Jumped into SPS. Need tips!

[zyrzyxen]

Hello all, I had just recently acquired the following SPS on the whim due to some of the live sales and auctions in the past week. This is my first time getting into SPS as I’ve mainly stocked my 20g with hammers, frogspawns, gonioporas, toadstools, and mushrooms. All of my corals have done great and are usually healthy looking.

That being said I acquired the following:
TNT Anacropora
RR Goldenrod
The “THING” Anacropora
Greg’s Unicorn Acropora
An Unknown Acropora
Green Monticap
RR Crazy T Montipora
Jingle Bell Cyphastrea
Easter Egg Chalice

Having very little to no experience with SPS, besides a few Tidal Garden vids on the different kinds of corals, I’m wondering if I can get a different set of eyes on how they’re doing?

Some of the issues I seem to be facing are bleaching possibly on the undersides of my anacroporas. I hope it’s not TN of some sort. I’m currently using a single AI Prime 16 HD over my setup. Now I’m not sure if it is really bleaching but as I experimented with rotating the anacroporas, whichever side is directly facing the light seem to regain more color.

The other issue I saw was the Easter Egg Chalice started lifting from its frag plug. I thought I had read they liked flow (a concept I’m still trying to dial in), but I had it in direct flow from my Jebao Wave Maker which I suspect may be the reasoning.

Besides my acros and anacros, I have everything on the sand bed as I consistently see that it’s best to start at low par then move up as needed.

SPS are a bit finicky but I hope to gain some knowledge to be successful. I appreciate any tips and tricks!

Parameters:
Mg 1320
Calc 460
dKh 9
pH 8.2
Phos .169
Nitrate 15

 

[19Mateo83]

acans, chalice and cyphastea in lower light, medium flow. Monti in mid level, higher flow and acros up high with high water movement high light. Zoas will enjoy medium light.

 

[bradreef]

Get the mag higher, other than that, your levels are awesome. Your light isn't very strong so get the gets unicorn highest light and flow that you have. Stability is the key with sps.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It will be a challenge to provide the light and flow for those sps when mixed with mushrooms and zoa's and euphyllia's.

Your current corals are also very forgiving of changes in parameters or water quality, sps can't handle changes very well.

Its possible, but will be a challenge in the small tank, just do lots of testing to keep on top of everything.

 

[VintageReefer]

Unforutunatly two are severely bleaching / receding and two are possibly bleaching / receding (hard to tell from photos)

This could be from a lack of light or any number of reasons. This can spread quickly or slowly. It’s hard to tell what the cause is.

The others all look healthy

If the bleaching is just from lack of light, the issue is the light is only coming from above and not from any other angles, this can happen with a single fixture that is “point based” meaning all the light comes out of a single focal point. Turning up likely wouldn’t help, you would need a second fixture and to space them apart so the beam spread overlaps and the light comes from multiple focal points / angles

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Invest in equipment that keeps parameters stable and buy a light that gives you more PAR than you need.

Keeping SPS happy usually costs a lot of $$$ so don’t skimp.

 

[Jimbo]

Don’t “ jump in” to SPS…..ooooh too late Good news is you have some hardy ones so you might be good . Good luck!

 

[zyrzyxen]

Don’t “ jump in” to SPS…..ooooh too late Good news is you have some hardy ones so you might be good . Good luck!

Well I was under the impression anacroporas were not like acroporas and are generally easier to keep. The acros shown were all given to me for free.

 

[Lavey29]

Well I was under the impression anacroporas were not like acroporas and are generally easier to keep. The acros shown were all given to me for free.

If you have abundant coralline growing in your tank that's a good indicator that you're ready for SPS.