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View Full Version : Why are so many obsessed with sps


heyfredyourhat
09/12/2008, 09:53 PM
What is it with sps?

I dont have any (yet), but to me all i see are sticks and branches!

NealNano
09/12/2008, 10:10 PM
Cause SPS are the coolest corals!! The true reef builders. Plus they are like crack, once you get that first taste you get addicted.

heyfredyourhat
09/12/2008, 10:21 PM
So thats its.

We prefer zoas over sps, but i tell my wife that sps are so popular because it is a sign of an experienced reefer.

Genetics
09/12/2008, 10:34 PM
I don't think it means you're an experienced reefer. It just comes over time. At first the fish are awesome, then the softies that move a little are cool, and then out of nowhere you are trying to take a second mortage to upgrade to sps.

serpentman
09/12/2008, 10:35 PM
For me, its the brilliant colors and shapes. A nicely grown in SPS tank is truly a thing of beauty. Some can be a particular challenge to keep. However, that alone would not be fulfilling enough reason to justify the time/energy involved in keeping them. IME, one must truly appreciate them for it to be worth it.

LUVSPS
09/12/2008, 10:46 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13343808#post13343808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Genetics
I don't think it means you're an experienced reefer. It just comes over time. At first the fish are awesome, then the softies that move a little are cool, and then out of nowhere you are trying to take a second mortage to upgrade to sps.
You hit the nail on the head. That was exactly how it was with me! SPS didn't appeal to me at all when I got into reefing but somehow the LUV just comes:)

plyle02
09/12/2008, 11:02 PM
I think someone mentioned challenge.... IMO, it is like a work of art, similair to bonsai keeping.... Many reefers out there can and do keep sps living, however, to obtain the beuatiful colors, it usually requires great skill. IMO, it is also a commitment to strive for optimal natural saltwater conditions in effort to achieve a balanced ecosystem. Otherwise, most sps simply will not survive and definitely not color up. So why do we are we obsessed? I like the astetic look of sps, growth patterns, colors, challenge, and the variety of different corals. To each his own... Good luck!

heyfredyourhat
09/12/2008, 11:21 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13343808#post13343808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Genetics
I don't think it means you're an experienced reefer. It just comes over time. At first the fish are awesome, then the softies that move a little are cool, and then out of nowhere you are trying to take a second mortage to upgrade to sps.


I am at the softie stage right now! As of now the only reason i would want sps is to see if i can grow it. Maybe in time i will learn to love them.

Mikeeee
09/12/2008, 11:34 PM
I started off with softies.. i thought zoas, palys, rics etc were going to dominate my tank...HA! was i ever wrong. Once i bought my first frag from my LFS which was a green montipora cap and some acro i was hooked! When i only had softies i looked at SPS and thought whats so great? but after you buy that first SPS frag..and put it in the tank and watch it color up and grow.. its a great feeling and you realize how much better they are then your softies! After those 2 frags i bought a bunch of frags and i now have something like 20+ sps frags and plan to get a few more :). I too was worried about getting SPS because i was hearing how much more difficult they are which is sort of true.. because they do require more care.. and are not bulletproof like zoas. But i learned as the time goes on you find out at what parameters SPS do best in your tank.. and keep it stable from there and other regular maintenance and they will grow into large colonies in time :D.

heyfredyourhat
09/12/2008, 11:48 PM
My original plan was an all zoa and ric tank too!

cutegecko3
09/13/2008, 12:01 AM
When i started my first FOWLR tank,i could'nt wait till the day i had a big system with large caps.

When the day did come i ended up with a small tank full of acros. instead.

liveforphysics
09/13/2008, 03:54 AM
Right now, every SPS in my tank started from 1/2"-1/4" tiny frags.

Mounting them is like planting seeds. You watch over them and care for them and look forward to watching what they grow into.

I love to observe the amazing growth patterns and shapes. A healthy SPS tank actaully grows fast enough to notice new growth on nearly a daily basis if you are very in-tune with your corals.

I have a few soft corals, and I've noticed something interesting. When non-reefers come over and see my tank, the only corals that they ever have any interest in are the softies. They never seem to care about the SPS. When a vetran reef-keeper comes over, it's quite the opposite.

When I make my daily morning check on the tank before I head to work, it's never the soft corals that I'm checking on. I'm always checking to see how my fuzzy sticks are doing.


You form a solid attachment to something that you carefully glued down when it was just a chip smaller than your pinky nail. Now it's a healthy branching colony that you frag for people on a weekly basis.

My girlfriends seem to see them as boreing colored fuzzy sticks. They always love the fish and softies. At this point, I simply wouldn't keep a tank if i couldn't have SPS. SPS is about 95% of the total motivations that lead me to keep an aquarium. When I started out, I didn't see the appeal to them, now it's the entire appeal to the hobby.

I hope that helps !
-Luke

5iron
09/13/2008, 04:03 AM
growth

fishybuisness
09/13/2008, 05:25 AM
I would agree whit what most people have alredy said, the deeper you get in to the hobby and the more time passes, your intresst usually goes towards sps, but also clams,rics and whatever is more challenging to usually, to try and get a feedback on what uve learned and looked forward to trying...

I love sps truly... but i would love to be able to keep Dendros and corals as such.. wich at the moment just doesnt seem possible... atleast not in the same comfort as whit SPS.

Maybe in the future you will see Dendros and corals as such more than SPS, or in a combination whit them.

gasman059
09/13/2008, 05:34 AM
It just feels so much better. It’s like the difference between sex and masturbation; they both get the job done, but the one feels so much more pleasurable. LOL
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

onano
09/13/2008, 05:37 AM
For me it was just a natural progression like others have mentioned. I started with softies. My favorite at the time was a yellow leather that I just thought was the coolest thing. Then came the the LPS stage. Dendros got me hooked and today it is probably still my favorite. The challenge of buying such an expensive coral and being able to spot feed it and watch it grow (you could see the growth unlike the softies) was a great feeling. That really led me to the next challenge, SPS. I upgraded tanks and started as a mixed reef with all of my favorites of the past. Over time the tank has slowly transformed to SPS dominated with a few LPS but no softies. The softies were fragged for friends and my nano now houses the corals from early in my journey. Not sure what is next...not ready to go bigger. For now I am enjoying watching the reef grow and mature daily.

PnoyReefeR
09/13/2008, 05:51 AM
I think for me its the challenge and look of it.. The look of a matured SPS tank looks so much better than a matures softie/LPS tank.. its the acro screamin out of the water makes it looks nice.. its just me and not bashing softy/lps people..

60Cubed
09/13/2008, 06:44 AM
I have about 50 different acros, (not to mention the encrusting monti's and caps!), all in a 60 cube. I still have a few zoas and some FL/yuma rics. BUT the SPS are hands down the most addictive corals out there. They are not more difficult to keep, they just require more consistent params. I think the perception of difficulty is different among each reefer. The majority of people who have issues with SPS tend to have an existing problem prior to acquiring the coral. i.e. improper lighting, flow issues, param off.

Maybe I have just been keeping SPS so long I forgot how it was in the beginning. Because now I spend a crapload on high end SPS. More than I ever would before. I don't see the difficulty in them anymore. JMO

M007
09/13/2008, 08:45 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13344079#post13344079 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mikeeee
I started off with softies.. i thought zoas, palys, rics etc were going to dominate my tank...HA! was i ever wrong. Once i bought my first frag from my LFS which was a green montipora cap and some acro i was hooked! When i only had softies i looked at SPS and thought whats so great? but after you buy that first SPS frag..and put it in the tank and watch it color up and grow.. its a great feeling and you realize how much better they are then your softies! After those 2 frags i bought a bunch of frags and i now have something like 20+ sps frags and plan to get a few more :). I too was worried about getting SPS because i was hearing how much more difficult they are which is sort of true.. because they do require more care.. and are not bulletproof like zoas. But i learned as the time goes on you find out at what parameters SPS do best in your tank.. and keep it stable from there and other regular maintenance and they will grow into large colonies in time :D.

BINGO! Hit it right on the head. Plus in my case one day a crab takes an interest in your zoa and all you can do is watch them disappear :lol:

plyle02
09/13/2008, 09:03 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13344534#post13344534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
It just feels so much better. It’s like the difference between sex and masturbation; they both get the job done, but the one feels so much more pleasurable. LOL
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that is funny, but totally dead on.....:lol:

kingsland
09/13/2008, 09:12 AM
It is really is a love affair. My first was a blue Staghorn. It was so beautiful and it was downhill from there! I never tire of watching them grow and I love caring for them. They are such a barometer of what is occuring in their environment. They speak to you. They tell you when they are happy and when they are not just by their behavior.

mrme
09/13/2008, 10:10 AM
When i was a child reading Books on Marine life, I was very awe struck at the sight of 20' Green slimers and 10' across montiporas.
The sponges.. the dendros. I really love it all.
The sps just provide a little more fun, Because they require better conditions, So its always a challenge for me to keep things just right. I have both a Fresh and saltwater tank, My freshwater, I just set and left it.
Change the filter cartrige and water change monthly.
I love my reef, because i get to spend so much time tinkering around, still trying to find my sweet spot.

Now.. eventually would i want a fully sustainable system that i would only need to flip a switch on, and feed the fish ?
Yes of course.. But thats all in due time.. and with due funds.

cato
09/13/2008, 10:20 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13343808#post13343808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Genetics
I don't think it means you're an experienced reefer. It just comes over time. At first the fish are awesome, then the softies that move a little are cool, and then out of nowhere you are trying to take a second mortage to upgrade to sps.

LOL so true^^^. It's an illness. :D

IFbettas
09/13/2008, 11:42 AM
I got into SPS because I love to watch things grow. That's also the reason my dad and I planted 200 trees on our lot over the past couple years.

sfsuphysics
09/13/2008, 12:43 PM
I have two tanks in my fish room, a 110g softie tank, and a 100g stony tank (sps with some lps, although they're segregated). When my glass is clear (this is a big "if" though :D) they're both very nice to watch, I sometimes sit on a stool in front of either tank for an hour a few inches from the glass just staring at one area.

My soft tank gets all the praise from people coming over because corals are swaying, it looks alive. That tank is an uncontrolled experiment though in that I let everything grow uncontrolled, with the exception of aiptasia if I see them.

My stony tank is a completely different philosophy, it's more like a zen meditation where not much is going on, I think of it like my "Bonsai" tank change is very slow and gradual, but there's something about it when you're staring at a coral, and you see the tiny polyps whipping back and forth... I dunno. Maybe because it's harder work I like it more.

Soft tank, cut my colt coral down a 3 inch nub.. within 6 months it's 14" tall and spread out like a fat oak tree... stony tank, 6 months later I'm lucky if there's a few extra branches that are maybe 1" long. Uncontrolled and Chaotic vs Slow and Steady.

deep6er
09/13/2008, 01:58 PM
my addiction started with zoa's, Then i found this new stuff called sps. Yesterday I spent $300 on 4 frags, and I have no place to put them . I just cant stop. Please help.

SeeDemTails
09/13/2008, 02:00 PM
Once you reef for a little while, soft corals get boring.

Being successful with SPS is the next challenge after you master soft corals.

jackson6745
09/13/2008, 03:09 PM
Honestly, I can't afford LPS and zoas. Have you guys checked the price of the highly sought after zoos and LPS? tiny tiny chalice frags going for $200-$300...LOL.
I'll stick with a $50 Oregon tort frag that has better color than most corals out there.

Reefflections
09/13/2008, 08:31 PM
A few years back,these were the corals to have.It's has taken a nose for SPS keepers..The Acro Flatworm hit the scene,and really SPS keepers,were having a hard time get rid of them.The collection sites aren't as good as before.The last big SPS was from Bali.Which we don't see the SPS we use to get in here.We used to be able to buy small colonies.Now your are lucky to just see a frag today.I would say they are harder to keep.Because one thing goes wrong and your SPS is history.My friends tank had a total melt down.All the lps corals made it.The SPS are history,and I'm taliking about 200 SPS.For sure a lot more demanding.
If the market changes,watch what happens to prices for SPS again.They will go threw the roof.What goes around/comes around......This hobby seems to run in cycles.And I'm sure it's a matter of time when the Aussie will cut the pipe line off,with these LPS corals..

fishdoc11
09/13/2008, 08:45 PM
When I started reefing I looked at lots of tanks and the ones that I really liked were predominately Acros and Montis. The first "SPS" tank I saw was Randy Donowitz's 75 gallon in a reef magazine in 2001. That was long before I discovered RC. I just fell in love with the tank in the picture. It's been downhill ever since:D

Chris

Aj Flip
09/13/2008, 09:30 PM
maybe its because they are sooo easy to frag, just break and glue

and there is a sense of accomplishment when they thrive in your tank because they are one of the more difficult corals to keep because of their high demands of supreme water quality and intense light

xtm
09/14/2008, 10:02 AM
Let me summarize my SPS addiction into two words: High Risk. We all love high risk stuff - overspeeding, gambling, etc and SPS is no exception. A little parameter that is off and you get RTN. If the lighting is "incorrect" your colors will look terrible. Things like that.. also SPS tends to be more unpredictable. What looks green in the LFS tank could turn into a deep blue in your tank.. things like these are very interesting to SPS keepers.

alten78
09/14/2008, 10:41 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13344534#post13344534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
It just feels so much better. It’s like the difference between sex and masturbation; they both get the job done, but the one feels so much more pleasurable. LOL
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL thats the funniest analogy ive seen in a long time :lol: Right on at that!

My original 30g was fowlr, then I fell in love with lps and thought who cares about a bunch of sticks. Getting that first red cap peaked my interest, then an amazingly beautiful green acro did me in. Don't get me wrong, I still have and love my frogspawn and zoos as almost like a filler between frags. Overall its a combination of color, growth, challenge, and the vast variety of them all.

reefkoi
09/14/2008, 11:47 AM
Because when the planets are all aligned properly the SPS tanks look incredible.
C

Denadai
09/14/2008, 01:25 PM
I love SPS because then can change his color in a month if they have the proper conditions

Besides, the SPS can show to you the health of your system and your water quality

You can learn a lot about marine aquarium just looking every day to yours SPS

Regards

Mykel Obvious
09/14/2008, 01:53 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13346337#post13346337 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sfsuphysics
...

My stony tank is a completely different philosophy, it's more like a zen meditation where not much is going on, I think of it like my "Bonsai" tank change is very slow and gradual, but there's something about it when you're staring at a coral, and you see the tiny polyps whipping back and forth... I dunno. Maybe because it's harder work I like it more.

Soft tank, cut my colt coral down a 3 inch nub.. within 6 months it's 14" tall and spread out like a fat oak tree... stony tank, 6 months later I'm lucky if there's a few extra branches that are maybe 1" long. Uncontrolled and Chaotic vs Slow and Steady.

Very well put!! I started out thinking Zoas and Rics and Shrooms with maybe a LPS in there somewhere... didn't even last a month :lol:

I got a Purple Polyped Green Birdsnest frag in my first frag pack and it was over... grows like a weed, so fast I swear I can watch it grow if I sit long enough ;) There's just something about the colors and growth patterns and polyp extension that I've found I truly love about SPS... out of 40+ frags currently in my tank, 22 are SPS and about 80% of what I look at acquiring now are Acros

Don't get me wrong, I'm a mixed reefer at heart... love Favia, Favites, Blastos, Platygyra, Acans, Micros and the like... and will have several of each in the lower portion of any tank I run, but I will always have SPS now as well... there's just no going back :bum:

JER-Z
09/14/2008, 03:50 PM
i love sps because it is challenging.