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Here are some simple and easy-to-follow tips for keeping SPS corals.

Lighting

SPS corals in most cases require medium to high light. This means PAR somewhere 200 to 350. However, users will find that you can keep SPS in 100 to 1000 Par but those are mostly exceptions. For the vast majority of reef keepers (including our farm) we focus on 200 to 350 PAR for all of our SPS corals. There is no special light fixture that will make your SPS grow faster than the other light fixture. The best advice here is choose a proven light, with long term success from others that provides the required amount of lighting for SPS corals. TRSC uses everything from on/off black boxes to the top end fixtures on the market and have seen (0) difference in growth, coloration or longevity of our SPS corals.

Usually we decided this by asking customers what their parameters are. If they don’t know what they are, or what they are targeting, or what they should be, then chances are they may not have the best success keeping SPS. We typically recommend the immediate purchase of inexpensive test kits and an establishment of base parameters before they attempt their first piece. SPS Corals will require testing at some point and an understanding of consumption and replenishment of trace elements.

Is your water moving? Good.. that’s about it for flow. With that said, we typically recommend that customers have enough flow to move the water around in their tanks to bring oxygen, nutrients, and other trace elements to their corals.  Flow also helps them remove waste.  Random and Wide flow is advised and no you don’t need to target a coral with flow to make it happy. Move water from point A to B as often as possible and your SPS corals will be happy.

We typically don’t see SPS corals chasing down Mysis shrimp in the ocean like a lion in the Serengeti.  Studies have shown that SPS corals can consume powdered foods and that it is beneficial to them. Amino acids and supplements are also perfectly suited for feeding as well. Small-particle foods are advised.