Easier SPS to keep?

[Gagonzalez]

I finally have a Hydra26 for my 28g JBJ Nano and I am looking at some easier types of acropora to keep (Not including Monti's). I use 2 part and dose daily but don't have dosing pumps yet. Any suggestions?

[pyithar]

birdsnest?

[tmz]

Birdsnest isn't acropora ;it's seriatopora and can be finicky particalarly to nitrate,IME. II were r starting out with acropora the milleporas are pretty strudy or the geen slimer, aka youngei.

[footballdude2k3]

Monti's aren't Acros either, tmz has it right with some of the easier acros. Are you looking for acropora in particular, or just different kinds of SPS?

[Pife]

+1 Green Slimmer

[DENIZSEAMAR]

I dunno if I chose correct words. But mostly advices are related to whether easily found in this hobby. Most acros need strong flow and lighting. But if you chose a light fixture mostly with blue and actinic then you may take care of deepwater acroporas.

[SGT_York]

Have you successfully kept the easy SPS corals like stylophora?

Acro's as a genreality are more challenging. Green slimer seems to always do well in my history. I also think getting a good frag is more important than the type of coral, get yours from a competent local reefer and you'll be much better off.

[MondoBongo]

the staghorn acros seem reasonably hardy for me.

i have one particular ORA Green Scripps that grows like a weed.

oddly enough in my tank acros do very well, but Sertiapora spp. and Monitpora digitata do very poorly. go figure?

Bali Green Slimer (Acropora yongei) is only a moderate grower in my tank as well, however i have heard for others that it can be as close to "invasive" as an Acropora can get.

[Gagonzalez]

Thanks for everyone's help. I was looking at Milli's so that's good. Will add a few on this list to my research. As far as lighting, water movement, filtration,etc....I don't have an issue. I have been up and running for 2 years and haven't had a single thing die on me yet thanks to careful research and preparation so far.

As mentioned above, it's a 28g Nano and I am running an Aquamaxx HOB-1 along with BRS Rox Carbon, Purigen, BRS HC GFO and Bio-Pellets.

I currently have a:
7" Alveopora (grown from a 1" frag 2 years ago)
5 1/2" Frogspawn (grown from a 3/4" frag 1 1/2yrs ago)
4" Crocea Clam (grown from 2" a year ago)
3" Acan (grown from a 3/4" frag 6 months ago)
Watermelon Zoa's and Nuclear Paly's
Latest addition is a 1" Green Montipora Cap that is 2 months old and is now just over 2"

From what I understand, and please let me know if I'm correct in thinking this, I should probably be looking at Aquacultured and fellow reefers in my area for frags? So I'm probably a little better off looking at stuff from ORA, Reefgen, DFS, etc...if just for the fact that they were grown in tanks and would be a little hardier?

Thanks

[MondoBongo]

Originally Posted by Gagonzalez

So I'm probably a little better off looking at stuff from ORA, Reefgen, DFS, etc...if just for the fact that they were grown in tanks and would be a little hardier?

i have heard anecdotal reports that tank propagated specimens tend to be hardier in tanks than wild harvested specimens. however, i've never actually seen this substantiated by any studies or data, not saying this information isn't out there, i just haven't run across it.

at any rate, my biggest reason for choosing captive propagated specimens is simple: it reduces stress on wild populations.

this goes for all livestock, from corals to fish. if i can get it captive bred, i will choose that every time over tank raised, or wild caught. with some things this is not always possible, but i do try to do my best.

it is, in my opinion, a better strategy for making this hobby sustainable over the long term.

[Donkeykong]

I also have not come across any actual studies proving that agriculture corals are hardier than wild caught, but it sound logic that just as some fish just dont adapt to aquarium life because of dietary or some sort of environmental needs that have yet to be identified, there are corals that will also be like this. So sticking with tank grown corals you know that the coral is proven to do well in a captive environment and also for most will know what exactly to expect as far as coloration. Many times wild caught corals end up coloring up completely different after being put under aquarium lighting.

[SloppyJ]

Acropora valida is a hardy species.

[Gagonzalez]

One more for my list.......Thanks SloppyJ!

I kinda had the same thoughts on Aquacultured specimens so I'll try to stick to that for now.

Thanks

[tmz]

but Sertiapora spp. and Monitpora digitata do very poorly. go figure?

Curious, what are your NO3 levels?

[tmz]

Best frags I get are from local reefers I trust. A few of them in the propagated corals selling forum are good too.

[Roger30]

Sorry, off topic but +1 for pit bulls! Also thinking of getting my first sps frag. Great thread

[Gagonzalez]

NO3 levels are now 0 with the bio-pellets. Was between 5-10 before them and had algae issues even running 3/4cup of HC GFO every 2 weeks. Issue wasn't phosphate but Nitrate from feeding.

[tmz]

Many report troubles with seriatopora and nitrates;s0ometimes montipora. That's why I asked.

[Gagonzalez]

Oh...OK. Thanks. Nice to know. May try a birdsnest then. My Monti Cap has been doing pretty good. Unless you are talking about Digitata then I can't say much about them.

[MondoBongo]

Originally Posted by tmz

Many report troubles with seriatopora and nitrates;s0ometimes montipora. That's why I asked.

Usually my nitrates run fairly high for what people would usually associate with acros. Around 7 - 10ppm most times I've measure.

Lately they may have edged up a bit higher due to the standard amount of summer neglect my tank gets.

The last M. digitata I had just kind of died from the base up. Never had very good polyp extension either.

May just be one of those "every tank is truly different" things, although I can never rule out other mistakes I'm just not realizing though.

[goldencoralfarm]

Digiata seem like an easy for spa/stony coral for starter. Green slimmer sometimes can be tricky to keep.

[MondoBongo]

to further confound things i have several different M. capricornis that go nuts.

to the OP, regardless of what type you go with, the best rule of thumb i have heard is just stability.

if you can make sure everything stays stable, especially alk/cal/mag, and salinity, all SPS can be hardy. certainly you could argue better growth rates or color with different techniques beyond just that, but as long as they the big params stable you're off to a great start.

the two biggest improvements aside from getting better quality lights i have noticed with all my corals has been getting my auto top off, then again when i started dosing kalkwasser through a peristatltic dosing pump on a timer.

i you're doing two part dosing you've probably already got your alk/mag/cal nice and stable.

Originally Posted by Roger30

Sorry, off topic but +1 for pit bulls! Also thinking of getting my first sps frag. Great thread

pibbles are awesome, and always on topic.

[Gagonzalez]

My alk/ca/mag is pretty stable but I dose 2 part manually so it could be better with dosing pumps which is why I'm asking the question on easier SPS. I don't want to place any SPS' that need rock solid ALK stability since my Alk fluctuates daily between a min of 9.3 and a max of 9.7. My daily rate currently is .4 dkh used per day.