Too SPS or Not Too SPS

[FoundNemo]

Hey Reefers,

I want to gather different opinions about me adding SPS to my dominate Softies, Zoa & Paly tank. The tank is 48x24x24. However, once the move final I will upgrade to 84x24x26. I am running the evol. LED lights from Reefkoi. The tank is setup with a refugium. In the refugium there is a miracle mud and aragonite gravel with about 50+ nassarius snail, 10 nerite snails, and 10 blue legs. I have 10 mangrove stalks growing under a 10000k pc. I use the reef-octopus skimmer for a 220 gallon tank. Also I use the BRW Bio-pellets reactors which goes into my seachem matrix carbon pellets reactor which goes into my sachem hyper sorb pellet TLF reactors. Also the tank is bare bottom.

The tank has been running for close to 5 years in its current location. My water chemistry is NO3 0.0, MG 1200, p.H. 8.04, Temp. 75.6, PO4 0.0, Ammon 0.0, Alk 1.6 - 3.2, CA 500, I2 0.10. I use the Red Sea brand test kits to test my water. I do 30 gallon water changes every 2 - 3 weeks. However, the water is not RO. I do let the water sit for 36 water before changing the water.

Coral
ritteri Anemone, Jumbo Gold Leather, two different types of devil's hand, cabbage coral colony, 2 mini maxi, blue candy, trumpet coral, a few mushrooms, gonoipora (2 green and 2 blue) a few bi color ricordias, pavona, xenia, nice colony of colt coral, GSP growing in there too. Blasto and Duncan, about a 5 head colony of hammer coral, 3 cleaner shrimp, 2 blood red, XLG Zebra snail, a blackish color lettuce nudi, a couple of chalice (hollywood stunner and Mummy Eye and watermelon) war coral, and probably about 150+ different zoo's and paly's.

Fish
Pair True percula's, Pair of Pink Skunk Clown, Six line wrasse, Cirrhilabrus solarensis, scottorum, rubripinnis, filamentosa, exquisite, and aurantodorsalis, 2 blue and yellow damsels (pair). I will add after the move C. Rhomboid, cyanopleura, rubrisquamis, lineatus, jordanii, luteovittatus, laboutei, and a XLG Hippo Tang (which I have now in another tank)

I know it sounds like a lot. However I think I the tank now and without a doubt the larger tank will be able to support everything. I want to know with everything stated above could I successfully keep SPS. If not I won't even waste time, money, and more importantly the corals!!

Thanks you for your feedback and Mods if I post this in the wrong forum please move to the correct location!! I will try to upload some pics later.

[Jim_Dont_Care]

for sps u need alot of flow and verry clean water so a bigger skimmer might be needed but flow is verry important with them. your temp at 75 is low also might want to bring that up to 78

[FoundNemo]

Cool , Cool, Cool, Thank you my good man! I am running the Tunzes power head system I have three but I only run two because of the flow rate. They controller says Multicontroller Tunze 7095 and the boxes say 7240.27 (no clue what that means, lol).

The tank normally is right at 78. However, I've been running the A/C and the temp dropped slightly. How much bigger for the skimmer? I really wish I know the exact model of this one. I know one thing it is pretty big and really skims.

I appreciate the advise!!

[Jim_Dont_Care]

well look online and compair it to the other pictureds reef octopus makes 3 differant kinds then measure the needle wheel and you will know excatly what you have

[FoundNemo]

Sweet Thanks

[CUNAReefer]

Hi FoundNemo,

Hope all is well!

You have some very nice equipment. To answer your question... Yes! You can add SPS to your tank. You should wait until you upgrade to the larger tank though. You want to avoid putting the extra stress on the corals. Acropora are a very delicate species. You parameters do look good now, but you also want to give our new tank some time to stabilize before adding SPS.

Someone else will need to chime in on your fish selection.

You will want to provide a good amount of space between the soft corals and the SPS. As you may know, Soft corals can wage chemical warfare on their close neighbors. Since you already run carbon in your system, you should not have to worry about any lingering toxins in the water (assuming regular changes of the carbon)

One other good reason to give your new tank some time is your anenome. Anenomes like to move around to find a happy spot in the tank. You want to ensure that your flow and lighting are going to be relatively the same over time, or you may encourage your anenome to go for a walk. Your anenome has the potential to cause significant damage or death to an SPS colony. There are quite a few SPS tanks that are very successful even with anenomes.

Good luck with the new build! Take it slow and you will be successful.

Warmest Regards,
James

Originally Posted by FoundNemo

Hey Reefers,

I want to gather different opinions about me adding SPS to my dominate Softies, Zoa & Paly tank. The tank is 48x24x24. However, once the move final I will upgrade to 84x24x26. I am running the evol. LED lights from Reefkoi. The tank is setup with a refugium. In the refugium there is a miracle mud and aragonite gravel with about 50+ nassarius snail, 10 nerite snails, and 10 blue legs. I have 10 mangrove stalks growing under a 10000k pc. I use the reef-octopus skimmer for a 220 gallon tank. Also I use the BRW Bio-pellets reactors which goes into my seachem matrix carbon pellets reactor which goes into my sachem hyper sorb pellet TLF reactors. Also the tank is bare bottom.

The tank has been running for close to 5 years in its current location. My water chemistry is NO3 0.0, MG 1200, p.H. 8.04, Temp. 75.6, PO4 0.0, Ammon 0.0, Alk 1.6 - 3.2, CA 500, I2 0.10. I use the Red Sea brand test kits to test my water. I do 30 gallon water changes every 2 - 3 weeks. However, the water is not RO. I do let the water sit for 36 water before changing the water.

Coral
ritteri Anemone, Jumbo Gold Leather, two different types of devil's hand, cabbage coral colony, 2 mini maxi, blue candy, trumpet coral, a few mushrooms, gonoipora (2 green and 2 blue) a few bi color ricordias, pavona, xenia, nice colony of colt coral, GSP growing in there too. Blasto and Duncan, about a 5 head colony of hammer coral, 3 cleaner shrimp, 2 blood red, XLG Zebra snail, a blackish color lettuce nudi, a couple of chalice (hollywood stunner and Mummy Eye and watermelon) war coral, and probably about 150+ different zoo's and paly's.

Fish
Pair True percula's, Pair of Pink Skunk Clown, Six line wrasse, Cirrhilabrus solarensis, scottorum, rubripinnis, filamentosa, exquisite, and aurantodorsalis, 2 blue and yellow damsels (pair). I will add after the move C. Rhomboid, cyanopleura, rubrisquamis, lineatus, jordanii, luteovittatus, laboutei, and a XLG Hippo Tang (which I have now in another tank)

I know it sounds like a lot. However I think I the tank now and without a doubt the larger tank will be able to support everything. I want to know with everything stated above could I successfully keep SPS. If not I won't even waste time, money, and more importantly the corals!!

Thanks you for your feedback and Mods if I post this in the wrong forum please move to the correct location!! I will try to upload some pics later.

[rmalone]

Go with a few cheap, not ugly, just cheap acros before you get silly. From experience acros and sps in general are much more difficult than almost everything else, including nems. So wade into the shallow end before you throw too much money at high end sps. Just from my experience.

[CUNAReefer]

Originally Posted by rmalone

Go with a few cheap, not ugly, just cheap acros before you get silly. From experience acros and sps in general are much more difficult than almost everything else, including nems. So wade into the shallow end before you throw too much money at high end sps. Just from my experience.

I agree 110% Probably some of the best advice you can get. You have to learn to crawal before you can walk!

Start with a monti cap, a birdsnest, or even a small (cheap) acro frag from a local reefer. You want to ensure your parameters are stable. Wild swings in your Ca, Alk, Ph, Temp, etc. can spell doom for your new prized SPS.

Keep the questions comming!

James

[FoundNemo]

Thanks guys!!

I completely forgot about my nem walking!! Its been in the same place for a year, so I over looked that fact. My plan was to dedicate 36 inches in the new tank to my SPS Selections. I was thinking spacing would be an issue if I tried to mixed them in with the softies. Plus I wanted the new build to by more natural looking then mixed IMO. Yes my carbon is changed every time I change my water.

There are few guys on MR that come to mind when it is time get my SPS frags. To be honest probably about 85% of my corals and 100% of my equipment (excluding the tank, stand, canopy, and return pumps) has came from fellow MR's!

Thanks again guys!!!

[gablett]

As long as you dot your i's and cross your t's SPS really isnt that difficult. Give them good light, enough flow and proper levels they pretty much take care of the rest. SPS is not this unreachable height as long as you are willing to do it right. Actually IME SPS is easier for me to keep than Zoas were. Just take your time and dont cut corners.

[rmalone]

Originally Posted by gablett

As long as you dot your i's and cross your t's SPS really isnt that difficult. Give them good light, enough flow and proper levels they pretty much take care of the rest. SPS is not this unreachable height as long as you are willing to do it right. Actually IME SPS is easier for me to keep than Zoas were. Just take your time and dont cut corners.

Well said, it's the constant nature of dotting eyes and crossing t's that kills most of us. Its not so much the difficulty but rather the diligence, that undermines most of our sps adventures (mine included). Nearly everything else will tolerate one or two "insults" sps, hmm not so much.

[gablett]

Yes that is true. But most people don't start a reef with the anticipation of being able to set it on a shelf when you are bored with it for a month. Its an every day commitment. You stick with it everyday, and you will be successful.

[katymunoz]

Originally Posted by gablett

. Actually IME SPS is easier for me to keep than Zoas were. Just take your time and dont cut corners.

HAHA! I agree 100%!!!! I actually posted the same thing about zoas versus Sps in this thread a few days ago!!!! Too funny. Zoas are the worst IMO as well!!!!

browning of zoas and palys , questions

[dknuckles]

Just noticed your Alk 1.6-3.2 (or 4.5-9) that is a heck of a drastic fluctuation (not to mention low on the 1 end)! Especially for SPS! Until that is stabilized I would not even consider SPS.
Myself, I am a die hard calcium reactor fan, keeps alk perfect consistantly. Dosing is ok if testing daily (IMO)

[jamey1010]

Yep the high calcium (500) will drive the alk down, I would definitely get a plan in place for steady alk and also your mag is low at 1200, higher mag helps stabilize things in the water available to the sps corals. Your looking for 1300 at least.

Funny about the zoa's I was thinking the same thing, get one that cost more than almost any sps frag only to watch it melt But get some ugly ones and they try a take over of the tank and even kill our pets.

I got a nice sunset monti on his way to encrusting over some trailer trash palys