LPS stands for Large-Polyped Stony coral.

LPS corals do build a stony skeleton, like SPS corals, but the polyp size is dramatically larger with LPS than for SPS. Whereas an SPS coral might have hundreds of polyps on a single branch, LPS corals often only have 2 or 3 polyps on a branch. And these polyps might be several inches across.

LPS corals tend to be much easier to keep alive than SPS also. They often will do well in water that is a little more "polluted", with higher nutrient levels, nitrates, and phosphates, than in SPS systems.

For this reason, we usually grow our LPS corals in soft coral systems.

Requirements

LPS corals are often very brightly colored. They are popular in the hobby. They light medium to bright lighting, good water flow, although not as rapid as SPS corals. Many of them live in lagunes in nature, on mud flats, and aren't used to getting a lot of current. So lower current levels are ok. They often do best on the sandy bottom in a fairly brightly lit spot.

Overall, LPS corals are ideal for beginners whose tanks are established and at least several months old.

If you want to see the current selection of LPS that our farm has for sale, you can visit the website here