Can I keep SPS with soft corals?

[florin1]

I've got a mixed reef tank with some Zoas and Mushrooms, but I'm thinking of adding a few SPS frags. Will they get along, or is it gonna cause issues? My tank's a 40-gallon with AI Prime lighting, and I do weekly 10% water changes.

[woodcut]

It's possible, but SPS need stable params and higher light. Softies can handle more fluctuation. What's your alk and calcium at? If they're steady, you might pull it off, but keep an eye on aggression. Some softies release chemicals that can mess with SPS.

[Flynnoa]

It's possible, but SPS need stable params and higher light. Softies can handle more fluctuation. What's your alk and calcium at? If they're steady, you might pull it off, but keep an eye on aggression. Some softies release chemicals that can mess with SPS.

Yep, and flow matters too. SPS love high flow, but softies might not. Gotta find a middle ground or zone the tank. My Montis do fine near my Leathers, but Acros? Sketchy.

[universitykid]

I've kept Acropora with Xenia in a 75-gallon. Key was spacing—kept them far apart. Also ran carbon to handle any chemical warfare. My nitrates were around 5 ppm, phosphates 0.03. SPS grew slow but steady.

[duskon]

Sounds like a lot of work. I'd stick to one type unless you're gonna test daily. My softies took over when I slacked on water changes.

[Lyn]

Nah, it's doable if you're chill with tweaking stuff. I've got a mixed tank with LPS, SPS, and softies. Just gotta feed the SPS more and keep those params tight. My Red Planet thrives next to my GSP, weirdly.

[FluxRay9]

Nah, it's doable if you're chill with tweaking stuff. I've got a mixed tank with LPS, SPS, and softies. Just gotta feed the SPS more and keep those params tight. My Red Planet thrives next to my GSP, weirdly.

For real, it's all about balance. I dose amino acids and keep my alk at 8.5 dKH. Softies don't care, but SPS will show stress fast if things dip. Also, skip the cheap salt mixes—they're inconsistent.

[florin1]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll test my alk and calcium tonight and maybe start with one hardy SPS like a Birdsnest to see how it goes.

[woodcut]

Good call. Birdsnest is a solid starter SPS. Just watch for any recession at the base. If it's happy, you can try more demanding species later.

[Flynnoa]

And if the Birdsnest starts bleaching, don't panic. Sometimes they just need time to adjust. Took mine a month to color up under my LEDs.