Time do sps

[Red Sea reefer]

Hello folks , I already done with my LPS collection in my 210 gallon tank
I have around 60 pieces LPS coral now and all of them are happy .
2 month ago I got 2 pieces of sps ( acropora , pocilliopora ) and both of
Them doing great and already start growing .
So my next step will be adding 8 more pieces of sps . ( 2 montipora , 4 acropora ,1 pocilliopora , seriatopota )
But before I make my order I just wanna know what you guys think ??
Any recommendations , any story wanna share ??

Thanks in advance

[mpderksen]

As you go, keep up the testing of the big 3. If they're healthy, you could drop Ca really fast. I assume you'll QT (even though I admit I don't QT frags), but get some eggcrate and magnets. Start your frags low and move up slow.
Post pics.

[thegrun]

It can be a little tricky to keep both sps and LPS corals in the same tank. Sps generally likes clean water, LPS tends to do better with slightly higher nitrates and phosphates. You can keep both, but there is a fine line to walk keeping both.

[tkeracer619]

Take out a $100 bill and burn it. That's usually a good starting point

Make sure to dip the corals at a minimum. It really sucks when you get bugs or flatworms.

[JammyBirch]

I have an SPS dominant tank but also have a Hammer, Torch, Brain and candy cane in the DT...25g so it's a lot of LPS.

My experience is to keep your tank nitrates at detectable levels, ~5ppm. I'm not a believer of SPS like clean tanks, in fact when I used to run a pristine water quality tank they did worse, but everybody has there own experiences. I'd also recommend starting with Alk @ ~8dKh, Calcium @ 400-420 and Mag @ 1250-1350, which you're probably already close with LPS in there. The common thought is that high alk will promote SPS growth and moderate Alk will promote better colors.

My experience is the moderate level is better, the corals are much happier the color is vivid and the growth is good enough for me, I frag once a month. It gets annoying.

Anyway if you want to go to higher levels that's great I'd recommend starting at ~8dKh though...

I bet you're going to love the SPS game...you don't get the motion but the growth formation is really bizarre and very cool. Good luck...

PS. The pocillopora can be considered a nuisance it multiplies and can pop up all over your tank...I ditched mine when it showed up on a my circ pump...weird.

[Red Sea reefer]

Originally Posted by mpderksen

As you go, keep up the testing of the big 3. If they're healthy, you could drop Ca really fast. I assume you'll QT (even though I admit I don't QT frags), but get some eggcrate and magnets. Start your frags low and move up slow.
Post pics.

Thanks for the tips

[Red Sea reefer]

Originally Posted by thegrun

It can be a little tricky to keep both sps and LPS corals in the same tank. Sps generally likes clean water, LPS tends to do better with slightly higher nitrates and phosphates. You can keep both, but there is a fine line to walk keeping both.

I keep my no3 at 2 ppm , po4 less than 0.05 ppm
My LPS doing just great with those parameter
And they are growing but now the fast
Only my zoa frags and acane frag they just keep multiplying so fast

[Red Sea reefer]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Take out a $100 bill and burn it. That's usually a good starting point

Make sure to dip the corals at a minimum. It really sucks when you get bugs or flatworms.

Already burn couple of 100 $ hhhhh

Already dip all my corals and think a I will use QT this time

[Red Sea reefer]

Originally Posted by JammyBirch

I have an SPS dominant tank but also have a Hammer, Torch, Brain and candy cane in the DT...25g so it's a lot of LPS.

My experience is to keep your tank nitrates at detectable levels, ~5ppm. I'm not a believer of SPS like clean tanks, in fact when I used to run a pristine water quality tank they did worse, but everybody has there own experiences. I'd also recommend starting with Alk @ ~8dKh, Calcium @ 400-420 and Mag @ 1250-1350, which you're probably already close with LPS in there. The common thought is that high alk will promote SPS growth and moderate Alk will promote better colors.

My experience is the moderate level is better, the corals are much happier the color is vivid and the growth is good enough for me, I frag once a month. It gets annoying.

Anyway if you want to go to higher levels that's great I'd recommend starting at ~8dKh though...

I bet you're going to love the SPS game...you don't get the motion but the growth formation is really bizarre and very cool. Good luck...

PS. The pocillopora can be considered a nuisance it multiplies and can pop up all over your tank...I ditched mine when it showed up on a my circ pump...weird.

Thanks that explane alots

I keep my no3 at 2 ppm , po4 less than 0.05 ppm
Ca at 420 ppm mg at 1300 ppm ph at 8.3

The only thing is my ALK is 10 ppm what you think should I get it down to 8 ppm and why is that I have read before if you dose carbon is better to keep
It at 8 ppm but I didn't get it why ???
One more thing to add I have a biopellets reactor
And for lighting I have hydra HD units

Thanks again

[JammyBirch]

The answer to the Alk question is I don't know. I haven't read about recommended Alk levels if you're running Carbon, I don't run carbon very much at all so I just don't know.

I think there are two (2) ways to get Alk down:
1. delay a water change until the Alk is at the desired level, this lets it come down naturally but the risk is Nitrate build up.
2. Use a salt mix that does not have elevated Alk and Calcium levels, like regular Instant Ocean.

For me if my tank ran at 10dKh Alk every SPS in the tank would burn up and bleach out, also known as RTN where the flesh peels off.

I don't know anything about the biopellets reactor I don't run one, I use an Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS) to help process nitrate and phosphate.

I'm not familiar with that light either, I use the Reefbreeder Value fixture, it's a manually controlled LED fixture with two (2) channels for white and actinic.

[Red Sea reefer]

Originally Posted by JammyBirch

The answer to the Alk question is I don't know. I haven't read about recommended Alk levels if you're running Carbon, I don't run carbon very much at all so I just don't know.

I think there are two (2) ways to get Alk down:
1. delay a water change until the Alk is at the desired level, this lets it come down naturally but the risk is Nitrate build up.
2. Use a salt mix that does not have elevated Alk and Calcium levels, like regular Instant Ocean.

For me if my tank ran at 10dKh Alk every SPS in the tank would burn up and bleach out, also known as RTN where the flesh peels off.

I don't know anything about the biopellets reactor I don't run one, I use an Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS) to help process nitrate and phosphate.

I'm not familiar with that light either, I use the Reefbreeder Value fixture, it's a manually controlled LED fixture with two (2) channels for white and actinic.

I use a dosing pump to dose ca and ALK so I think if I lower the rate I can keep it at 8 ppm but I didn't get it why is the 10 ppm can kill the sps ??
I thought should be 7-11 ppm

[JammyBirch]

some SPS keepers are just fine at those levels. My tank doesn't though...I don't know what is going on chemistry-wise to cause problems from high alk but it happens.

[Red Sea reefer]

Already start lowering my dosing rate to half
It will take about 10 -20 days to drop to 8 ppm
Will see what happens .
The good thing about 10 ppm I got lots of coralline algae growing