgrade to stony corals. They're very hardy.
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LPS Corals (order Scleractinia): This is an acronym for large-polyped stony/scleractinians, i.e., stony corals with relatively larger, fleshier polyps than SPS. They don't mind nutrient-rich water. They don't like very bright light or strong water flow. They need to be fed on occasion. They're hardy and good to mix in a tank with the previous three groups.
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SPS Corals (order Scleractinia): This is an acronym for small-polyped stony/scleractinian corals, i.e., stony corals with relatively smaller, less fleshy polyps than LPS. They need very clean, nutrient-poor water. They need super-bright light and very strong, chaotic water flow. They don't need any food, just light. They're very sensitive and difficult to keep. They don't take stress well. When they're happy, they turn beautiful colors, but only if the tank is nutrient-poor. If they aren't colorful, nutrients in the aquarium are making them turn brown.
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Mushroom Polyps (order Corallimorpharia): They like dirty water with high nutrient levels. They don't like bright light or much water flow. They don't need food, just some light and nutrient-rich water. They're very hardy and are great inhabitants for a new tank.
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Zoanthids (order Zoanthidea): They should be called zoos because they are ZOOanthids. They don't care about dirty water with high nutrient levels. They don't need much light or water flow. They don't eat; they just use light. They're very hardy and ok to put into a new tank.
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Soft Corals (subclass Octocorallia): They need dirty, nutrient-rich water. They don't like bright light or strong water flow. They produce toxins that hurt "SPS." They don't need food, just light and nutrients in the water. They're good to put into a new tank, and to later upgrade to stony corals. They're very hardy.
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LPS Corals (order Scleractinia): This is an acronym for large-polyped stony/scleractinians, i.e., stony corals with relatively larger, fleshier polyps than SPS. They don't mind nutrient-rich water. They don't like very bright light or strong water flow. They need to be fed on occasion. They're hardy and good to mix in a tank with the previous three groups.
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SPS Corals (order Scleractinia): This is an acronym for small-polyped stony/scleractinian corals, i.e., stony corals with relatively smaller, less fleshy polyps than LPS. They need very clean, nutrient-poor water. They need super-bright light and very strong, chaotic water flow. They don't need any food, just light. They're very sensitive and difficult to keep. They don't take stress well. When they're happy, they turn beautiful colors, but only if the tank is nutrient-poor. If they aren't colorful, nutrients in the aquarium are making them turn brown.