SPS coral tips help

[fairl80z]

Hi everyone, so at a spur of the moment kind of thing I bought 5 different frags of SPS coral for $80 dollars including shipping . So I couldn't pass up a deal like this . So I ordered them . In the tank they will be going in is a 65 gallon I have super strong leds, about 1400gph circulation inside the tank a 20 gallon sump with live rock , and an aqua c ev180 protein skimmer . I have other corals in the tank that are super happy a few Lps ,softies, Zoas . All my parameters are great . Is this sufficient enough for SPS ? As far as flow goes ? I know my lights and parameters are great . So any tips and tricks on growing these things ? Thanks

[moatdaddy]

Softies Zoas and some pls can be extremely forgiving. I had surgery and let my tank go. These 3 loved it. Sps died. Like any other post you should always tell people about your water chemistry. Start with that, including test types please. Once we know more about the system and how its parameters are we can help more.

[fairl80z]

Lights: 165W led x2
PH- 8.2
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0
Phosphate- below .5 close to 0
Alk-?
Calc-?
Mag-?
I have never tested for the last 3 but my hammer and frogspawn are doing just fine in the tank and have grown a lot . I am using an API test kit and instant ocean reef crystals, I do 20 gallon water change once a week .

[nuttyd]

Get the tests for alk, calc and mag. without those your lost when things go wrong. For instance, i notice that STN starts on my sps when the alk drops below 7. Frogs and Hammers will do just fine when the alk is lower. You might find that you need to either increase water changes or start dosing alk and calcium to keep up with the corals needs. Other than keeping up with the Alk and Calcium, tank seems like it could handle sps just fine. you might need to figure out how to get some nitrates back, sps lose some color in low nitrate tanks.

[A1t2o]

Alk?
Ca?
Mag?

That's a huge red flag. Those are the main 3 parameters to check. Without having those stable and at a good level, I wouldn't add any SPS.

[fairl80z]

Get the tests for alk, calc and mag. without those your lost when things go wrong. For instance, i notice that STN starts on my sps when the alk drops below 7. Frogs and Hammers will do just fine when the alk is lower. You might find that you need to either increase water changes or start dosing alk and calcium to keep up with the corals needs. Other than keeping up with the Alk and Calcium, tank seems like it could handle sps just fine. you might need to figure out how to get some nitrates back, sps lose some color in low nitrate tanks.


Any good way to get it back into the system ?

[nuttyd]

There are several dosing additives to use. I use the kent series. Others use BRS and some make there own. Its pretty easy to maintain the levels once you understand what your tank uses daily. I dose about a tablespoon of each a day in my 55.

[fairl80z]

Alk?

Ca?

Mag?



That's a huge red flag. Those are the main 3 parameters to check. Without having those stable and at a good level, I wouldn't add any SPS.


It was a spur of the moment kind of thing . I have a week before that arrive to my door . I will go pick up those test kits and increase my water changes instead of having to dose anything

[fairl80z]

There are several dosing additives to use. I use the kent series. Others use BRS and some make there own. Its pretty easy to maintain the levels once you understand what your tank uses daily. I dose about a tablespoon of each a day in my 55.


Oh I gotcha the coral I order are the easier SPS to keep . Pink lace birds nest

Tri color valida
Shady lady capricormis
ORA German Blue Polyp Digitata

[A1t2o]

It was a spur of the moment kind of thing . I have a week before that arrive to my door . I will go pick up those test kits and increase my water changes instead of having to dose anything

Water changes may or may not help with keeping your levels up. If you have LPS like hammer and frogspawn then you might be using more than you are adding back in through water changes and you would have to dose to get your levels back up. You have to test to find out, then be prepared to dose to make corrections.

[fairl80z]

Water changes may or may not help with keeping your levels up. If you have LPS like hammer and frogspawn then you might be using more than you are adding back in through water changes and you would have to dose to get your levels back up. You have to test to find out, then be prepared to dose to make corrections.


Okay great , any specific test kits or Chems to dose?

[nuttyd]

stay away from api tests. use reef pro or salifert. Get the three: alk, calcium, mag. Which brand to dose is preference and availability. Agree A1t2o, water changes dont always cut it. My tank alk drops by a lot in one day, to a point where sps would have issues after three days.

[fairl80z]

stay away from api tests. use reef pro or salifert. Get the three: alk, calcium, mag. Which brand to dose is preference and availability. Agree A1t2o, water changes dont always cut it. My tank alk drops by a lot in one day, to a point where sps would have issues after three days.


Thanks . I will order the test kits . And the dosing things. Thanks everyone

[moatdaddy]

Well done, I concur with the advice. Get tests. Not api. Your on the right path. Your opening a new door to saltwater reefing. Read learn listen. Good luck.

[fairl80z]

What about a Red Sea test kit ?

[fairl80z]

And what about using Seachem complete for dosing ?

[nuttyd]

Red sea for test kits is good.
think you will want a two part additive. One part calcium other part alk. Seachem seems to be more calcium focused. My experience is that smaller tanks tend to burn the alk a lot faster than calcium. Have a 55 gal myself.

[fairl80z]

Red sea for test kits is good.
think you will want a two part additive. One part calcium other part alk. Seachem seems to be more calcium focused. My experience is that smaller tanks tend to burn the alk a lot faster than calcium. Have a 55 gal myself.


I just ordered the stalifert test keys calc,alk, and mag. Any specific dosing element brand?

[moatdaddy]

So watch BRS video on two part dosing. Very informative. Red sea are great test kits.

[nemodan]

B-ionic 2 part solution has been used by reefers for years.
I have been using it siince the start of my SPS tank (2 years).

Easy to use too and come with other elements beside Ca and Bicarbonate.

It is a 2 part equilibrated solutions, so when you know how much Alk your tank use, go to the online calculator , that has included B-ionic, and estimate how much component 1 (alk) you need to add and for component 2 (Ca) just add the same volume. DONE !!!!

~ $40 both 1 G bottles from Amazon or LFS

Best
Daniel

[fairl80z]

Awesome , thanks you guys I will order that stuff. I'm so ready to start my SPS journey !!

[MichaelW]

Get those tests in and by the way if your po4 test kit only gives you either 0 and next 0.5 it is not good enough. 0.5 is very high po4 for sps you need a kit that is much more accurate and measures lower values. For example most sps keepers are looking for number between 0.01 and 0.06 ...that extra 0 after the decimal place is important.

[fairl80z]

Get those tests in and by the way if your po4 test kit only gives you either 0 and next 0.5 it is not good enough. 0.5 is very high po4 for sps you need a kit that is much more accurate and measures lower values. For example most sps keepers are looking for number between 0.01 and 0.06 ...that extra 0 after the decimal place is important.


Thanks , when I get to the house this evening I will have to check the test kit to see its accuracy . Thanks for the tip . I am currently running Seachem phosguard in the tank . That won't be a problem will it ?

[nuttyd]

First few weeks you will test every day to check levels and see what you need to compensate in dosing. Try to test at same time so you know daily usages. After you get it figured out, you really only need to test once a week or so just to confirm everything is staying at level and even then usually only KH. Stay above 7.5. Always test after a water change. You might have to skip a dose or two because both KH and CA tend to run high in the new water. Also, dose kh in the morning before lights. some additives can spike ph if added during lighting period.

[fairl80z]

Thanks . At first I thought I bit off more than I could chew . But after learning about how to dose and everything it should not be that difficult (I hope)

[nuttyd]

Its not. Just went through that myself in November. Now its as routine as feeding. Highly recommend a dosing pump at some point. makes life easier.

[fairl80z]

Would I have to get a dosing pump after I get everything balanced out?

[nuttyd]

Not, its not necessary. Just makes it easier when you know that the dosing pump is adding the supplements every morning at the same time. Also helps when you leave for vacation. For my tank, I can leave for four or five days and not have to worry. After that i only need someone to come by to feed the fish.

[fairl80z]

Well you have a great point . I will get everything balanced out, then order a dosing pump . What a good one to get ? Jabeo? Bubble Magnus?

[nuttyd]

Thats what i did also. Read the articles here, lots of opinions and experiences. Have heard bad things about Jabeo. Think most people like the bubble magnus and brs dosers. I run a bubble magnus and its great, but have only had since December. Try to install the doser at least a week or two before you go away so you can make sure its dosing correctly.

[nuttyd]

I set mine up with water into a cup for a week and measured the amount every morning just to make sure i programmed it right. Then i set it up on the tank.

[fairl80z]

I set mine up with water into a cup for a week and measured the amount every morning just to make sure i programmed it right. Then i set it up on the tank.


Great idea, I'll dose manually for a while .then get me a doser . So I can research a good one

[fairl80z]

Tests came in Wednesday . I started dosing to get everything in check

[nuttyd]

What were the readings?

[fairl80z]

Last night they were
KH- 11.7
ALK- 4.2 mea/L
CALC- 430 ppm
MAG- 1500ppm
All othe parameters are in shape

[nuttyd]

Everything seems fine. KH is high. would let it come down some. think between 8-9 is ideal.