Coral Types & Care Requirements

Most corals fall into one of 4 categories; soft coral, large polyp stony (LPS) coral, small polyp stony (SPS) coral, and non-photosynthetic (NPS) coral. Each of these four coral types has its unique care needs and appearance. The following infographic lays out the basic requirements and guidelines for keeping each of these coral species.

Requirements	SPS	LPS	Soft	Non-Photosynthetic
Lighting	Medium to High	Low to Medium	Low to Medium	N/A
Flow	Medium to High	Medium	Low to Medium	Low
Tank Placement	Middle to Top	Middle to Bottom	Middle to Bottom	Bottom
Difficulty	Expert	Intermediate	Beginner	Expert
Feeding	Recommended	Recommended	Optional	Required
NO3	1-5 ppm	1-10 ppm	1-10 ppm	1-10 ppm
PO4	0.01-0.04 ppm	0.01-0.10 ppm	0.01-0.10 ppm	0.01-0.10 ppm
Most Common	Acropora & Montipora	Euphyllia & Acans	Zoanthids & Mushrooms	Gorgonians & Tubastrea
One to Keep	Montipora	Torches & Hammers	Zoanthids	Gorgonians
One to Avoid	Acropora Echinata	Goniopora	Xenia	Dendronephthya

While each of these coral types and varieties have plenty of diversity when it comes to their individual care requirements, this chart serves as a guide to help illuminate some of the basic needs of each coral family.

If you have any questions about the requirements of a specific coral species, or you’re in need of a suggestion for which coral to add to your tank, feel free to contact our experts here.

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