SPS, short for small polyp stony, covers hard corals with tiny polyps spread over a dense skeleton. Acropora, Montipora and birdsnest are the classic examples, and in the right tank they grow into branching and plating colonies with intense color. Pieces listed now include Acropora Indonesia, Ultra Cultured Acropora and a large 8 inch Neon Red Cyphastrea.
Acropora and Montipora ask more of a tank than most of what we sell. Growing colonies use up alkalinity and calcium, and alkalinity swings are a common cause of tissue loss in an otherwise healthy colony. An Acropora or Montipora tank should already have:
- Alkalinity, calcium and magnesium that hold steady from week to week, plus a testing routine you keep up with
- Strong lighting, with a lower spot where new pieces can adjust first
- Strong, varied flow across the rockwork
- Nitrate and phosphate that stay low and stable without hitting zero
Montipora forgives small swings better than Acropora. Cyphastrea, which many keepers file under LPS, is easier still and does well in lower light and gentler flow than that list calls for. If your numbers still drift, our LPS corals are a good place to learn stony coral care first.
We quarantine every coral before we sell it. If you want to choose the exact colony, shop the SPS pieces listed as WYSIWYG, where you buy the coral in the picture.