Sps?

[maverick]

I've have been keeping softies and lps for awhile now and in the next couple days i want to get my first sps frag. I would like to know if my system is good enough to hold sps with no ill effects to the coral. I have a 5.5g aga. It has been running for 6mo. all my levels are stable. dkh-8.5, ph 8.3-8.6, S.G.-1.024. I have 7lbs of Lr. Gsp, shrooms, xenia, and an open brain. i have recently up graded my lights to have 109w of pc. I would like your opinion on if i could have sps and what kind i should get.

thanks.

[surfy]

Yes, I would start with montipora for your first SPS.

SPS need good water flow and very stable/excelent water quality and of course the more light the better.

 

Montipora are fairly hardy and are a lower light SPS.

 

After you feel more comfortable with keeping Monti's then you can try a Acro or some other harder to keep SPS.

The best thing to do is study about SPS if you plan on keeping them.

 

Good luck.

[skeletor]

I'd push the Alk a little higher than 8.5dkh, (I run mine around 10-11), and watch out for your pH going over 8.5.. you might also want to test for Ca when you start adding monti's as they can grow pretty fast and really suck the calcium down.

 

I'm with surfy on the montipora's, start with some digis and/or caps.

 

-skeletor-

[maverick]

Thanks alot for all the help i think I've decided on a small monti frag.

[gmy]

If you have decent water flow aside from the monti's ------------ Pocillpora damicornis is also known as a great starter sps. I have seen at least three variations of colors ( lime green, pink and brown ) that are somewhat widely available. And the best thing ----- the littlest frag can blossom royally under the right conditions.

[onthefly]

I'd start with the M. dig! M. cap is an option if you have good flow on it, otherwise it will just plate out and take up space. The pocillopora is listed as a beginner coral, but some of the species (particularly the bright pink species) will often brown under PC lighting. I had 110W and mine did. Once I put it under MH....bam! HOT PINK!

 

Also, Acropora Yongei, Acro "bali slimer", certain Acro Valida species, and pavona are often considered lower light SPS. Although they're lower light, it doesn't mean their beginner SPS. You might try the Monti's first, then work your way up.

[mattie]

i agree start w/ a montipora cap or digi (green) does well under pc lights with sps you will need to watch your Calcium and Alk try to keep Ca 400-450 and the DKH (Alk) around 10-12.

 

some questions for ya maverick

109 watts? what combo are you running for your light? and how much flow is spinning thru your tank?

[Ike]

The monti is a good choice. But like Mattie & Skeletor have said, you should push your Alk/Ca a bit higher. But when you do that watch your Ph!!! When the SPS starts to grow it's going to eat up both Ca & Alk. In order to keep the levels up your're going to have to supplement somehow. You can use a balanced 2-part, like B-Ionic, or use Kalkwasser. Both are going to push up your Ph; Kalkwasser is the worst offender. In a 5.5 gallon tank I don't know how much of a supplement it will take to drive your Ph up to a bad level. By bad I mean that when your Ph gets too high the calcium that you're trying to add will begin to come out of solution & coat everything with a layer of white crust. It can sieze up your powerheads, etc. This will make your Alk levels go down drastically, which makes you think you have to add more Ca/Alk, when really that just drives the Ph up even higher making all your Ca supplements just come out of solution faster.

 

I just had this problem. I was dripping Kalkwasser to make up for evaporation in a 15 gallon. But because I have a bunch of SPS they were still using up my Ca/Alk & Kalk couldn't keep up. So I started upping my morning dose of B-Ionic. Well, soon the levels started going down even faster & I had a problem with a couple powerheads binding up because the impellar shafts were coated with calcium. I checked the Ph & it was sky-high. I stopped adding everything except Salifert buffer. Waited until Ph was down to 8.00 & now everything is OK. Alk is @10 & Ca is @400. I'd like to push both a LITTLE higher, but I have to be very careful now.

 

One thing I noticed through this, the whole problem actually happened gradually over the course of a month, was that polyp extension was terrible. Now that I've gotten back on track the SPS polyps are fantastic. Better than I've ever seen them actually.

 

I guess my point in all this, aside from having time to kill before a meeting, is that you can probably put SPS in that tank, but be careful & watch your Ph/Ca/Alk levels with a close eye.

[maverick]

thanks for all the help. I have upgraded my light bumping it up to 135w of pc. I have also got a purple Monti Dig. i have had it about three weeks and it has kept its color and has great polyp extension.

 

The lights i am running are 4-19w 6500K, 3-13w act 03, 2-10w 50/50.

 

and i have 2 10g hob filters and i have an aquaglobe but i have taken it out due to the noise and the space it takes up.

[Reefmaniac]

I, personally, try and stay away from SPS...never had any success with it, even under VHO actinics with MH. I always got STN/SDR and would lose the colony.

 

I think I will stick with LPS and softies.

[discusking86]

Montipora is the best choice, in my opinion, because it can be found in lagoon type habitats, which sometimes have less than perfect conditions in terms of light and current.