Bubba's SPS Journey

Coastie Reefer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
2,315
Reaction score
4,656
Location
West Monroe, LA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have learned through setting up this new tank that tank maturity doesn't matter.

Just trying to make sure I'm reading this right. You feel as long as a tank is cycled, and has a bit of nutrients you can do SPS right off the bat?
 
OP
OP
bubbaque

bubbaque

Follow me on Instagram @ Bubbaquecorals
View Badges
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
21,597
Location
Central Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just trying to make sure I'm reading this right. You feel as long as a tank is cycled, and has a bit of nutrients you can do SPS right off the bat?
I did just that. Tank wasn't even really cycled. I added bottled bacteria, fish and a day or two later I added my first corals. I fed a ton of frozen just to make sure there were nutrients. I did have color lose but corals are healthy and growing. Colors are starting to come in strong now and I couldn't be happier with the direction the tank is going.

Most new hobbiest start their tanks running gfo and doing everything they can to keep nutrients at 0. That is the mistake people make and what I believe causes the myth of new tanks can not support corals.

They barely feed because they are scared of algae so everything staves and dies. I don't have a spot of algae anywhere in my tank but I have massive snails that would take care of anything that tried to grow. If you look at tanks like @FarmerTy and watch how much he feeds you would be amazed. WWC feeds their tanks every hour. @Battlecorals has an article saying sps corals absorb so much nutrients that they alone will keep nutrients down. I think new hobbiest are starting to understand corals need nutrients so hopefully the myth of new tanks can not support corals will one day go away.


Here is Adams article if anyone wants to read it.
 

Coastie Reefer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
2,315
Reaction score
4,656
Location
West Monroe, LA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did just that. Tank wasn't even really cycled. I added bottled bacteria, fish and a day or two later I added my first corals. I fed a ton of frozen just to make sure there were nutrients. I did have color lose but corals are healthy and growing. Colors are starting to come in strong now and I couldn't be happier with the direction the tank is going.

Most new hobbiest start their tanks running gfo and doing everything they can to keep nutrients at 0. That is the mistake people make and what I believe causes the myth of new tanks can not support corals.

They barely feed because they are scared of algae so everything staves and dies. I don't have a spot of algae anywhere in my tank but I have massive snails that would take care of anything that tried to grow. If you look at tanks like @FarmerTy and watch how much he feeds you would be amazed. WWC feeds their tanks every hour. @Battlecorals has an article saying sps corals absorb so much nutrients that they alone will keep nutrients down. I think new hobbiest are starting to understand corals need nutrients so hopefully the myth of new tanks can not support corals will one day go away.


Here is Adams article if anyone wants to read it.

I made that very mistake when I moved my 40B into a 150g-ish system. I was running gfo and sparsely feeding. I stripped what little nutrients I had in my tank to absolute zero and my coral took a hard hit. Most lost color or STN'd. I've since added several more fish, feed like a mad man, and even dose food grade potassium nitrate when my NO4 drops too low. Like you, I have zero algae and my corals are doing much, much better!
 

najer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
20,453
Reaction score
144,453
Location
Humble, England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you look at tanks like @FarmerTy and watch how much he feeds you would be amazed. WWC feeds their tanks every hour. @Battlecorals has an article saying sps corals absorb so much nutrients that they alone will keep nutrients down. I think new hobbiest are starting to understand corals need nutrients so hopefully the myth of new tanks can not support corals will one day go away.

I love it a bit grubby and so do my corals, ulns should be old doctrine IMO! :)
 

tripdad

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
1,913
Reaction score
4,265
Location
Chicago suburbs
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I followed your lead on my new tank and corals went in at day 8. I did transfer a couple rocks but that amounts to less than 25% of the total. So far so good, fingers crossed. Time will tell, colors are good on about half the SPS. Lps and softies look great. Thanks for giving me the info to try it this way!
 

fishead

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 27, 2011
Messages
80
Reaction score
49
Location
Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Good job Bubba! Breaking new ground. Myself I always struggled in the must have zero nutrients days. In my current system I'm running alk around 8.5 and nitrates at 5-10 and everything is thriving - that is if I don't do something stoopid like throw fluconazole in there.
 

CJH

New Member
View Badges
Joined
May 2, 2017
Messages
8
Reaction score
9
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just finished reading 211 pages-great job on your tank! Tell me about your refugium- are you glad you removed it? How is your nutrient control coming along without it? Other than a skimmer are you doing anything to control like gfo? Are you going to start routine water changes again?
 

cFloor

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 19, 2013
Messages
292
Reaction score
555
Location
California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I see you have switched to Melafix Pond from Bayer. I just ordered a bottle. I have some acro frags in QT, from a reputable website, that came with some critters I haven't seen before. Bayer at 25 ml. per cup did not kill them so I'm hoping Melafix will do the trick. This will be the first time trying a new dip in years.
 
OP
OP
bubbaque

bubbaque

Follow me on Instagram @ Bubbaquecorals
View Badges
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
21,597
Location
Central Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just finished reading 211 pages-great job on your tank! Tell me about your refugium- are you glad you removed it? How is your nutrient control coming along without it? Other than a skimmer are you doing anything to control like gfo? Are you going to start routine water changes again?
Its impressive people are still reading this whole thread!

So far I’m glad I removed the chaeto. It was another thing to maintain and would get the sump dirty. If my nutrients got to a level I didn’t like I’d probably start using it again but I hope I don’t have to. No I don’t use gfo but if they got above .1 I’d probably use it to bring it down a little. I only am using a skimmer with the auto neck cleaner. I planned to do routine water changes from the start but I’ve only done it a couple times so far. I now have 5 boxes of salt sitting in the garage so I need to get on it, lol.


I see you have switched to Melafix Pond from Bayer. I just ordered a bottle. I have some acro frags in QT, from a reputable website, that came with some critters I haven't seen before. Bayer at 25 ml. per cup did not kill them so I'm hoping Melafix will do the trick. This will be the first time trying a new dip in years.
I actually went back to bayer after having an issue once when I dipped with Melafix. I do use a slightly stronger dip of bayer than you use without issue so maybe give that a try. I’m using 35 ml per cup.
 

DivingTheWorld

Acroholic
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2018
Messages
2,399
Reaction score
7,377
Location
NorCal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I actually went back to bayer after having an issue once when I dipped with Melafix. I do use a slightly stronger dip of bayer than you use without issue so maybe give that a try. I’m using 35 ml per cup.

How many minutes? As I recall, didn’t you previously use 15ml per 1/2 cup for 10 minutes? I remember because I was using 10ml per 1/2 cup for 15 minutes and I was curious about the performance difference.
 
OP
OP
bubbaque

bubbaque

Follow me on Instagram @ Bubbaquecorals
View Badges
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
21,597
Location
Central Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How many minutes? As I recall, didn’t you previously use 15ml per 1/2 cup for 10 minutes? I remember because I was using 10ml per 1/2 cup for 15 minutes and I was curious about the performance difference.
I went with a stronger dose after a friend told me he uses one ounce of bayer per cup and has no issues. I still do it for 10 mins. I also talked to farmerty and he believes his bayer dip is even stronger but hasn't officially measure it.
 

SeaDweller

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
3,435
Reaction score
4,839
Location
.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did just that. Tank wasn't even really cycled. I added bottled bacteria, fish and a day or two later I added my first corals. I fed a ton of frozen just to make sure there were nutrients. I did have color lose but corals are healthy and growing. Colors are starting to come in strong now and I couldn't be happier with the direction the tank is going.

Most new hobbiest start their tanks running gfo and doing everything they can to keep nutrients at 0. That is the mistake people make and what I believe causes the myth of new tanks can not support corals.

They barely feed because they are scared of algae so everything staves and dies. I don't have a spot of algae anywhere in my tank but I have massive snails that would take care of anything that tried to grow. If you look at tanks like @FarmerTy and watch how much he feeds you would be amazed. WWC feeds their tanks every hour. @Battlecorals has an article saying sps corals absorb so much nutrients that they alone will keep nutrients down. I think new hobbiest are starting to understand corals need nutrients so hopefully the myth of new tanks can not support corals will one day go away.


Here is Adams article if anyone wants to read it.
Then again, your experience and skill set help in your success, brotha. I think many of us can learn from you and others like therman, farmerty, etc. your new tank is living proof it can be done, if you know what you’re doing.

I don’t mind the algae in my tank, and I like to feed heavy too!
 
OP
OP
bubbaque

bubbaque

Follow me on Instagram @ Bubbaquecorals
View Badges
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
21,597
Location
Central Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got this tiny piece from a buddy several months ago and at the time he didn't really want to cut it but I was happy to just get a piece. He bought it as MattV Rainbow envy but it doesn't look like any others I have seen and doesn't look like the one I have. Whatever it is it's really nice.



This is his pic of his colony
203E9AE3-8842-429E-934F-207DDF9E7276.jpeg
 
OP
OP
bubbaque

bubbaque

Follow me on Instagram @ Bubbaquecorals
View Badges
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
21,597
Location
Central Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The tank turned 3 months old a couple days ago and it’s really starting to find it’s happy place. For the first time my chromis are breeding and you can see all their eggs on the right glass. It’s weird they picked my glass cleaner and algae clip. My wife won’t let me clean the glass now even though I told her they won’t survive.

I have some jawbreaker mushrooms that don’t seem like they want to attach to rubble. I have them in that small container at the bottom of the pic. Any advice to get them to attach?

F982FDFD-1751-46A7-AD24-9BCCBEF5CC19.jpeg
 
Back
Top