SPS + Zoo's & Rics

[FranktheTankTx]

My big plan is to build a tank with SPS, zoo's & rics. Anything wrong with this idea?

This tank will be bare bottom as well. I intend to have somewhere between 40x -50x flow w/ something like a 12-T5 bulb ice cap retro fit overdriving them to around 720 watts over a 125g-ish tank (25" tall).

How does this sound so far? I guess my main concern was, can the zoo's & rics play along with the SPS under these lights and high flow?

[sin05_omar]

Sound Great!

I dont see anything wrong with SPS,Zoa and rics tank. . . But a word of caution though. . you might not want the Zoa growing on your rockscape. . . they will sting SPS in an attempt to take over space. . .

Perhaps reserving your LR for your SPS. . and your bottoms (pun intended) for your rics and zoa. . .

I am sure the Zoa and the rics can take such lighting and flow. . . if you place them at the bottom of the tank. . .

[King-Kong]

I have great growth from my rics and zoas in my 90g BB with 2x Ushio 14k (250w DE HQI).

The shrooms sit on the bottom, and even seem to take my tremendous flow just fine (just secure them first!)

[HBtank]

I would stay away from Yuma's. Though Ridordia Florida are great in an SPS tank IME...

[Kip]

IME.... mushrooms and zoanthids dont do particularly well in a stony tank (exception maybe the fla rics)

well... i should say a low nutrient stony tank that most run these days

now... a high nutrient stony tank would support zoanthids and 'shrooms well, but then you'd have brown stonies

JMO

[FranktheTankTx]

Very interesting replies thus far...

Well here was my master plan... 6 foot tank (125-135g)

I plan to create two LR islands with a "channel" open in the middle of the tank inbetween them. One LR island would be zoo's and rics. The other LR island would be SPS (which I would be new at).

Thus, the zoo's & rics would not come in contact with the SPS.

Now, as far as a low nutrient enviornment... tell me more.
Would this create a problem? Because I am definitely going BB with this tank...

However, add this to your thoughts. I plan to have something along the lines of a 48"x15"x16" sump/fuge below the tank. I will dedicate about a 18"x15" area for the fuge. In the fuge I will have a DSB (4-5") with cheato. Here I plan to gain some of the benefits of a DSB w/o being in the DT.

Now, with this knowledge of my plans... is this doable? I just can't help but think of how beautiful the colors of rics & zoo's on one side and gorgeous colored SPS on the other side. I think it would be absolutely beautiful and so much fun to build!!

Of course, I have never had experience with SPS. Thus why I'm asking.

[myzislow]

My tank is pretty much exactly that, a SPS tank with an abundance of zoos/palys and rics.
I have about 15 different SPS amongst a myriad of zoanthinds and about 30 ricordia. My tank is fairly low nutrient and all is thriving. I have zoanthinds growing at the base of many acropora colonies with no ill affects(the acros always wins the war). I have even fragged my zoanthinds in the water and noticed no ill "chemical warfare" type problems. All of my SPS have great vibrant coloration and pretty much everything co-exists great.
here is an older pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/myzislow/Halloweenpics07027.jpg

[King-Kong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11472297#post11472297 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kip
IME.... mushrooms and zoanthids dont do particularly well in a stony tank (exception maybe the fla rics)

well... i should say a low nutrient stony tank that most run these days

now... a high nutrient stony tank would support zoanthids and 'shrooms well, but then you'd have brown stonies

JMO

I think this is more in line with older thinking; not something we can do today.

The ideal environment is going to maintain a high continuous source of food for our corals, but also removing it from the tank before it can break down into harmful phosphate.

I have maintained great growth rates on my zoanthids and rics, AND maintained beautiful colors and growth on my SPS. In fact, the rics and zoas have done better in my SPS than in my 30g DSB lagoon.

[mano1192]

Well said, you can definetly have this type of mixed reef no problem. Running BB w/ fuge and DSB and a PO4 remover, youll be all set. Are you planning on dosing 2 part or using a CA reactor?


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11479435#post11479435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by King-Kong
I think this is more in line with older thinking; not something we can do today.

The ideal environment is going to maintain a high continuous source of food for our corals, but also removing it from the tank before it can break down into harmful phosphate.

I have maintained great growth rates on my zoanthids and rics, AND maintained beautiful colors and growth on my SPS. In fact, the rics and zoas have done better in my SPS than in my 30g DSB lagoon.

[Kip]

who are you calling old ;)

[King-Kong]

haha, sorry kip.. that was rude of me.. :)

[Rickyrooz1]

I would keep the mushrooms and zoanthids on the bottom and away from the rocks that the SPS are attached to so they cannot grow towards your SPS colonies.

[rwrussom]

What are the parameters of a low nutrient vs high nutrient tank?
What would be a "high continuous sorce of food for our corals"

[flyyyguy]

disagree that zoas and rics wont do well in a healthy sps tank. simply not true.......unless you think that not growing fast and not doing well means the same thing

i run a sps dominated tank and have tons of healthy zoanthids, floridas and yumas in it.

Only catch is they dont grow very fast.....they probably would if I fed them directly but I dont and am ok with the slower growth than if I ran a dirtier system. SPS are my priority, but like my polyps too

[rkcca]

SPS, LPS, Zoas, Rics, Yumas and and a limited number of leathers can thrive in the same tank.

Skim heavy, export and feed.

[volivier]

will a zoa kill a sps every time? or can sometimes they touch and be safe? I"ve got some touching my blue tort.

[wcpeixoto]

You have to keep an eye on it to avoid lose some coral, but sometimes they are compatible. This is my psammocora living together with some zoas...

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t275/wcpeixoto/ZoanthusBloodRedPsammocora2007Out.jpg

[myzislow]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11489636#post11489636 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by volivier
will a zoa kill a sps every time? or can sometimes they touch and be safe? I"ve got some touching my blue tort.

I have many zoanthids at the base and touching many of my acros, my ORA tort included. The acroporas keep the zoanthids in check and from what ive seen so far it has been impossible for zoanthids to grow on/takeover a healthy acropora. In fact, the more the base encrusts, the farther back the acros pushes the zoanthid colony.

Here are some old pics showing the progression of both the zoanthids and the encrusted base of the ORA german blue polyp(not very blue in pic) The zoas are now completely around the tenius as well, with no ill affects.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/myzislow/fish041.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/myzislow/fish216.jpg

[lionspride]

I too have many zoo's growing around the bases of my sps(touching) for over a 1yr now, no effects ime.

[BlueCoast]

I have both running in my tank and my biggest problem is balancing the lighting. With only about 17" of depth, even on the bottom my Ric's are a little pale and shrooms stay small. If a shroom gets under a ledge it expands nicely, but only in the shade. You'd be surprised what T5's with SLR reflectors can do.