What are SPS corals

  SPS corals stand for Small Polyp Stony coral. You might be asking what is a polyp? A polyp is what makes up the coral, it is what gives that coral color, and every coral has a polyp. All corals are alive, they all need a source of food and movement to keep happy and alive. Now that you know a little about corals and polyps we can get back tot the SPS corals. These corals are beautiful and come in extravagant colors and in unique shapes. They do however need very good lighting to thrive in a aquarium.  Metal Halides or proper LED lights are the most ideal. They also need great water parameters such as calcium and alkaline levels being right on point, with absolutely no fluctuations for some specific species. There are many different types of SPS corals and here are some of the more well known ones: Branching Acropora, Montipora Capricornis, and Encrusting SPS.

Branching Acropora:
Also known a the 'Acro.'  As you can tell by it's full name it is a branching SPS coral and they grow in colonies. These are also denser then all the other SPS, because the skeleton is thicker from all the calcium it absorbs. Because of the dense skeleton they are hard to frag into smaller pieces. They also have to be target feed oyster eggs (Oyster Feast) with a turkey baster.

Montipora Capricornis:
These corals form multiple tiers or cup like layers over time as they mature in the tank. This is one of traits I love about the Monti besides its vibrant color. They are a lot weaker and thinner bone structure than the Acro corals to they can be pretty easy to break so take caution when you bump into them, or move around them closely.

(you can see here how they tier)

(Center is Orange Capricornis)

Encrusting SPS:
These are my favorite SPS corals just for the fact that they come in so many cool colors. As the name states these corals encrust onto the rock so they will spread over your structures over time with its colorful beauty. Plus the names of some of these corals are awesome such as Purple Haze, Superman, Supernatural, Ziggy Stardust, Jedi Mind Trick, and those are just to name a few.

 (Superman)

(Ziggy Stardust Center)

(Confucius)