The mixed reef is reef-keeping's sweet spot: a community of soft corals, LPS, and the easier SPS in a single system. It rewards moderate care and forgives parameter drift better than dedicated SPS reefs.
Lighting
PAR 150–250 across the rockwork with shaded zones at substrate level for low-light corals like mushrooms.
Flow zoning
High flow at the top for SPS, gentle flow at the bottom for LPS, calm pockets for softies.
Coral placement order
Add softies first (zoas, mushrooms, leathers), then LPS (hammers, frogspawn, duncans), and only after 6 months add easy SPS (montipora, birdsnest).
Plumbing is the difference between a quiet, leak-free reef and a 24/7 anxiety machine. Three principles separate professional plumbing from amateur work.Bulkhead…