How to successfully keep SPS Corals!

[exonn]

I need advice on photoperiod.
My system:
Tank 47 X 27.5 X 21,5 (h)
Light: 2x250w MH phoenix 14k, 1x54w ATI blue+ t5, 1x54w ATI actinic, 64w Royal Blue LED strip.

Am looking forward to SPS dominated tank. What photoperiod do you recomend?
For now it is like this:
11:00 LEDs on
11:30 T5 on
15:00 MH on
20:00 MH off
22:00 T5 off
23:00 LEDs off

Is it enough time for MH? As far as i see in this thread most successful users have much longer time for MH. should i start increasing time for mh? I have green slimer (right under mh) witch is starting to get brown, my no3 and po4 are in check.

 

[mcarroll]

I need advice on photoperiod.
My system:
Tank 47 X 27.5 X 21,5 (h)
Light: 2x250w MH phoenix 14k, 1x54w ATI blue+ t5, 1x54w ATI actinic, 64w Royal Blue LED strip.

Am looking forward to SPS dominated tank. What photoperiod do you recomend?
For now it is like this:
11:00 LEDs on
11:30 T5 on
15:00 MH on
20:00 MH off
22:00 T5 off
23:00 LEDs off

Is it enough time for MH? As far as i see in this thread most successful users have much longer time for MH. should i start increasing time for mh? I have green slimer (right under mh) witch is starting to get brown, my no3 and po4 are in check.

If you get a lux meter (cheap on FleabayMazon or free for your smartphone) it will be much easier for you to know what you are doing. Highly recommended. You can just try to match the lux levels of the time of day when each light is on. 30,000+ lux for direct sun, 10,000+ lux for full daylight, 1000+ lux for morning/dusk....etc. Four hours of direct sun levels is all your coral really need, so don't over do it. And yes, you have more than enough light for this tank with the halides alone.

If it were me and I was dedicated to the halides, I would scrap/sell the rest of the lights just to keep it simple. At most I'd have a few watts of night-light for working/feedi g after hours...as-needed. Maybe switch to Radiums, but I think the Hexarc Phoenix's look good as well. Then I'd keep the halides on 6 hours per day during my prime viewing hours and let the tank be dark after that.

In a nutshell, you need about 4 hours of strong, peak lighting (use lux meter, adjust height of lamp) and your bright light corals will be satisfied. For the rest of the time, less intensity is a good idea. Also this time is mostly for you, so run what looks good to but keep it on the lower side.

It's good to remember when setting all this up that blue light is very strong to corals even though it doesn't appear very bright to us.

-Matt

 

[iReef86]

Gorgeous pics guys and gals!

 

[Reefkraz]

These tanks are wild I'm doing a SPS tank right now and I hope it looks 1/2 as good as some of these tanks!! Keep up the good work!

 

[saltyphish]

got to say what's already been said, very nice tank Rosco. Make sure you share pics of new tank. Thanks for sharing!

 

[SantaMonica]

SPS=Stability Promotes Success

Neatest thing I've seen in a while, especially for alk.

Do the smartphone meters have a par option?

 

[Grey Ghost]

I just stumbled upon this thread and cannot believe the amount of growth and layouts in some of these tanks....WOW!

 

[mcarroll]

Neatest thing I've seen in a while, especially for alk.

Do the smartphone meters have a par option?

It's not really needed for most purposes. Measure lux at the surface...10,000+ is "full daylight" and should make most corals extremely happy, 30,000+ is "direct sun". I have one tank in each range an don't see a lot of difference. (Peaks around 110,000-130,000 have been recorded at the equator at high altitude.....so stay well below this range.)

You (or the app author) would have to calibrate to a particular set of lights to make a conversion factor. Check out my other thread https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/eq...le-photosynthetic-active-radiation-meter.html for a little more info.

-Matt

 

[bobbyM]

Following.

 

[bobbyM]

My sound bite quickie.

Light well. Keep water parameters steady. Feed heavy and filter harder. Water change water change water change. And while I'm thinking about it, water change.

 

[best3175]

Amazing read

 

[gcgangsta187]

What is a good way to get coral back into sps?

 

[dh350twin]

My sound bite quickie.

Light well. Keep water parameters steady. Feed heavy and filter harder. Water change water change water change. And while I'm thinking about it, water change.

What are you feeding? How often?

 

[SantaMonica]

What is a good way to get coral back into sps?

You mean get back into sps?

 

[gcgangsta187]

Yea, I have a few that are brown and then used to be bright green, I have a little algae but my tests are neg for NO3 and PO4

 

[Oscaror]

How to keep SPS corals is a very vague title to this thread. Most of the time when people talk about SPS care requirements they are just talking about acroporas. There are some SPS that are easy to keep and can be kept in nano tanks without issue, and SPS (acros and montis) that are significantly harder to keep.

 

[mcarroll]

True, I guess it should be a little more generalized...something like "How to successfully keep stony corals."

I think the gist is that if you're "doing it right" then all SPS (and, generally, other corals too) will prosper - whether you have a nano- or a mega-tank.

This thread is "the place" to help figure out what "doing it right" can mean.

-Matt

 

[ammari33]

Very amazing thread

 

[NanaReefer]

You mean get back into sps?

I think they mean "color" back into SPS. Not coral

 

[Rydogg]

Everyone I'm new to R2R; Need some help with my acropora frags; They were indigo blue and now they are turning brown; they still have polyp extension... Help... water changes are routine w RODI and instant ocean. Feeding rod's fish food at a minimum. Only one sleeper gobie

55G Long
Orbit Marine Current LED - 48" (seems like 60/60% is preferred by all corals)
MP40
Eshopps PSK-100H
Emperor 400
Two Fishes 550 phosban w GFO

Ca - 450
Mg - 1350-1400
dKh - 9-10
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Phos -.02-.03 (can't get lower even w Phosban and reg H20 changes)
Ph - 8.2