how to choose SPS

[cowgum]

Hi guys,

just been to PR and noticed that they have a new shipment of acros, birdnest and staghorns and many ppl were examining very closely thr corals. As I am not so experience with sps, just want to find out from the old birds as hw do u guys choose the sps?? What do you look for and what conditions to do you have to advoid.

thks!!!

[FuEl]

Hi guys,

just been to PR and noticed that they have a new shipment of acros, birdnest and staghorns and many ppl were examining very closely thr corals. As I am not so experience with sps, just want to find out from the old birds as hw do u guys choose the sps?? What do you look for and what conditions to do you have to advoid.

thks!!!

Maybe you might want to read up a little on the pinned threads under the sps section before learning how to choose sps?

[cowgum]

hi...I have read them already.

Dun really intend to keep sps really...prefers lps but just curious about wat u guys look at when choosing sps loh...cos i saw many of the guys were like going thru the corals for so long and they were like staring and turning them all over. so just want to find out more about them..

never hurts to know more rite...

[FuEl]

Okie..glad to know you have done the necessary reading. They take time to choose because sps are expensive. They need to make sure that there are no pests like aiptasia, nudibrachs etc...and also look out for the dreaded rtn (rapid tissue necrosis). An entire colony can be wiped out by rtn.

[Achilles Tang]

Its just a question right?

SPS connoisseurs are very much like durian connoisseurs in the sense that when we will pick up the specimen, we'll smell it - SPS can smell sweet, tanngy, strong, light, delicious, stingning to the downright offensive! You can guess the short term health of the specimen if visual inspection fails.

We're like diamond connoisseurs by how we look intensely at its colour, growth form, polyps. We inspect for damage, RTN, STN, bleaching, parasites.

It pays to read about the many different SPS corals and learning how to identify them because you have to know what kind of conditions different species thrive in - be it water flow, lighting, proximity to other corals, water conditions etc.

You have to choose carefully because its very much like choosing a prized koi or arrowana... it may turn out to a great disappointment (much of the time) or become a real beauty!

In discussions with fellow SPS aficionados, we always talk about 'colour potential', 'growth forms & speed', 'colour retention' etc, personal observations and other areas of husbandry specifically related to SPS.

Hope this helps.

[cowgum]

oki...make sense now why they take so long to examine the corals now that u mentioned the $$$ part....and sure saw many aiptasia on the tank surfaces...

Thks!!!

[Achilles Tang]

Forgot another point.

Every tank is different in terms of aquascaping.

You have to inspect the specimen and visualise how to mount the specimen for optimal light and water circulation, bearing in mind that given optimal conditions, SPS corals may grow extremely fast and take up lots of physical space, causing coral aggression, light blockage over other corals & affecting water circulation.

[cowgum]

aiya!!! kanna caught by AT liao!!!

I'm a newbie trying to sneak a cheap shot into fishin some info inot sps mah!!! gimme a chance mah dont expose me so fast !!!

but seriously, I am quite impressed and inspired after seeing AT's tank recently. But my tank a bit small and pack to do anything much...so maybe after i get a bigger tank and more $$$ later, I might do sps. But on another hand i still prefer something that can "sway and move" like lps ley...

So in the mean time I find out more about them lah...