Beginning the Transition to SPS

[customdusty]

So I have been at the hobby for about 2 years now, and for the past year I have been making some upgrades and changes to my system to make it more SPS capable. I have a better feel now for maintaining water parameters and I have upgraded to much better equipment than I started with. Space has been the greatest limiting factor for me - I do not have a fish room or basement so all of my equipment has to fit inside my stand of my 90 gallon tank. With the space I have and within reasonable cost - I think I have a fairly good set-up that should support an SPS reef tank.

That being said, I believe I am ready to start adding some more SPS to the tank. Currently, the tank is a mixed reef - a lot of softies, zoos, mushrooms, LPS, and just a few SPS corals (slimer, birdsnest, etc).

Are there some "hardy" or more tolerant SPS corals that I can (or should) start with as I make the transition? I have a lot of open space that I'd like to start filling in.

Also, if you think I may be overlooking anything before I continue the transition - Please let me know.

Thanks!

[0b1]

orange montipora grows really good in my tank, it's hard to kill

[grouper25]

I did exactly the same thing as you by upgrading my LPs and softie tank to sps. I started adding SPS but found over time the 90 was just too small to house a mixed bag for all the reasons you sometimes read here. I was having mixed success and my sps additions were only getting by. I eventually sold everything but SPS and now its going great with fabulous growth and Polyp extension. I have been down the road you are on. Take my advice and save yourself a ton of time and grief. I know many keep a mixed reef but I feel it just dosent work in a well packed sps 90 tank..

[customdusty]

Good advice. My tank is not too packed, although I do also plan to remove softies as I add SPS. I have re-aquascaped and removed 25% of my LR to create space for coral placement and growth and I will probably only keep some non-sps on the bottom only.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14646324#post14646324 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by grouper25
I did exactly the same thing as you by upgrading my LPs and softie tank to sps. I started adding SPS but found over time the 90 was just too small to house a mixed bag for all the reasons you sometimes read here. I was having mixed success and my sps additions were only getting by. I eventually sold everything but SPS and now its going great with fabulous growth and Polyp extension. I have been down the road you are on. Take my advice and save yourself a ton of time and grief. I know many keep a mixed reef but I feel it just dosent work in a well packed sps 90 tank..

[TheBoogieMan]

you just have to take your time and watch your sps they can tell you so much just by watching them