The Beginner's Guide to Mastering LPS Coral Care

LPS corals, or Large Polyp Stony corals, are the showstoppers of any reef tank. With their vibrant colors and fleshy polyps, these coral species can transform your aquarium into a mesmerizing underwater world. LPS corals are not only beautiful but also relatively easy to care for, making them a great choice for beginners and experienced aquarists alike. Their adaptability and striking appearance have made them popular among reef enthusiasts.

Understanding LPS Coral Biology

LPS corals are unique creatures that belong to the phylum Cnidaria, making them close relatives of jellyfish and sea anemones. These corals have large, fleshy polyps attached to a hard calcium carbonate skeleton. Most LPS corals form a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae called zooxanthellae, which live within their tissues and provide them with essential nutrients through photosynthesis. This symbiotic relationship is crucial for the coral's survival and growth, as it provides up to 90% of the coral's energy requirements.

To keep your LPS corals healthy, it's important to maintain a stable environment that supports both the coral and its symbiotic algae. This includes providing the right amount of light, proper water flow, and essential nutrients. The zooxanthellae need light for photosynthesis, while the coral polyps need water flow to bring in food particles and remove waste. Understanding this balance is key to successful LPS coral care.

Creating the Ideal Environment for LPS Corals

To help your LPS corals thrive, you need to create an environment that's similar to their natural habitat. Here are the key factors to consider:

Lighting

LPS corals need low to moderate lighting, typically between 50-150 PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation). This is less intense than what SPS corals need, making LPS corals more suitable for beginners. Too much light can cause stress and bleaching, while too little can lead to slow growth and poor coloration. It's important to slowly introduce new corals to your tank's lighting to prevent shock. Many aquarists use LED lights with adjustable intensity and spectrum to provide good lighting for their LPS corals.

Water Flow

Good water flow is essential for LPS corals. They generally like low to moderate flow, around 5-10 times the volume of your aquarium per hour. This helps bring nutrients to the coral and remove waste, without stressing the polyps. Different species may have slightly different preferences, so it's good to research the specific needs of each coral in your tank. Powerheads or wavemakers can be used to create the right flow patterns for your LPS corals.

Water Parameters

Keeping stable water parameters is crucial for the health of your LPS corals. Here are the ideal ranges:

Regular testing and maintenance of these parameters will help ensure your LPS corals stay healthy and vibrant. It's important to note that sudden changes in water parameters can stress corals, so any adjustments should be made slowly. Using good quality salt mixes and doing regular water changes can help keep parameters stable.

Feeding LPS Corals

While LPS corals get some food from their symbiotic algae, they also benefit from extra feeding. These corals can eat a variety of foods. Here are some feeding tips:

• Offer meaty foods like small pieces of shrimp, krill, or mysis shrimp
• Use coral-specific pellets or flakes that contain good protein
• Feed 2-3 times per week, only giving as much as the coral can eat in 10-15 minutes
• Use a turkey baster or feeding stick to feed larger LPS corals directly
• Consider using liquid coral foods for smaller polyp species
• Watch how your corals respond to feeding and adjust as needed

Products like Zoo Plasm Pods and AlgaGen Pods Tisbe are great food sources for LPS corals, providing important nutrients and helping them grow. These special foods can help make sure your corals get a balanced diet, keeping their colors bright and helping them grow well.

Popular LPS Coral Species for Beginners

If you're new to keeping LPS corals, here are some easy-to-care-for species to start with:

• Candy Cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata): Known for its cool striped look and easy care.
• Torch Coral (Euphyllia glabrescens): Has long, flowing tentacles that move in the water, looking really neat.
• Hammer Coral (Euphyllia ancora): Recognizable by its hammer-shaped polyps, this coral is tough and adaptable.
• Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa): Looks like it has big bubbles that expand during the day.
• Brain Corals (various species from the family Faviidae): Named because they look like brains, these corals are generally tough and forgiving.
• Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia divisa): Similar to hammer corals but with more branched tentacle tips, creating a unique texture.

These species are known for being hardy and able to adapt to different tank conditions, making them great for beginners. As you learn more, you can try keeping more challenging species in your tank.

Common LPS Coral Diseases and Prevention

Like all living things, LPS corals can get sick. Some common problems include:

• Bacterial infections: Often cause tissue loss or color changes.
• Fungal infections: May look like fuzzy growths on the coral's surface.
• Parasites: Can damage the coral's tissue and stress it out.
• Tissue necrosis: Rapid tissue loss that can quickly spread across the coral.
• Bleaching: Loss of symbiotic algae, making the coral look pale or white.
• Brown jelly disease: A fast-moving infection that can quickly kill coral tissue.

To prevent these issues, keep water conditions stable, avoid sudden changes in lighting or temperature, and quarantine new corals before adding them to your main tank. Regular water changes, proper feeding, and good tank care are key to preventing diseases. If you notice any signs of sickness, like loss of color, poor polyp extension, or tissue shrinking, act quickly to identify and treat the problem.

Products like AlgaGen Pods APOC can help keep your tank ecosystem healthy, potentially reducing the risk of diseases. These products often contain helpful microorganisms that can compete with harmful bacteria and keep water quality good.

Propagation and Fragging of LPS Corals

One cool thing about keeping LPS corals is that you can make more of them through a process called fragging. This involves carefully cutting a piece of the coral and attaching it to a new base, letting it grow into a new colony. Branching LPS corals are usually easier to frag than those with a ball or encrusting growth form.

When fragging LPS corals, always use clean, sharp tools and be careful not to hurt the parent coral. Attach the frag to a small piece of live rock or a frag plug using coral glue, and put it in a low-flow area of your tank to recover. Proper technique and aftercare are important for successful propagation:

• Use a sharp, clean blade or bone cutters for clean cuts
• Choose healthy parts of the parent coral for fragging
• Let frags heal in a separate tank or a low-flow area of the main tank
• Watch frags closely for signs of stress or infection
• Slowly get frags used to normal tank conditions as they heal

Fragging not only lets you grow your coral collection but also helps preserve coral species and reduce the need for wild-caught specimens.

Conclusion: Enjoying the Beauty of LPS Corals in Your Reef Tank

LPS corals offer a perfect mix of beauty and ease of care, making them a great choice for reef tank enthusiasts of all levels. By providing the right environment, food, and care, you can create a thriving underwater ecosystem that's fun to watch and maintain.

Remember to start slow, be patient, and always research the specific needs of each coral species you add to your tank. With time and experience, you'll learn more about these fascinating creatures and the unique ecosystem they create in your home.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your coral collection, exploring the world of LPS corals can be a really rewarding journey. As you get more comfortable with LPS coral care, you might want to try more challenging species or even consider a larger, more diverse reef system. The key is to enjoy the process, learn from your experiences, and appreciate the stunning beauty these marine animals bring to your home. Happy reefing!