Coral species compatability

[Jenemone]

I have had my reef for a couple of years now, and I really want to branch out with coral species. However, I am not sure that I understand sps vs. lps, etc. I don't know what I can have next to each other, how much room to leave between corals, etc.

Can anyone explain this to me or point me to an article about it?

I have a 40 gal with lavender, green stripe, and hairy muchrooms, yellow sunburst (?) polyps, two leather colonies (same species, but not sure what kind), two regular BTAs and one rose BTA, two blue damsels and a tomato clown. Also have roughly 75 lbs of live rock and 5" of sand.

Thanks
Jen

 

[Len]

Jen,

SPS and LPS will coexist well, but you'll have to provide enough distance between the corals so one doesn't touch the other. Of particular concern is LPS corals since SPS corals have such short tentacles. Some LPS corals throw out really long "sweeper" tentacles; These corals include Galaxia, Hammer, Torch, Frogspawn, and sometimes Bubble Corals. As a rule of thumb, I'd keep SPS at least 6" from any LPS coral. Reposition if you see your LPS coral throwing out long sweepers to attack its neighbors.

For SPS interaction, just make sure they aren't touching or overgrowing/shading each other. Keep in mind SPS grow fairly quickly and can overshadow anything below it.

Soft corals should have space between them and stoney corals too. Some soft corals exude chemicals that harm stoney corals (for example, toxins that prevent hard corals from calcifying), so 6" space is also recommended. Mushroom and yellow polyps will sting LPS and SPS corals to death, so keep their distance. It is a good idea to encircle thse types of corals with rubble rock. That way, when they spread, you can prune back the expanding colonies by simply removing the surroudning rubble rock which they grow over.

Hope that helps.

 

[Jenemone]

Thanks Len. I didn't know that my polyps and shrooms were harmful to SPS and LPS.

One further clarification. What is the difference in SPS and LPS? This is something that I have not ever fully understood. Do I just need to take this coral by coral or is there a rule of thumb? I'm confused!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

LPS and SPS are both Scleractinians, or stonly corals. LPS is large polyped stony and SPS is small polyped stony. Some examples would be SPS - monitpora sp., acropora sp. LPS examples would be bubble corals, frogspawn sp.

A suggest that you pick up a copy of Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals - Selection, Husbandry and NAtural Hisotry.. An excellent reference guide to corals.