SPS or Small Polyp Stony corals are both challenging and rewarding to keep within a reef tank. Most SPS corals are best suited for the more experienced hobbyists; however, there are some starter SPS corals that make a good choice for beginners. Generally speaking, SPS corals prefer to be placed in areas with high light and moderate to intense amounts of flow. Here is our selection of the most beginner-friendly SPS corals for your reef tank.
Montipora Capricornis (Monti Cap)
Montipora Capricornis is one of the best starter SPS corals. They generally do best when attached to the edge of a rock and allowed plenty of space to grow. As they grow and plate out, Monti Caps can shade corals below them, so make sure not to place any light-demanding corals beneath. Montipora are sensitive to excess nutrients, and performing consistent tank maintenance is crucial to their success.
- Temperament: Peaceful and will even graft with similar species
- Temperature: 75-80 degrees
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026ppm
- Nitrates: 1-10 ppm
- Phosphates: 0.01-0.04 ppm
- Calcium: 400-420 ppm
- Alkalinity: 8-10 dkh
- Magnesium: 1260-1350 ppm
- Recommended Lighting: Moderate to high
- Recommended Flow: Moderate to high
- Recommended Tank Placement: Middle to top areas
- Direct Feeding: Recommend, but not required
- Available Colors: Green, purple, red, and orange
- Estimated Cost: $20-$100 a frag
| Pros of Keeping Montipora Capricornis | Cons of Keeping Montipora Capricornis |
| One of the easier to keep SPS varieties | Dosing of calcium and alkalinity is essential |
| Available in an excellent selection of colors | Moderate to high lighting and flow requirements |
| Can combine different types of Montipora to create a unique look | Prone to Montipora eating Nudibranch’s |
| Fast growth compared to other SPS corals |
Bird’s Nest Corals
Birds Nest is a hardy branching species that does very well in medium light and medium flow and plenty of room for growth. Like most other stony corals, Birds Nest will benefit from dosing both calcium and alkalinity. Occasional spot feedings may also help increase their growth rate. Birds Nest tops our suggestions when it comes to some of the best starter SPS corals.
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Temperature: 77-80 degrees
- Salinity: 1.025-1.026
- Nitrates: 1-5 ppm
- Phosphates: 0.01-0.04 ppm
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- Alkalinity: 8-11 dkh
- Magnesium: 1260-1350 ppm
- Recommended Lighting: Moderate to High
- Recommended Flow: Moderate to High
- Recommended Tank Placement: Middle to top areas
- Direct Feeding: Recommend, but not required
- Available Colors: Pink, green, and brown
- Estimated Cost: $25-$100 for a sizeable frag
| Pros of Keeping Birds Nest Corals | Cons of Keeping Birds Nest Corals |
| Significantly more hardy than most other SPS | Requires moderate to high lighting and flow |
| Fast-growing compared to most SPS corals | Fragile skeletal structures |
| As the coral grows, the top branches will shade lower branches causing them to lose color |
Bali Green Slimer Acropora
The Bali Green Slimer is considered by many to be the easiest Acropora to keep. As it says in its name, this coral creates a thick slime coat when stressed or disturbed. Lots of flow is essential as that will help blow any of this slimy mucus away. Place this coral towards the top of the tank in an area with high amounts of light and flow. Be sure to give this coral plenty of space as it will put on some serious growth under the proper conditions.
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Temperature: 75-80 degrees
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026
- Nitrates: 1-5 ppm
- Phosphates: 0.01-0.04 ppm
- Calcium: 420-440 ppm
- Alk: 8-9 dkh
- Magnesium: 1260-1350 ppm
- Recommended Lighting: Moderate to high
- Recommended Flow: Moderate to high
- Recommended Tank Placement: Middle to top areas
- Direct Feeding: Recommend, but not required
- Available Colors: Green, Pink, Purple, & Brown
- Estimated Cost: $35-$50 for a 1″ frag
| Pros of Keeping Bali Green Slimer Acropora | Cons of Keeping Bali Green Slimer Acropora |
| Its vibrant green color pops under actinic light | Consumes large amounts of alkalinity and calcium |
| Easiest to keep out of the Acropora family | Sensitive to excess nutrients |
| Produce a slime-coat to protect themselves when experiencing stress | Need plenty of light and flow to thrive |
| Inexpensive compared to most other varieties of Acropora |
Final Thoughts on Starter SPS Corals
We hope this guide has opened your eyes to just a tiny portion of the SPS corals that make an excellent choice for beginner reef aquariums. Check back again for future additions to our “For Beginner’s” series.
If you have any questions about how to proceed with your reef aquarium, or if you are on the hunt for an SPS recommendation, feel free to contact our reefing experts here at Simplicity Aquatics.