When mixing SPS (Small Polyp Stony) and LPS (Large Polyp Stony) corals in a reef tank, the key is to create an environment where both can thrive without interfering with each other.
How do you mix SPS and LPS corals in your tank without causing problems ...
LPS have a pretty wide range of acceptable lighting from sunling, 1000 PAR under metal halide to very low output. You are likely OK. If you can grow coral, you can grow algae too. Most of the talk about certain type of spectrum of lights growing algae better are complete internet myths. DO what is right for your corals and you will be fine.
Sooo what is the difference between SPS / LPS / Softie coral? Anyone who knows anything always refers to SPS dominated or LPS dominated etc. types of tanks and I am always sitting in the back nodding my head like I understand while in my head I am reciting the 50 states in reverse, completely unable to comprehend.
I’m talking dedicated reef tanks here. An all sps tank versus an all lps tank. I can keep sps coral alive for many years, but some lps like torches barely make it to year one, they usually get infected and die the next day. Sps can get rtn and stn, but if alk is maintained, it’s more predictable...
Change My Mind: LPS Coral Are Harder to Keep Long Term Than SPS
Looking for answers of what everyone else runs their nitrates and phosphates at in a Lps softie dominant tank. I have struggled with this for a while and getting very frustrated with it all. I'm not getting very much coral growth but algae is growing like crazy. Thanks.