How much easier is an LPS/softie reef compared to SPS?

[pw154]

Is an LPS/softie dominated reef that much easier to keep/maintain than a full blown SPS reef? Is dosing calcium/alk still required with LPS? What sort of differences in requirements and maintenance are there between SPS and LPS? Thanks :)

[steelhead77]

LPS/Softies don't require as pristine water conditions as SPS. They can handle a little "dirty" water.
They also are not as light dependent. You can keep most LPS under PC's (they won't thrive, but they will survive) but SPS have much higher light requirements.
Same thing with flow, SPS have much higher flow requirements than LPS.
SPS tanks also have higher calcium/alk needs than LPS. You will need to supplement or have a calc reator if you want to keep SPS.
Out of all those, the pristine water requirement is probably the most difficult to keep under control, especially if you have fish. A lot of SPS tanks have only a few fish in them.

[thegrun]

+1 on the above. A high load of SPS will also likely require you to set up a calcium reactor, as normal dosing (cost) and/or Kalk water top off (not be able to keep up with demand) will not be adequate.

[Nanz]

Much easier to keep LPS. I have tried SPS and have been unsuccessful multiple times. I have plenty of light(6x54W T5), Ca Reactor(450-500ppm Ca) and flow(50x) but with only 6.0 ppm of NO3 my SPS become algae magnets. SPS are not cheap either.

[pw154]

Think I'll stick to LPS for now!

[DC_40gallon]

Ditto to all the above. Just lost a $35 sps that I loved and because of that and the simplicity and beauty of lps, I'm going to stay lps for years to come with the exception of birdsnest. For some reason I can grow birdsnest very well!

[GhostCon1]

Have to monitor Ca/Alk/Mag pH and salinity, but these are normal things to test for when keeping corals.

The hard part is the water quality (nutrients), lighting, and flow.

Need to feed them as well. Depending on what else is in your tank and coral coloration, you may need to dose extra stuff (I want to say amino acids but I am not 100% sure on that since I have not researched it and/or started to try it).

SPS are also very finicky.

[Scuba_Steve]

LPS will grow a lot faster with dosing, but the requirements are not as high. The do build a calcium skeleton, and eventually will deprive water of it. You can maintain proper levels simply by doing water changes, but it is not as effective. LPS like semi dirty water, and can handle a tank with heavier feeding. They will eat most foods you put in the tank that is left over as well as long as it makes it by a mouth. I got tired of the regiment SPS required, though I think LPS can be more expensive IMO. I never bought huge show pieces, normally small frags. LPS just isnt as available in small frags. Many require at least small colonies.

[rivoth]

Be careful of making broad generalizations about SPS and LPS. Make your choices based upon information about the individual corals that you are interested in and how they interact.

Either choose a coral that you most want to keep, and build your water flow and lighting around that, or choose a water flow and lighting setup and choose corals that are suited to those levels. Do that on an individual basis, not on some meaningless category like LPS/SPS/softie.

[GhostCon1]

rivoth,
LPS/softies DO require less light and less flow than SPS. I don't understand where your whole "meaningless category..." assumption is coming from. Seeing as how that is a very important category when deciding flow, lights, etc.

[rigleautomotive]

For some of you above that tried SPS several times without sucess.Changing out 20% of your tank water with 0 TDS RODI and a good reef salt WEEKLY will greatly improve on your sucess with acroporas.That and keeping them well away from soft corals and LPS is also a biggie that I see overlooked many times.But yes to the OP Q,LPS are easier then acroporas.Serataporas,pocillaporas,stylophoras are easier then acroporas but a bit tougher then LPS/Softy tank.GL

[tmz]

A few thoughts:
Sps, particularly acropora come from the upper reef and require more lighting and lower nutrient water( surface reef water holds ,<0.02ppm NO3 and about 0.005 PO4) .High PO4 levels interfere with calcification and harms them. Keeping organics low helps too.Light feeding with small micron foods is also helpful. Alternating brisk turbulent flow is also very important to move the polyps around exposing them to light and food and to prevent localized hypoxic conditions particularly at night.. They are quite sensitive to shifts in alkalinity.

Some lps are very sensitive to high current and many come from lagoons or lower reef areas where nutrients and the turbidity of the water are greater.They calcify quite a bit though and need carbonate alkalinity and calcium in acceptable ranges( alk 7 to 11 dkh / calcium north of 400ppm) and reasonalbly low PO4. Lighting requirements vary based on the individual specimen and it's native habitat.

Leathers and octorals can range from very sensitive to very hardy. Some don't need much light relatively speaking but some do particulary to show there brighter greens or yellows.. They too require carbonate alkalinity and calcium to form sclerites( calcium carbonate splinters ,in their tissues ) which help them stay erect .