Other SPS

Other SPS brings together small-polyp stony corals that fall outside the main Acropora and Montipora groups. These corals are worth choosing by their individual growth form and care needs: the SPS label does not mean every specimen belongs in the brightest part of the reef.

For example, Pavona benefits from circulating water that keeps folds and textured surfaces clear, while Leptoseris can do well under more moderate illumination than a typical high-light Acropora position. Acclimate lighting gradually and consider how encrusting surfaces or plates will affect neighbouring colonies as they expand.

Match any supplemental food to the coral's small mouths and avoid leaving deposits on the tissue. Give growing edges space and monitor contact with other corals. Selecting the actual genus and form first makes placement, feeding and long-term maintenance more reliable than using one rule for every SPS coral.