New at LPS

[dpieroni]

Hi, I am a new reefer and I want to now recomendations from LPS keepers.
I have a soft coral 80 gallon tank and I want to add LPS corals.
I have two years of experience now and I have acomplish a stable reef tank.( Ca 390-430, alk 2.0 2.4, Mag 1350-1250) This are my parameters in a 1 month period time.
I have a 40" L * 24" high tank, and I am using a 250w 14K , One 39w T5 actinic and 1 30w NO actinic.
i also have a skimmer and a kalk reactor that drips on night abount 1,2 liters each day.
What suggestions do you have to start adding LPS corals?
Are my parameters and light ok?
What about the phosphate and other things?
Current? I have a seio 820 inside and a 400 gallon return pump from my overflow.
Any recomendations?
thanks in advance.
diego

[rich415]

You parameters sound good. I would start with easier LPS such as Euphylias (frogspawn, Torch, Hammer) or Trumpet corals. Or what ever is the cheapest in Argentina. I usually start LPS in lower flow areas and then slowly move it into medium flow and see how it reacts. And sinsce you have alot of Soft corals, be sure to run activated carbon to take out any toxins the softies may release.

Good luck!

[dpieroni]

Ok. What about lighting? I have a DE 250w 14K and I want to upgrade to an 250w 10K and two T5 actinic and blueplus.
Is that a good intense or I need more?
thanks
diego

[reverendmaynard]

You should probably keep your alk higher. 2.5 is around the ocean's average. You want to be above that at all times. Most stony coral reefs are kept between 3 and 4.5 meq/l. This will give you some leeway if it drops for some reason.

You didn't list nitrates and phosphates, but you should be shooting for no more than 5ppm nitrate, and undetectable phosphates.

Lighting should be ok for most lps. Just feed them well and they should be fine.

[rich415]

Your lighting is more than enough. Just make sure to acclimate the corals to your lighting by putting them on the bottom of the tank first and day by day moving it up. Most LFS don't have that intense of lighting on their LPS and the coral could bleach if it is immediatly put under 250 Watt MH lighting.

[dpieroni]

Ok. thanks all for the replies..
The nitrate is under 2ppm becasuse I use natural seawater and I have never had any problem with that.
In phosphates I do not have a good test kit (red sea ) and the minimun scale is <0.1 so Ido not know if I have 0.1 or 0.5 etc...
Which are the best coral food that you are using?
i have to buy one brand that do not require a fast shipping (do not need to be refrigerate.)
thanks all
diego

[rich415]

If you have a refuge with macro-algae then I would not woory about phosphates too much. Most reef tanks test low in phosphates because if it is present there will be an algae problem and the algae consumes the phosphates; therefore the water tests low in phosphates. in short, you will always test low in phosphates.

I would only use frozen food such as mysis shrimp. If that is not available You can cut up squid and prawns really small. Argentina has a large caost line so I'm sure there is plenty of sea food.

[dpieroni]

How small have I need to cut seafood for feeding corals?
I think the size is microns.. So who can I took seafood and pulverize like that?
thanks
diego

[rich415]

About 5 milimeters or so. I have used frozen shrimp and carved it pretty thin while it was still frozen. then cut that thin piece into small slivers. Just experiment. If you have a shrimp, it will eat what the coral does not.