Just softies, just sps, just lps why?

[jeeptp75]

I have noticed that some people seem to set up there tanks with just SPS corals or just Soft corals or just LPS corals. WHy is there. Are they not compatble in the confines of a reef tank or is it just pure look that people like?

[Burgman]

Hi Jeep,

It must be for the look, I have a mixed tank fo LPS,SPS, and softies and they are healthy and grow very well.

Dave

[gobygoby]

here is my reasoning...

Softy's grow fast and take over everything. They will fight with other corals (sps) for space, they will fight and someone will die.

sps corals take a bit more care then softies to maintain correctly. A lot of time its the challenge of caring for the sps corals that creates the draw.

as I said earlier....when corals gorw close to each other they have chemical warfare....and when mixing different types of corals together, the warfare increases and because difficult to maintain to its easier just to avoid the battles..

.02
GOby

[overCee]

Another reason might be that many people are misinformed and believe that all softies, or all LPS, or all SPS require similar types of care.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/cj/index.php

[tom obrecht]

Personally I've tried the "mixed" approach and it does add appeal to te tank. However in time the corals do compete for space and unleass you are very dilligent about pruning I found the sps die out. I have all softies now and even though the color may not be as impressive as sps corals the movement makes up for it. Softies are more forgiving than sps so mistakes may be made on occassion without total wipeouts.

[PelagicMagic]

starpolyps cover everything. I hate starpolyps

[Electrobes]

I think you'll see more specie dominated tanks in very large tanks or very small tanks. For the very small tanks it's just a lot easier. With a smaller water percentage any changes in water quality is felt harder... and this includes battling. As with bigger tanks it usually involves a reefer who is a veteran and perfers a certain type of coral over others.

Both types of tanks won't be completely one type.. just a way more dominated... as for me I have a 40 gal softie/clam tank. I do have a brain coral and a trumpet coral, the rest softies/clams.

[ACBlinky]

I imagine there are lots of reasons. Allelopathy (chemical warfare) is a concern if you're mixing things like leathers with hard corals, and I agree lots of softies will just take over - things like GSP will literally grow overtop of, and kill, other corals. Current is another factor; 'SPS' corals like a lot more flow than most softies, I doubt Xenia or rics would thrive in a tank with 50X turnover.
Some of us do mix it up, I keep 'LPS' with softies but I'm careful to trim back the Xenia, shrooms and GSP often and I run carbon to try and keep the toxins from my leathers from affecting the stonies.

[guitarfish]

I have had softies for the last 2 years. Some polyps, they're not taking over, thankfully, but the mushrooms are, so I have to remove some. I like leathers. I just added a nice branching hammer, my first LPS. I may add one more LPS at some point.

I have a small (75g) tank, and not a huge amount of flow, so I never intended to have SPS which IMO are a whole 'nuther level of care. I do keep carbon in the sump in case there's chemical warfare, but so far, so good.

I also like the gentle motion of softies, and they are very hardy.

[PelagicMagic]

sps care is not as hard as you would think, They are just less forgiving when you mess up

[richfavinger]

In the days of my first system, I kept mixed, and kept them a good distance apart. I have always wondered, as you see the systems here on RC, especially the SPS systems just jammed packed with coral, how do they pull it off? I mean won't other types of SPS fight (per say) or is it that if you keep a side of all Acro', they will "get along" and grow in to the space?

Put simply, assuming enough flow ect, ect., just dot your acro frags around, and they will grow to the location to fill out the tank?

Rich

[Paintbug]

after watching the show Equator, i learned that you dont see SPS mixed with softies in nature. if you do the softies will take over quickly. some softies use chemical warfare to help them with the battle. in an aquarium that can happen as well. SPS also require things like more lighting, higher flow. most softies dont like alot of light or flow. on the other hand many people here mix softies and LPS, myself included, others mix LPS,and SPS, some mix it all. :D

[vessxpress1]

I think people do it to try and minimize the chemical warfare which amounts to less stress on things and probably optimizes growth. Just a theory.
I like mixed tanks. It can be done. I think the carbon helps pull a lot of the chemicals out. They look great to me. Mine's really mixed. This is my first reef tank. If I had to do it again, since I've had all this stuff now and am use to it....I'd probably try to plan it a little better. I feel like I've been pretty haphazard in what I've obtained. In other words, I buy anything that looks cool and throw it in. Which, has worked so far, but I don't know the side effects I've caused. Sometimes I wonder if some of my softies wouldn't close up as much if I didn't have so many LPS or the anemone. But, I don't know.
It's doable. It works. I understand why people keep species specific tanks though. It has to improve health and growth I would think.

[Drewpy]

just keep spacing between agressive and passive corals... when one gets too close-- frag it... running carbon is easy way to help your tank in lots of ways too...

[MiddletonMark]

Because corals come from a very wide range of conditions, and IME can prefer very different aquaria setups.

Nevermind alleopathy, IMO a more `natural' looking tank would likely have less variety, less mixing, and just a few large stands of a few coral individuals - more like what would be seen on the reef.

Given I'm trying for the maximum environment for my corals vs. the minimal necessary environment - I'd rather skip corals that won't thrive in the conditions I have and focus only on ones that can thrive in those conditions. That tends to have me thinking more about what would be found together in nature [and what not] ... and what I'm looking to replicate in my tank.

Just my opinion. I too would suggest Chris' article:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/cj/index.php

[MCary]

I can only speak for myself. I'm sure there is a combination of reasons as mentioned before. And I'm sure just the asthetics of the system is the major factor. But for me its laziness. Single coral types are easier to take care of because the system can be taylored for their needs. Lights, flow, filters etc.

[PelagicMagic]

That’s true. When I removed all my softcoral from my 180 to make it a sps tank I set up a 55g tank to hold the soft corals. I didn’t want to sell them because i have had some pieces for many years. Well with all the attention the 180 gets now, the 55 is very neglected. I don’t even have a protein skimmer on the tank and my lights are very poor. I used a 48" shop light fixture w/ 2 URI VHO's. The lower lighting has actually made my colt coral triple in size. I run a good current and have a fuge full of cheato. That with the 55 lbs or LR is my only means of filtration and water changes are only done once every 2 months from water that comes from the 180's water change

[jbittner]

Guitarfish do you have any pics of your tank?? I have a softie dominated tank and I would love to see another softie tank. It is amazing how these creatures will adapt to any enviorment. I have a tank where softies should not do very well (T5 lighting--high flow (35x)--low nutrients) and my softies love it.