Fastest Growing SPS Corals
Small polyp stony (SPS) corals are extremely popular for experienced hobbyists. So, if you’re looking for the fastest-growing SPS corals to fill your reef aquarium, you have come to the right place!
As hobbyists, we aspire to create striking displays full of colorful corals. Although SPS corals need a little more patience and maintenance, successfully growing SPS corals inside your reef tank is extremely rewarding.
Some SPS corals grow like weeds, quickly dominating your aquarium, while others can take slightly longer to fully establish and grow.
To help you out, we have selected the fastest-growing SPS corals for your reef aquarium.
SPS Coral Care: Water Conditions
Providing your SPS corals with stable water parameters is the key to successfully growing corals. Below are the general water conditions for SPS corals.
How To Encourage SPS Coral Growth?
To encourage fast SPS coral growth, you should:
- Maintain stability
- Be patient
- Provide the right lighting on the PAR level
- Allow enough water flow*
- Mount SPS coral frags sideways
- Run the pH near the top range (8.2 to 8.4)
- Move your coral if they are not growing in their current position
*Struggling with water flow? Read our guide to increasing water flow inside your aquarium.
Fastest-Growing SPS Corals
The following corals are some of the hardier fastest-growing SPS corals suitable for both experienced and beginner hobbyists.
- Bird’s Nest Coral
- Staghorn Coral
- Plating Montipora
- Branching Montipora
- Stylophora
Bird’s Nest Coral
Overview:
- Scientific Name: Seriatopora hystrix
- Other Common Names: Needle coral, Finger coral, Brush coral
- Colors: Pink, purple, yellow, or green
- Lighting: High
- Water Flow: Indirect, moderate to high
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Growth Rate: Approx. 2-4 inches a year
Bird’s Nest corals are one of the fastest-growing SPS corals you can get your reefing hands on. They are also ideal if you are new to the hobby because they are typically easy to care for.
Bird’s Nest corals have mesmerizing thin branches that are almost ‘messy’ looking like sticks in a bird’s nest. Its thin branches help with their fast growth rate, yet, it also means they are slightly more delicate than other SPS corals.
Always handle Bird’s Nest corals with extra care, but do not be too hard on yourself if one of the branches snaps off, as they are very good at quickly regrowing any breakage.
The care requirements for Bird’s Nest corals are similar to mainstream SPS corals like Acropora and Montipora. To maintain their beautifully bright colors, Bird’s Nest corals require an indirect medium to high water flow accompanied by strong aquarium lighting (PAR: 300-450).
Staghorn Coral
Overview:
- Scientific Name: Acropora formosa
- Other Common Names: Staghorn Acropora
- Colors: Dark gray, brown, or vibrant pinks, purples, and blues
- Lighting: Moderate to high
- Water Flow: Random, moderate to high
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Acropora corals dominate coral reefs because they are the building blocks of coral reef ecosystems. They have thick branches that expand outwards like stag antlers, which is how they got their common name.
They are relatively fast-growing SPS corals, known to grow up to eight inches a year in captivity if the conditions are right. Because of their rapid growth, you may need to trim back your Staghorn coral to prevent it from penetrating the water’s surface.
In terms of where to place them… If you want the branches to form shorter and more compact, place them slightly higher up your aquascape. For long thick branches, place them lower down.
The most popular fastest-growing Staghorn coral is the Green Bali Slimer (Acropora yongei).
Plating Montipora
Overview:
- Scientific Name: Montipora capricornis
- Other Common Names: Vase coral, Cap coral
- Colors: Purple, green, or red
- Lighting: Moderate to high
- Water Flow: Moderate to high
- Temperament: Peaceful
Out of the SPS coral group, Montipora corals (Montis) are some of the fastest growing. Plating Montipora corals have very interesting growth patterns. They grow in a unique spiraling pattern, stacking like plates.
For optimal growth, medium to high water flow and moderate to high lighting are recommended. They truly are spectacular corals to watch. So, if you are looking for a fast-growing SPS coral that is not too expensive, Plating Montipora is a great choice!
Branching Montipora
Overview:
- Scientific Name: Montipora stellata
- Other Common Names: Velvet Branch coral, Velvet Finger coral
- Colors: Orange, green, brown, pink, blue, purple, yellow, gray, or tan
- Lighting: Medium to high
- Water Flow: High
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Growth Rate: Approx. 2-4 inches a year
Branching Montipora corals are fast growers that quickly spread around aquariums, but do not worry as they are very easy to trim back, should they get out of hand! As they are a type of branching SPS coral, they also do not take up much space on the aquascape, making them perfect for slightly smaller reef aquariums.
Branching Montis have a fuzzy appearance with smooth tips as the branches grow and extend.
To make their colors pop, we recommend using blue LED lighting. For advice on enhancing coral coloration, read out guide here.
Stylophora
Overview:
- Scientific Name: Stylophora
- Other Common Names: Cat’s Paw coral
- Colors: Bright green, pink, teal/turquoise
- Lighting: High
- Water Flow: High
- Temperament: Mostly peaceful, some are semi-aggressive
- Growth Rate: Approx. 2-4 inches a year
Stylophora are branching SPS corals, commonly called Cat’s Paw, from the family Pocilloporidae. They have thick finger-like branches usually with pink tips.
Not only are they fast growers, but they are also extremely colorful and hardy. In fact, they are so hardy compared to their SPS relatives, that we wouldn’t hesitate adding Stylophora as one of the first SPS corals to a new aquarium.
Their colorations are super vibrant, but to maintain their stunning colors, you need to pay attention to the aquarium lighting. We recommend LED aquarium lighting with a full spectrum, slightly more towards the blue region.
Summary
SPS corals are fantastic additions to any reef tank. With patience and maintaining tank stability, SPS corals grow very well inside aquariums.
If you have any questions regarding the care of SPS corals, or what SPS corals we have to offer, do not hesitate to contact the Reefco Team, we are always happy to help with any aspect of your aquarium setup.
