Soft vs LPS vs SPS Corals: Which Should You Start With?
By Melbourne Tropical Team Β· 2 min read
Confused by coral types? Here's a clear breakdown of soft, LPS and SPS corals - how they differ, how hard they are, and which to start with.
The three groups of corals
Reef corals are grouped into three broad types based on their structure and care needs. Understanding them is the key to buying corals that will actually survive in your tank.
Soft corals (start here)
Soft corals have no hard skeleton - they are flexible and sway in the current. Think mushrooms, zoanthids, green star polyps, leathers and Kenya tree. They are the hardiest and most forgiving corals, tolerate lower light and flow, and are the perfect place for beginners to start. Many grow fast and are easy to frag and trade.
LPS corals (the next step)
LPS (Large Polyp Stony) corals have a hard skeleton with large fleshy polyps - hammers, torches, frogspawn, Duncans, candy canes, acans and brain corals. They are a great intermediate choice: hardier than SPS, responsive to feeding, and often very colourful. They need stable calcium and alkalinity to build their skeletons, and many have stinging sweeper tentacles, so give them space from other corals.
SPS corals (for experienced reefers)
SPS (Small Polyp Stony) corals - Acropora, Montipora, birdsnest, Stylophora - have tiny polyps on a hard skeleton and are the most demanding. They need intense light, strong flow and very stable, low-nutrient water. Save them for when your tank is mature and your parameters are rock-steady.
Which should you start with?
Start with soft corals while you learn to keep your parameters stable, then add a few easy LPS like Duncans and candy canes, and only move to SPS once your reef is established and your alkalinity barely moves. Browse our coral care guides for the exact light, flow and placement each one needs.