How long did it take to have nice color + stable SPS reef tank since you started reef

[pusanpa]

How long did it take to have nice color + stable SPS reef tank since you started reef hobby?

It took around 3years for me.
1st year softies + LPS -> 2nd year LPS + so so SPS -> 3rd year coloful SPS(not 100% yet still working on it)

[Fish_wiz2]

one upgrade but i started getting better colors and comments once i upgraded to my 75, everything colors nicely but growth is alright. it's a mixed that i'm slowly converting to SPS and it's barely a year

[pusanpa]

Good job Fish_wiz2! 75g will be my next upgrade.

[Fish_wiz2]

Thanks, wait until i blow some new lights, that will be BAD yo. hey if you can wait i'll sell you my tank once i upgrade to a 120-180 or custom tank

[hansnfrans]

It should only take about 4-6 months if you monitor the tank well and have good nutrient export. But IMO you'd really have to be on top of your game to have a thriving SPS tank in that short of time.

[Fish_wiz2]

Originally posted by hansnfrans
It should only take about 4-6 months if you monitor the tank well and have good nutrient export. But IMO you'd really have to be on top of your game to have a thriving SPS tank in that short of time.

You know me Garen, always trying to get the best equipment. But yep it's been tough through my year experience. i remember when i had white/brown SPS and now colorful thriving ones

[hansnfrans]

Wiz - it sure helps to have the experience under your belt to get those colors quicker. I didn't have much SPS experience when I tried to start an instant SPS tank 2 years ago and that definitely slowed me down (it was a disaster)

[Fish_wiz2]

Seriously, without RC i don't even know if i could even keep a reef not to mention SPS. you and many others have guided me well and i still look up to you guys for that

[Roman Ogee]

Had colorful sps at 2 months. Stability at 6 months.

[BenjieC]

Originally posted by Roman Ogee
Had colorful sps at 2 months. Stability at 6 months.

It helps to have a large volm of water.

[broke1]

Originally posted by BenjieC
It helps to have a large volm of water.

I agree to a point. I can tell you that once a large volume of water gets out of wack, it's hard to get it back under control.

I actually had SPS in my 240 the first day it was set up. It was a combination of two other tanks though. I actually had better luck with the tank right away than I do now. Maybe the sand bed is done but something is screwing it up.

[Roman Ogee]

Originally posted by BenjieC
It helps to have a large volm of water.

Or having that "magic" touch.

Originally posted by broke1
Maybe the sand bed is done

[Helter Skilter]

I had sps in my tank before I even plumbed the thing... just some powerheads and LR.

[SlowCobra]

Originally posted by Roman Ogee
Or having that "magic" touch.

I think the comment of "I think the sandbed is done" means that it has reached the point that it no longer actually filters anything but is a nitrate factory from detritus, etc. He has battled his tank, and algae, forever and nothing seems to go well for him. He has tried everything under the sun and essentially his tank just hates him.

[madadi]

ive had real nice SPS colors form the start. it just wasn't all the time. every time i would buy a new coral, the colors would be great for a while lol. after about a year i was able to maintain the colors and corals started to look really great.

[pusanpa]

Originally posted by broke1
I actually had better luck with the tank right away than I do now. Maybe the sand bed is done but something is screwing it up.

That happend to me also. I always had great luck after tank move.
Fresh new sandbed help buffer(stable) your water for first 6-12month. I am planning to replace sandbed every 6-12months. My sand is about 3years old.
Robertus(netherland reefer at sps forum 50gallon tank) does that too.

[madadi]

so will you get all new sand or just wash the one you have?

[pusanpa]

I think I will replace old sand around 50% with new sand.

[madadi]

how deep is your sand? you going to replace it in the sump and main tank?

[pusanpa]

Only around 1.5" deep in the display tank. I got rid of all the sand in the sump last night. It was a lot of work.
I will use filter sock in the sump to take out the sand. It is convenient and you don't need a extra bucket.

[madadi]

have you been having problems with nitrates? was the sand black and stinky as you went deeper into it?

do you still dose vodka?

[pusanpa]

Just checked my nitrate it is around 1ppm(salifert).

I am not sure how dirty the sandbed is right now.
I will figure that out when I replace the sand.

No more vodka. I switched to zeostart2 + prodibio and much happier right now. Cyano is gone. SPS color is getting better everyday.

[madadi]

glad you are getting good results.

i replaced my sand in my main tank once. it was really dirty. much dirtier then i had thought and i ended up having to brake down the tank to be able to get all the dirt out! im glad i did it, but i have not changed my sand since. i changed the sand from crushed coral to southdown fine sand. i think the fine sand is better at preventing detritus build up. i have not had nitrate problems since. algae stopped growing a few months after the sand was added. chaeto was the same size in the fuge for months and months.

i think in a probiotic system like yours, sand is not that important. an oversized skimmer is.

[pusanpa]

Originally posted by madadi
i think the fine sand is better at preventing detritus build up. i have not had nitrate problems since. algae stopped growing a few months after the sand was added. chaeto was the same size in the fuge for months and months.

Thanks Adrian. Fine sand is what I am going to get!
My tank is doing pretty good but hopefully it does even better after sand replacement.

[BlakDuc]

My new tank had SPS in it from the day I put water in it. I moved all the rock and sandbed from an established tank though. Just the corals were new. I scored a bunch of stuff at the Skokie frag swap about a year ago. That was actually the day after I moved everything over to the new tank. Since then, I just try to keep it as stable as possible. The only thing that really swings is my alkalinity. It swings about 60ppm per week, but I think I have a solution to that. That is with running Kalk every day. I think I am going to double up my kalk dosing since things are starting to take off now. My colors are pretty good for the most part, and most of my SPS have been in the tank for quite a while.