Advice for sps

[JennyRS]

Hi everyone, so my 10g just turned 2 years old last month and after having lots of success with softies, lps and a rbta, I am looking to try out sps. Before doing this though, I wanted advice on what to start with and placement in my tank. I have some zoas, mushrooms, frogspawn, toadstool, xenia and the rbta. I plan to pass on the toadstool at minimum and the frogspawn to make space for the sps depending on what I go with. My light is an AI Prime HD. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

[mbarton2010]

looks like you might need to upgrade size  but if you do get rid of the toadstool and frogspawn, that would leave a little room. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

I would get something pretty cheap and hardy to start.  Some birdsnest, green slimer acro, maybe a monti cap.  See how one of those does and go from there.  Your tank is pretty well established.  What are your parameters and do you test regularly?

[JennyRS]

Thanks guys! Yes I ended up giving up the toadstool and the frogspawn as they were taking up way too much room and upgrading isn't an option for me yet (I need my own place)... anywho, I do test regularly and last time I checked everything was where I need it to be but I'm going to test again before I add anything. Sg is kept at 1.025, temp 78f ph 8.3 dkh 9 ph 8.2 calcium 400 amm nitrite 0 nitrate 0.01 ppm magnesium 1300 ppm iodine 0.7 and strontium 10 ppm.

[Thrassian Atoll]

25 minutes ago, JennyRS said:

Thanks guys! Yes I ended up giving up the toadstool and the frogspawn as they were taking up way too much room and upgrading isn't an option for me yet (I need my own place)... anywho, I do test regularly and last time I checked everything was where I need it to be but I'm going to test again before I add anything. Sg is kept at 1.025, temp 78f ph 8.3 dkh 9 ph 8.2 calcium 400 amm nitrite 0 nitrate 0.01 ppm magnesium 1300 ppm iodine 0.7 and strontium 10 ppm.

 

You should be good to go!  

[Cannedfish]

Most importantly, congrats on two years! That's like two and a half years longer than any of my college relationships! And a third of the time it took me to graduate!

[JennyRS]

3 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

Most importantly, congrats on two years! That's like two and a half years longer than any of my college relationships! And a third of the time it took me to graduate!

LOL thanks! This is the farthest I've achieved with this level of success with reef tanks and I can't wait to add a frag or two thinking I may go with monti or acro.

[Five.five-six]

SPS need flow, a lot of flow.  More flow than you think.  The softies and LPS will adapt for the most part but they won’t look happy for about a month.  

 

Start off with montipora digitata or stylophora.  Also, calcium, alk and magnesium are criticle for SPS health.  You will want to be testing weekly for months before you get a good feel for your consumption rates.  

 

You probably need more lights too.  

 

Have fun!! SPS are more rewarding.    

[JennyRS]

2 hours ago, Five.five-six said:

SPS need flow, a lot of flow.  More flow than you think.  The softies and LPS will adapt for the most part but they won’t look happy for about a month.  

 

Start off with montipora digitata or stylophora.  Also, calcium, alk and magnesium are criticle for SPS health.  You will want to be testing weekly for months before you get a good feel for your consumption rates.  

 

You probably need more lights too.  

 

Have fun!! SPS are more rewarding.    

Thanks for the tips. I thought the prime would be enough, shows how much I know right? But i did the right thing by asking questions first before diving in. If my mushrooms didnt take up so much space I would have a little wiggle room but then I figure the sps would prefer to be up top anyway. I also had a nano ph but it recently shorted out and shocked me so i need to get a new one. Okay I will test for a few more weeks and see how they continue and then go from there. 

[NanoReefMinimalist]

Montipora cap and birdnets are relatively easy.

[gone_PHiSHin]

the AI Prime HD over a 10 is plenty of light for SPS

 

i would recommend, as a couple have already suggested: montipora capricornis, birdsnest, montipora digitata, setosa.

 

the biggest thing is you will need to monitor your alk/calc levels daily and start dosing to maintain them.  

 

i would recommend the Hanna alkalinity checker.  it is really easy to use, and you will be using it a lot.  

 

ESV bionic is a great, easy 2 part that has been around for a long time, also recommend that.

[JennyRS]

Thanks so much! I will definitely have to work on keeping my levels in check as I just had a nitrate spike ? so time will tell. I will look into the items you mentioned and we will see how things go! #fingerscrossed