Reef aquarists and hobbyists have always had mixed feelings about adding small polyp stony corals or SPS corals in their tank.
While their color and vibrance undoubtedly add beauty to any reef aquarium, SPS corals embody the greatest challenge in saltwater aquaria.
The conditions in your tank need to be near-perfect for them to thrive, and to be able to do this, you need to dedicate your time, effort, and money.
With this, many reefers find this both rewarding and frustrating.
So in this article, we’ll share with you some of the most effective tips to take care of your SPS corals.
Test your water parameters regularly.
One of the most important steps in keeping a successful reef tank with SPS corals is being vigilant and diligent in maintaining water parameters.
Changes in parameters can’t be seen, so test your tank as frequently as possible.
Do this preferably once or twice a week and also be mindful of your SPS corals.
While testing water parameters is easy, this requires commitment. Make sure that your SPS corals have good colors and fleshy polyp extension and branches.
However, in terms of polyp extension, keep in mind that some fishes nip SPS and there are also SPS coral species with polyps that don’t extend significantly.
So don’t be bothered by less prominent polyp extensions if these are the cases.
Keep alkalinity stable and consistent.
In relation to the first tip, the most crucial parameters are alkalinity and nitrates, followed by calcium, phosphates, and magnesium.
When you manage to keep alkalinity at a stable level, you’re most likely to keep everything else stable.
While the exact figure for alkalinity is not critical, keeping it in a tight range is.
Basically, SPS corals thrive with a dKh anywhere between 7 to 12, but only if you keep the number within a relatively narrow strata within that range.
Many reef aquarists nowadays run their tanks at close to 8 dKh, but in the past, reefers maintained theirs at much higher levels.
Once you achieve the target alkalinity, it is important to stay close to that target because your SPS corals will quickly respond negatively to fluctuations in alkalinity.
Keep water quality in check.
Clean water with low nitrate and phosphate levels will keep your SPS corals happy.
It is recommended to keep nitrate levels at around 1 to 10 ppm and phosphates between .02 and .1 ppm.
When you have too much phosphates, coral calcification will be reduced and you’re generally feeding unwanted algae. Meanwhile, nitrates also feed algae and dinoflagellates.
Based on the experience of most reefers, very high nutrients can turn your SPS corals brown.
Install high quality filtration.
Aside from sticking to regular maintenance schedules, installing quality filtration and a protein skimmer can do a lot in keeping your water clean.
Generally, reefers favor calcium reactors in keeping major elements at acceptable levels.
If you have SPS corals in your tank, use a good quality aquarium salt mix with consistent levels of calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity.
This will help you avoid significant fluctuations in water chemistry during water changes.
Maintain good water flow.
Adequate water flow is extremely important in maintaining coral health, because it aids in photosynthesis, gas exchange, and respiration.
It also helps corals catch food, absorb nutrients, and expel waste.
While there are no exact criteria or required water flow, more flow and polyp movement are usually considered better.
However, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t subject your SPS corals under too much direct and forceful flow because it can remove tissue off them.
There are a lot of wave machines and devices out there that can produce the ideal random flow with gyre water movement.
Know the best lighting conditions.
Reef aquarists generally recommend strong lighting for growing SPS corals, but you first have to properly acclimate them to the lighting of your tank.
Many pet shops that sell live corals do not keep them under the same lighting intensity.
What reefers usually do is place new SPS corals on the sand bed or on a frag rack during the first few weeks and then move them to an area in the tank with more intense lighting over time.
Again, be mindful of your SPS corals and observe them for signs of good health.
If you notice signs of distress such as loss of color, try moving them to a different part of the tank.
Final Thoughts
The basic needs of SPS corals are not so much different from other types of corals.
They are just more sensitive and may quickly deteriorate if these factors have been overlooked.
The success of building a reef tank with SPS corals lies in providing a stable environment that will keep them healthy.
If you’re up for the challenge, check out Pieces of the Ocean for an awesome collection of live SPS corals.
They can also provide you with some guidance on how to grow an amazing utopia of corals.