Why are SPS popular?

rainmkr07

rainmkr07

Member
I only have PC lighting on my new tank, so upgrading to MH to get SPS will be a large expense (not to mention SPS is a more costly coral). I was wondering why SPS was so popular. To me, and I do have a novice reef eye, all SPS more or less looks the same, but different colors.
LPS and softies, like mushrooms, polyps, kenya trees, zoos, rics, and on and on, to me at least, offer a much greater variety than SPS, and are more pleasant to look at in their many variations and because many of them move w/ the flow in the water (green star polyps, torch, hammer, etc. come to mind). Whereas SPS just look like branching coral that don't move at all?
I don't want this post to come off as anti-sps or bashing it in ANY way. I am a novice and just would like someone with more experience to explain to me what I am clearly missing, because SPS IS popular, and once I knew why, then I would probably be wanting it too.
And as a sidenote, I LOVE clams. I think they are gorgeous and fun to watch, so they make me want to get MH lights in the future anyway. But I'd really like to get into SPS, but I am having trouble understanding them I guess.
 
N

nemo_66

Guest
i think the reason why sps are so popular is because they have more of an exact color. what im saying is that sps dont have varying colors, ie, a blue sps will be blue, but a softie or lps can vary, like it could be sky blue, or dark blue, etc. the color you see the sps will be the color you get. understand?
PS, i also like lps and softies because they move in the flow :p
 
teen

teen

Active Member
youve most likely just seen pictures of tanks with sps, or bland frags at your lfs. once you get some awesome colors going, and you get to see them up close, there pretty much amazing. and theres many different varities. so many colors. part of the fun in keeping them is trying to get the best colors you can out of them.
besides color and looks, the difficulty in keeping them is what draws a lot of people to them. most lps and soft corasl would thrive in a puddle. sps are a bit more challenging. its also fun to see the growth in them. imo, you notice growth more in sps corals than other types.
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
I must say, I'm big and easy on LPS and softies, SPS is the realm of the unknown(ok so semi unknown) for me. one of my first SPS was one that is reputed not to do well with another coral I host. poccilipora and a sinularia dura.
Its the challenge. I'll frag anything, take pictures, try any method once (I even dropped a coral on my driveway just because it was the quickest way) heck I even put a mushroom in a blender.
after a couple years the easy ones ARE easy. know what I mean?
 
ninjamini

ninjamini

Active Member
Also when an sps is open and extended its quite a site. I think most people only see them closed. When you can see a great sps tank from another reef keeper go see it. I was the same way till I saw roger's, a local reefers tank. Quite amazing.
If you think the first time you saw a leather with great extension or a polyp with great color you aint seen nothing yet.
Story:
Of course I also suggest you dont see it. LEt me tell you a story. I have long been a home theater geek. When I wanted a su
oofer (edit: thats sub woofer) I went to the high end shops to find the right sub. I was also at the time thinking of getting a projector. Well I got a demo of a $10k projector. Well that is not what amazed me and changed my life. He had this projector connected to the Meridian Digital Theater. Man I was just floored. I have seen/heard alot of theaters and none came anywhere close. Now with the $40k price tag...I was left crying...but I swore someday. That was 10 years ago. I still want that theater and one day i will have it. Amazing.
Well I digress...So the moral of the story is that if you dont have the cash dont look at the benz. You will like it more and then live a life of wanting.
 
gatorwpb

gatorwpb

Active Member
su
oofer, LMAO!!
Here's my SPS inspiration...
I know a monti cap is one of the easier and faster growing SPS, but when you can see a frag go from this:

to this:

Purple plate (Idaho grape maybe)


Getting a cheap brown fuzzy acro:

And seeing new blue growth on it:

You get a real sense of accomplishment. the beauty is in the shape and the color more than the movement.
I am now getting into acros because of the colors. I have gsp, xenia, frogspawn, hammers, candycanes, and zoos. But the difficulty and beauty of the SPS are the draw for me.
 
ninjamini

ninjamini

Active Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
a su
oofer? HE HE
I think there needs to be a couple more identifying factors for the icons LOL


Now how did that happen. I figured I would get called a LAMO for the long winded story. Not for the mistaken use of a
.
You guys have it easy. I am a trainer. Yea I get in front of a group of people and give a training session that can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 6 hours. I get really long winded then.
 
ninjamini

ninjamini

Active Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
I was mocking SWF's bulliten board ops lack of identifiers for their icons not you ninja
Not to worry...I'm cool.
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
gatorWTB, thats some incredible growth and colorup

reefkprZ, yeah, I know what you mean.
It's all about the amazing details, you get so absorbed by the size, type, color and the movement of really tiny polyps and the way the calcium base twists and transforms the colony into wilder shapes and colors.
.
Corals like the ORA blue Millepora, even though it's a stony coral, it's polyp extend and it's almost fuzzy to look at, so it looks like it's moving. Good random flow

Any of the Bali Bansai's or the Miami orchids

.
I'm not afraid to frag anything, sometimes I simply have to stop fragging because I run out of room in the tank

.
Even though sps are labled "sensitive or difficult" they are pretty much indestructible, I've pulverized stuff and under the correct conditions they will recover and regrow, thats really amazing and mesmerizing to watch. .
.
SPS have this mystery about them to most reefers, some people are like "wow, you keep sps" or "those are hard corals to keep alive" ........
But they aren't once you figure it out, it's like this huge learning curve, then you just kinda "get it"
 
mikersof

mikersof

Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
I'll frag anything, take pictures, try any method once ... heck I even put a mushroom in a blender.
Uh.....

Total newbie here so please understand my ignorance.
Was your intent to then dump blended shroom back into tank as... for lack of better word.... "seeds." Hoping for a crop of shrooms?
Why is it that I'm getting the same feeling about this as I did looking into the bottle of 200 Copepods and seeing green water. I'm liking this to the Emperor's new clothes!
james =)
 
sturner

sturner

Member
WOW! I too have been wondering the deal with SPS, but after those pics -wow- What's the time difference between the before and after shots? Also what would be a good beginner SPS with T-5 lighting?
 
05xrunner

05xrunner

Active Member
depends on what T5 you have..if its a nice tek light or aquartinics you can get any sps..but a good starter I think Green Slimer acros are really really easy to keep i think
 
sturner

sturner

Member
thanks!
Right now I'm running a Nova extreme. Tank depth is only 12". I've got an oppurtunity to purchase several types of SPS frags from a local reefer and I just want to know the easiest to keep, so that I can get the hang of it before jumping in head first.
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
Orange Monti Caps are hardy and easily found for $15-$25 depending on size.
Just about any of the Monti Caps are good starter corals.
 
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