SPS or Softies? or BOTH!!!!

[SnowManSnow]

I've noticed a trend, even on this message board, that reefers sometimes fall into. What I've noticed is that a lot of ppl want to START with soft corals and eventually move to an SPS tank. Now, I realize that an SPS tank demands more suppliments..lighting.. and so forth... but it's my opion that there are a lot of softies that are much more beautiful than the majority of SPS's. I have a nice bird's nest and a purple digita growing in several places in my 39G reef... but visitors always point out the sofites when they say "ooooooo what's THAT".

So... whats up with wanting to move from a softy tank to an SPS tank? A nice mix CAN be acheived with a little planning.. I've seen it lots of places.

What do you guys think?

 

[sediener]

If I could find any nice looking softies, I'd add them... too often they are only tan and brown and can't compare to the colors of my SPS.

But you are right, my wife has laid claim of ownership to the one softy in my tank... a toadstool with a 10" diameter head which sprouts 3-4" polyps. Really fun to watch him wave around in the heavy current I have in the tank.

- steve

 

[Anonymous]

See what sediener said pretty much explains everything it's a matter of taste, what you think looks pretty. While yes sps corals can have a wonderful coloration, they also can be tan/brown, the bad thing about sps is that they are more likely to turn tan/brown from a beautiful color than softies would. The colors are there, its just a matter of looking for them. Personally though, I'm a sofie fan myself (or some LPS) just because they have soft parts that sway in the current and have a life of their own. SPS corals are like staring at a statue, sure it grows but it doesn't do much else, yes I know they have little polyps that can give a fuzzy look, but nothing compared to a colt or a torch or frogspawn or something.

That being said a mix is sometimes nice, its really a matter of how you can pull it off. Many of these tanks of the month that I see on various e-zines tend to be sps dominated (although there was one not too long ago that wasn't!) and while the sps are absolutely beautiful specimins it just seems too crowded sometimes, and they really don't mix well, it would be like having a few beauiful roses surrounded by some low flowering bushes vs having one huge rose bush, its tastes. But I'm not saying one is better than the other, a lot of it is personal taste, and I don't really have the desire (nor finances) to keep the equipment/water clarity to keep tanks like those that are sps dominated.

 

[Unarce]

Just go with what you love. You shouldn't be affected by what the casual observer goes 'ga ga' over (i.e. you're sci-fi friends might be impressed with the pulsing xenia and your rapper buds might like to see some sharks :wink: ). If you just want to impress other people, it'll be a short-lived hobby.

Basically, since reefers always start off with softies, the only way up is LPS and SPS. Than, people decide which they enjoy better, whether it's because of care level or appearance.

If you're a trendy reefer, than Acans and Chalices are the hot items right now.

 

[wyw]

I love my LPS/softies tank. sfsuphysics, I agree, the movement of the corals look great. I can see the draw towards sps for more color in the tank but I wonder if the thrill of SPS tanks is about the challenge of keeping difficult corals mixed with the desire to own all the high end high-maitnance gadgets ( MH lights, calcium reactors, supplements).

I just like a no fuss tank. Protein skimmer, live rock, live sand not too heavy of a bioload and decent lights. My LPS and softies seem to love it, except those damn green mushrooms.

Maybe it has something to do with reef keeping being a male dominated hobby?

 

[SnowManSnow]

I find that the coloration of softies and LPSs are just as varied as SPSs yea... most are green and brown.. but the majority of SPSs I c are basically the same color. I guess it boils down to just waiting untill your shop gets somthing of intrest in before you buy the "run of the mill stuff". That being said.. I'm probably getting a purple acro next weekend haha.

B.