Final Broke into SPS - Gurus Opinions Needed (2 too be exact)

[walloutlet]

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone,

I've finally broke into SPS this weekend since my tank has been steadily producing coralline algae I figured it was time to try. I went to my LFS and snooped around finally returning back with one and here is where everyone can flame me. I've completely forgotten what type of SPS the LFS told me it was, so that's my first ask. Can someone please identify for me?

I believe I have my lights adjusted. Went through with a Seneye and did PAR meter readings all over. Settled on a good APEX percentage for my Kessil 360's intensity, with the top of my aqua scape averaging somewhere around 300 PAR which seems somewhere within the consensus of the community (time will tell with as my coral selection grows).

Second opinion, is the piece that is a little more generic... FLOW. All my research and YouTube watching tells me SPS need 'HIGH FLOW' however, that's a very generic term and could mean different things to different people. So in the video below, I have a close-up of the stick with it's polyps out blowing in the wind. It looks appropriate to me, however, I would like the guru's to weigh in on what SPS should look like under 'HIGH FLOW'.

Appreciate everyone's time and suggestions.

 

[HuduVudu]

Stylophora. Great beginner coral. Mine is a weed.

These grow like weeds in a tank where everything is good. Lighting requirements are bright so whatever for that. Flow is whatever. They do fine in flow less than what it takes to rip off their skin.

Keep getting this coral to figure out how to grow it. If you can grow this one then you are on a good path.

 

[Hincapiej4]

I think you could def do with more flow. Alot more. The key is for it to be random.

I'm currently not at home, but when I get home, I will make a video for you of my tree and show you what mine is doing. I got mine from the lfs at a discount because it was dieing and I nursed it back.

 

[walloutlet]

Stylophora. Great beginner coral. Mine is a weed.

These grow like weeds in a tank where everything is good. Lighting requirements are bright so whatever for that. Flow is whatever. They do fine in flow less than what it takes to rip off their skin.

Keep getting this coral to figure out how to grow it. If you can grow this one then you are on a good path.

Thank you... that's pretty much what the guy at my LFS said too. I just couldn't remember the name he called it. Glad to hear consensus between LFS and the R2R community.

 

[walloutlet]

I think you could def do with more flow. Alot more. The key is for it to be random.

I'm currently not at home, but when I get home, I will make a video for you of my tree and show you what mine is doing. I got mine from the lfs at a discount because it was dieing and I nursed it back.

Perfect, that would be great. Would like to see some movement for comparison. I wasn't really feeling the flow.

It's a 65 gallon (36"x18"x24"), currently running two MP10's and ReefWave 25 pretty hard. Was considering some pump upgrades or additions but as mentioned above, figured I would start somewhere "easy" and adjust as needed.

 

[homer1475]

Grow like a weed is an understatement. lol

Stylo was my first SPS also, I would increase the flow a bit, but they are a pretty hardy beginner SPS

Frag when I got it about 2 years ago:

And now, it has been fragged and moved a few times, but it's about the size of a football.

The exquisite wrasse photo bombing, sleeps in it at night.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Flow isn’t bad, but more is better and more random as well. What are your settings?

 

[PatW]

In my reading, “high flow” means about 40 times turnover or bout 2500 gph in your tank. But I run a bit more than 50 times and even my LPS (at the bottom of the tank) are good with that.

I have read that World Wide Corals runs about 100 times in their tanks.

I scuba dive, and flows that would be 1000 fold and more are pretty common on coral reefs.

 

[walloutlet]

Grow like a weed is an understatement. lol

Stylo was my first SPS also, I would increase the flow a bit, but they are a pretty hardy beginner SPS

Frag when I got it about 2 years ago:
View attachment 1904534

And now, it has been fragged and moved a few times, but it's about the size of a football.
View attachment 1904535

The exquisite wrasse photo bombing, sleeps in it at night.

Oh wow! I can deal with a weed like that in my tank! LOL!

 

[walloutlet]

Flow isn’t bad, but more is better and more random as well. What are your settings?

Running the ReefWave 25 @ 90% in a Standing Wave configuration running left to right with one side pointed upwards for surface agitation and the other side pointed towards the tops of the rocks for flow. This is more to the front of the tank.

The MP10's are on the other side one at the bottom (60% Reef Crest) to move the water along there, any more here and the sand begins to move around too much. The other at the top (80% Tidal Swell) above the bottom one and up 10" to create some turbulence against the ReefWave.

Picture below shows the placement of the pumps, this is before I got the SPS. It is located at the top right side of the rock work.

 

[homer1475]

Nice scape!

Have always been a fan of the lagoon look. Make sit easy for coral placement as LPS and lower flow corals can be down low out of the flow, and SPS can be up higher near the light and more flow.

I personally would split the MP10's up on either side about mid tank in reefcrest antisync. Percentage of your choice. Your others down lower on the back wall aimed up and at the front glass.

 

[homer1475]

Maybe I missed it, but how big of a tank?

 

[walloutlet]

Maybe I missed it, but how big of a tank?

65 gallon

 

[homer1475]

Yeah I would move them IMO.

The mp10's will stretch across the tank crashing into each other. I try to crash all my PH's into each other to create chaotic flow. High flow is good, but it needs to be chaotic, not just in one direction.

 

[walloutlet]

Nice scape!

Have always been a fan of the lagoon look. Make sit easy for coral placement as LPS and lower flow corals can be down low out of the flow, and SPS can be up higher near the light and more flow.

I personally would split the MP10's up on either side about mid tank in reefcrest antisync. Percentage of your choice. Your others down lower on the back wall aimed up and at the front glass.

Thanks for the suggestion... I might move the pumps around a little bit to see.

 

[walloutlet]

Yeah I would move them IMO.

The mp10's will stretch across the tank crashing into each other. I try to crash all my PH's into each other to create chaotic flow. High flow is good, but it needs to be chaotic, not just in one direction.

There is definitely a solid Gyre affect in my tank, by design originally, however now with the SPS barrier broken and closer to a full mixed reef worth some experimenting. Thank you

 

[homer1475]

My 80 cube(cubes are touch for flow) has 2 mp10's, 2 jebao pp8's and a gyre.

I run them all at different patterns, and flow rates. The MP's are mid tank opposing each other on reefcrest at about 80%, PP8's are on/off random times(programmed through an apex, other wise I couldn't do that) up high but pointed down into the rockwork, and my gyre is at the top of the overflow for surface agitation.

Just as an example of random chaotic flow.

 

[walloutlet]

My 80 cube(cubes are touch for flow) has 2 mp10's, 2 jebao pp8's and a gyre.

I run them all at different patterns, and flow rates. The MP's are mid tank opposing each other on reefcrest at about 80%, PP8's are on/off random times(programmed through an apex, other wise I couldn't do that) up high but pointed down into the rockwork, and my gyre is at the top of the overflow for surface agitation.

Just as an example of random chaotic flow.

Good to know, appreciate you sharing.

 

[walloutlet]

In my reading, “high flow” means about 40 times turnover or bout 2500 gph in your tank. But I run a bit more than 50 times and even my LPS (at the bottom of the tank) are good with that.

I have read that World Wide Corals runs about 100 times in their tanks.

I scuba dive, and flows that would be 1000 fold and more are pretty common on coral reefs.

Did the "calculations" to the best of what we can really do with flow and turn over;
Reefwave @ 90% ~= 1700gph
MP10 @ 80% ~= 1200gph
MP10 @ 60% ~= 1000gph
Total = 3700gph

So at 65 gallons, that's approximately turn over at 57 times per hour + whatever the return pump throws in there. So it's in the ballpark for right now (minimally stocked), probably could use some better pump placement and fine tune some of the routines.

But, the fact that I have to run all my powerheads at pretty much full speed means when it comes time for additions and upgrades (Santa are you listening?) probably could use slightly more powerful pumps and run them at a lesser wattage, cut down on noise, wear, etc...

Thanks everyone for the afternoon chat, suggestions and comments. All very much appreciated.

 

[Hincapiej4]

Here you go.