If you’ve graduated from our Top 10 Beginner SPS list, then we’ve created a little more challenging list so you can really test your skills. These corals will challenge your ability to maintain parameters and adapt so that you can really pull out their true colors and truly master growing SPS corals.
1. ACI Manila Spy
The coveted ACI Manila Spy, originally brought in by the late Jake Adams, is a well known piece of SPS. Although it looks like an anacropora with it’s thin branching growth structure, it’s actually a type of montipora, which can most likely be one of the rarest subspecies of montipora. Its unique branching pattern and the subtle blend of colors make it a standout piece in any reef aquarium.
2. ORA Pearlberry
ORA’s Pearlberry show’s off amazing hues of blue, teal, and green. This acropora looks amazing in both daylight and heavy blues. For more acropora keepers, this is a must have due to its incredible coloration.
3. Oregon Blue Tort
Oregon Blue Tort is one of the deepest blue acroporas there is on the market. While this piece is beautiful under blue light, the true blue’s are shown off under daylight. The Oregon Blue Tort has been aquacultured for decades now, which makes it more resilient to changes in water parameters and a perfect intermediate SPS coral.
4. TSA Fruity Pebbles
TSA’s Fruity Pebbles is one of our favorite signature TSA pieces. It blends green and purple together to create a brilliant contrast. This piece was also responsible for creating the TSA Fruity Splice, which was a genetic morph solidifying both an even brighter green and deeper purple.
5. Blue Seas Beast Montipora
The Beast Montipora is a montipora palawanensis that displays a vibrant orange and yellow plate with light blue and purple polyps. Originally acquired by TSA 5 years ago from a trade show, we’ve grown this piece in a multitude of lighting and water parameters making it incredibly resilient.
6. TSA Long Island
TSA Long Island is another tabling acropora originally imported from indonesia. This piece has incredible coloration as it grows out, where the center of the colony can become orangish and the outsides are filled with pinks, purples, greens, and yellows.
7. CC Voodoo Majick
Cherry Corals Voodoo Majick is an acropora that provides great movement, especially for an acropora, due to its polyp extension. This piece has a unique pastel coloration with a pastel green, pink, and purple.
8. Looney Tunes Styloconiella
One of the classic Styloconiella’s the Looney Tunes is a rainbow encrusting piece of coral that can really pop on the back wall of a tank. It’s a piece that can fill up a lot of space in a relatively short period of time. The Looney Tunes stylo prefers low light and high flow to really grow and show off its colors.
9. JF Fox Flame
Jason Fox’s signature Fox Flame is another classic piece of coral displaying vibrant yellow tips and a purple body. We recommend placing it over an edge so that it can grow into a beautiful colony. Its striking color contrast and growth pattern make it a favorite among many reef enthusiasts.
10. BC Bubblebath Unicorn
The Battle Coral’s Bubblebath Unicorn looks like a cross between JF Shocktart, Paletta Pink Tip, and Orangesicle. It has a gradient from green to purple and with its growth structure, has the ability to easily become a centerpiece for any tank once it grows into a colony.
Caring for these advanced SPS corals requires a well-established tank with stable water parameters. It’s crucial to monitor and maintain calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, and pH levels, alongside regular water changes and adequate lighting and flow. These corals, with their vibrant colors and diverse growth patterns, are not just pets but pieces of living art. As you take on this challenge, remember that patience and attention to detail are key in bringing out their best colors and forms. Happy reefing!
