Coral Types & Care Requirements

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
Coral Types - Lighting: Medium to High
Medium to High
Coral Types - Lighting: Low to Medium
Low to Medium
Coral Types Lighting: Low to Medium
Low to Medium
N/A
Flow
Coral Types - Flow: Medium to High
Medium to High
Coral Types - Flow: Medium
Medium
Coral Types - Flow: Medium to High
Low to Medium
Coral Types - Flow: Low
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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