Why SPS - aren't they a little boring?

[scubawarm]

Not looking for a flame war... a serious question.

Guess I'm new to reef keeping, but wondering why everyone is so nuts for SPS? Is it just because they are the most difficult to keep? Kind of a badge of your skills?

Don't get me wrong, I dislike soft corals as well. Just LPS seem to have more "life" with their in and out behavior, and tentacles swaying in the flow.

I do like the looks of caps, and have an elkhorn... but, again... I look at it, and can't tell if it is happy or dead.

What am I missing? Thanks for your time and education.

 

[dvanacker]

Variety.....so many different SPS shapes and colors. Also they can do relatively well in the aquarium and will often out grow LPS. They are the easiest to propagate as well. There are tons of reasons........and nothing beats a grown in mature SPS reef IMO.

 

[ct_vol]

For me, it does have a lot to do with the challenge. However, when I first got into the hobby and thought of coral, my first thoughts went toward SPS. I like their structure and coloration as well. I do like some LPS and Softies, but if I had to choose one, I'd just go with an SPS tank... Luckily I don't have to choose and have some of each in my tank, though it is heavily weighted toward SPS...

 

[gbru316]

Not looking for a flame war... a serious question.

Guess I'm new to reef keeping, but wondering why everyone is so nuts for SPS? Is it just because they are the most difficult to keep? Kind of a badge of your skills?

Don't get me wrong, I dislike soft corals as well. Just LPS seem to have more "life" with their in and out behavior, and tentacles swaying in the flow.

I do like the looks of caps, and have an elkhorn... but, again... I look at it, and can't tell if it is happy or dead.

What am I missing? Thanks for your time and education.

You can't tell the difference between a dead and living SPS? I'm assuming you meant you cant tell the difference between a stressed and healthy SPS, because dead SPS are quite easy to distinguish.

I think the allure lies in the challenge; SPS are typically more difficult to keep than LPS or softies.

 

[scubawarm]

YI'm assuming you meant you cant tell the difference between a stressed and healthy SPS, because dead SPS are quite easy to distinguish.

Ya... that is what I'm referring to... with LPS, if they are opening and waving at you, you can assume they are healthy and happy. With the SPS you just hope they don't start turning white... maybe more "STRESS" for the reef keeper.

Maybe part of my problem is I include Zoanthids in with the LPS which I realize they really aren't but do seem like hammers and torches.

 

[afernandez]

I did not think much of Sps in the beginning...a few years later I love them (the color shapes,structures, fizziness ) give it some time it will come.

They are harder to keep which makes it a struggle but there's no better feeling when u get a brown/discolored frag (in bad Shape) get it to grow and color up .

Like other will say u can track their growth and enjoy it more than your average lps.

I like lps also.. But I prefer some Sps over lps.

I don't like softies lol.

 

[reeferman1128]

They are the pinnacle of the hobby

 

[chris88]

They are the major reef building corals. Also they actually grow to fill up the water column vs just sitting on the sand bed or rock. Also they are the dominant corals in a healthy living reef.

 

[scubawarm]

They are the major reef building corals. Also they actually grow to fill up the water column vs just sitting on the sand bed or rock. Also they are the dominant corals in a healthy living reef.

Great reply. I can relate to that!

 

[reeffreak75]

Great answers guys,keep them coming.

 

[Charley Diesing]

Not looking for a flame war... a serious question.

Guess I'm new to reef keeping, but wondering why everyone is so nuts for SPS? Is it just because they are the most difficult to keep? Kind of a badge of your skills?

Don't get me wrong, I dislike soft corals as well. Just LPS seem to have more "life" with their in and out behavior, and tentacles swaying in the flow.

I do like the looks of caps, and have an elkhorn... but, again... I look at it, and can't tell if it is happy or dead.

What am I missing? Thanks for your time and education.

+1... I agree... At first I started doing SPS and I liked it then I realized the only reason I was doing it was because it was hard, TBH it was to hard... Lost a lot... and got frustrated. Now I'm having just as much fun with my mixed reef, probably more actually. Easier to maintain, etc.

 

[Digitalelectric]

For me its the feel that youre really growing something. Sure softies and LPS grow but these guys have a stony skeleton and if (God forbit) a big colony dies you can pull it out and its a curio.
Aside from that, the challenge, the colors, and the polyps. I love watching the polyps blow in the breeze per se.

 

[Smnparish]

Colors, noticeable growth, and they add substantially to my aquascape, especially once they grow in.

 

[BrianN]

Don't you get bored with LPSs if you only have them for years???? So we like more challenge and knowledge about reef keeping. If you haven't add SPS in your reef tank, you still have no ideas what you're dealing with in your saltwater tank. Way more complicated than you can think of.
I like it because of it's grows, colors and challenge. Same species in different tanks, lightnings, water parameter can grow differently.

 

[jroovers]

Great question. Why grow SPS? "Because they're there"

In all seriousness, I think it is the look of the SPS reef that is most alluring. The colours, shapes, forms and the appreciation for the time/skill that it takes to achieve a mature SPS reef are all part of that allure. In gardening terms, builiding a SPS reef is half landscaping and half hardscaping, combined into one - you have to think of the requirements of each coral when placing, feeding, providing light and flow etc., but also think structurally how that coral is going to fit in with the others and contribute to the overall effect. This is why I think the minimalist approach is becoming more popular and can be very appealing visually - a few select pieces placed carefully and allowed to thrive can structurally be satisfying to the viewer/keeper, compared to a reef that is crammed full of every frag known to man that can become overwhelming visually.

The thrill of the chase (i.e. proving to yourself that you can grow SPS and have them colour up) is definitely part of it.

 

[franklypre]

Think of the difference between a yard that has tall grass and wild flowers vs. the yard of the guy who is always pruning and mowing. Once SPS fill out you must make cuts, you must sell/trade frags. LPS don't grow out to be fragged nearly as fast.

 

[ziyaadb]

Bragging rights!!!!!

 

[aandfsoccr04]

Little silly of a thread title. It's like going into a BMW forum and asking why would you own a BMW, isn't it a little boring, expensive or whatever.

I keep SPS because you can get any color pretty much and don't have to pay an arm and a leg as you do for acans or chalices. After keeping LPS for a while, I really only like the euphyllia. There are so many different kinds of SPS and it's much easier to propoage SPS to trade with local reefers instead of cutting fungias or duncans or what have you.

 

[Acronic]

SPS are anything but boring! They keep you on your toes. SPS keepers constantly strive for a better water quality, keeping us busy busy. Color is huge! apart from zoo's, softies tend to be blah but what they lack in color they make up for in character. Like the pulsing xenia or a leather opening up in the morning.

LPS are very nice with some really unique shapes and bright colors. They tend to grow slowly compared to most happy SPS. IMO it is very fun and satisfying to grow a coral from a small cutting into a colony and it just takes too long for LPS to really take shape.

Overall there is just more to do to an SPS tank. Whens the last time you heard someone say "I want better blues in my zoo's, Ill try and dose X or tweak parameter Y to achieve this"?

For me its an addiction and my addictive personality is fueled by SPS. I have lost all concept of reality and live in an SPS world now. For instance when I go to stores, I see a product for a kitchen and try to relate it to the tank. "Oh that turkey baster is perfect for feeding corals; That plastic basket would be great for acclimation; Look at these clothes pins! They would be great for my sump; How can I turn this food processor into a wave maker?"....ect

 

[afernandez]

; How can I turn this food processor into a wave maker?"....ect[/QUOTE]

lmao!!!!!:lol2::lol2::lolspin: