Just a few tips and tricks for those new to SPS and reefing....

[Bryce Peterson]

This is great advice. I learned most of these things the hard way. I just spoke to a person about getting into the hobby. I told him the first thing he needs to do is join Reef2Reef

 

[blackgate]

Lots of great info in this thread!

 

[SunnyX]

Yes, unfortunately most lessons will need to be learned the hard way. We can help them avoid many mistakes but many of us will need to walk the path and learn from our mistakes and observations. We are happy to help so please send the new hobbyists our way.

 

[TurtleVaglivielo]

following!

 

[terri_ann]

@ Harold Green, you are so correct! Oxygen is critical in every tank for many reasons! All my systems have a bubbler located at the return pump intake. I run the bubbler at night when lights are out and literally bombard the tank with micro/nano bubbles! Try it, you'll love it!

 

[Fishinwall]

11. Combat Chronically Low Ph. A simple method for combating low Ph is to run a refugium on a reverse light cycle. The added benefit of this is that you will also be reducing P04 levels. The refugium lights should come on 30 minutes after the main system lights have gone off. The refugium lighting should run for the duration of the night, and turn off 30 minutes before the sun rises on your reef.

Does it matter that the lights come on after the display lights go out and turn off before they come on, or just that they run overnight?

 

[SunnyX]

11. Combat Chronically Low Ph. A simple method for combating low Ph is to run a refugium on a reverse light cycle. The added benefit of this is that you will also be reducing P04 levels. The refugium lights should come on 30 minutes after the main system lights have gone off. The refugium lighting should run for the duration of the night, and turn off 30 minutes before the sun rises on your reef.

Does it matter that the lights come on after the display lights go out and turn off before they come on, or just that they run overnight?

Hello,

No, it does not matter if the light is turned off after the main lights come on. Some reefers run a 24 hour light cycle over their refugium.

 

[fragit]

@SunnyX in the beginning of this thread it was mentioned that you are going to be selling/creating for sale some SPS husbandry products. What up with that? And what are your thoughts on zeovit and aquaforest?

 

[SunnyX]

@SunnyX in the beginning of this thread it was mentioned that you are going to be selling/creating for sale some SPS husbandry products. What up with that? And what are your thoughts on zeovit and aquaforest?

Hello,

At the time I was looking into some options on dosing products, with a few people showing me some products they were interested in developing. I looked into the matter but ultimately it fell on the back burner due to health issues and other obligations.

I've never tried or heard of Aquaforest until now, so I cant comment on the brand. I have used Zeovit products in the past with good results, mainly the Sponge Power and ZeoZyme, and Coral Snow.

If I were to pass recommendation now I would say save your money and do not waste it on unneeded additives. The base of my dosing is Reef Crystals salt, Lugol's Solution, Microbacter7 and a carbon source such as vodka/vinegar. While carbon dosing works well it is not for everyone as you really need to know what youre doing, otherwise you will starve your corals and end up with Cyano issues, perhaps even Dino's. When carbon dosing you will also need to add quite a bit of food, be it fish food or an additive such as prodibio Reef Booster in order to keep the corals well fed.

Other than what I described as being dosed in my systems I don't believe that you really need any other additives. Yes, some additives will help increase growth and color but I find that they are simply not worth the added cost. the only thing I would never do without in the bacteria and Lugol's Solution. I have been dosing both of these for many years with great results. If you do decide to go down the carbon dosing method have a look HERE. Be sure to start slowly and follow all recommendations and procedures. Carbon dosing has done wonders for many reef aquariums, it has also caused many issues so beware of the dangers.

As a final note I'd like to say that I noticed great growth and overall coral health when I dosed Prodibio Reef Booster. My corals would instantly perk up and I had amazing growth. Here is a shot of my old 100gl Rimless Reef 1.0. That is about a year of growth from the initial setup. I was dosing vodka, Lugol's Solution, MB7, and Reef Booster at the time. The growth and color were tremendous.


12-13 months of growth:

Thank you,

-Sonny

 

[las]

What's in the prodibio reef booster that helps SPS?

 

[SunnyX]

What's in the prodibio reef booster that helps SPS?

Amino Acids, Lipids, and other nutrients. Its not really something that's needed but I notice a change in my corals when dosing it. I haven't dosed it in years and now simply have a higher bioload of fish. Personally, I rather go the route of an increased bioload of fish and feed them more food as its much more enjoyable than dosing vials of fat into the reef.

 

[Salty1962]

Great information for new and old Salty's. Thx for the time to put together!

 

[reeferbuddy215]

Wow alot of awesome tips, I also prefer having a higher bioload and I just feed my sps corals acropower by two little fishes zoeplankton, cyclops, lugoils iodine solution, amd I add red sea foundations abc+ all in one powder but I test before adding to keep my levels stable but my sps corals are growing faster then I was hoping which is always awesome.

 

[Goubli]

So, I'm planning to go sps for the first time and am trying to figure out my strategy. Currently, I think I'm gonna try and get close to fully stocking my fish load before I add any sps. I've already got most of them and my setup has been running for 2 months. I'm still dealing with some algae and low pH issues.

I suspect my algae is from some dry pukani leakage even though I tub cured it with the phosphate binder over two months. I suspect I'll have to set up a GFO which is annoying. I've added CO2 absorber along the intake line of my skimmer which helps the pH, but it exhausts pretty quickly, so I am now hoping maybe I can get the ALK up as it hanging around 7 seems to be too low for my system to buffer. I'm not sure if it is more related to the newness of the tank or just my system. The pH varies between 7.7-7.9, and I've never been able to get it up to 8. I don't feel as bad about it after seeing Sanjay's tank staying at the same pH. Still, I'd prefer it higher.

Anyway, I'd like to try and get the water stable and algae free and at least have some coralline rocking before attempting to add corals. I'm figuring if I can keep things stable for a month with most of my bio load already existing then I will add sps. I am planning to try and add as many of the corals as I can at once so I can deal with the acclimation at once and then place them and wait. Is this a good strategy?

I plan on using B-ionic two part with my liter meter as my next step. Thoughts?

 

[Bow69]

Hey guys and gals, I wanted to start out helping you Reef2Reef members so here is a list of helpful tips & tricks that can help out.

These are just a few things off the top of my head to aid new reefers. If you experienced reefers out there have anything to add PLEASE do so.

1. Place a powerhead in sump. The powerhead will help keep detritus waste in suspension making it easier for skimmer and corals to take up. You should also make it a habit to stir up any detritus that has settled in sump at least once a week. People often neglect this simple chore and it creates problems down the road as the waste builds up. I have a Tunze 6045 in my sump and it keeps all waste and particles in suspension.

2. Keep your lighting systems as clean as possible. You should make it a habit to clean your reflectors, bulbs, etc at least once a month. Even a little salt spray can reduce lighting but up to 30%! Also, if you’re running Metal Halides please check the bulbs for any cracks or warping. The UV leaking from a cracked Metal Halide can absolutely wipe out any corals under it in no time at all.

3. Carbon. I highly recommended that everyone run carbon, either in a mesh bag in the sump or in a Phosban reactor. If you run it in a mesh bag replace it once a month, in a reactor replace it every 2-4 weeks. Carbon is the simplest and easiest way to maintain a healthy and thriving reef system. Without carbon, Compounds such as yellow phenol can build up. Yellow Phenol is great at absorbing light, thus reducing the amount of PAR reaching your corals. Carbon is also good at removing compounds released by corals. Corals can and will release compounds to fend off other corals in the tank, the carbon will help keep all stress and damage to a minimum. Carbon is also a good insurance policy as it will absorb any harmful chemicals and contaminants that can enter the tank, such as aerosol air fresheners.

4. Create a routine and stick with it. Once a month you should clean out any detritus in the sump, clean ALL powerheads, pumps, probes, and inspect all equipment for defects. A dirty power head has been found to reduce performance, in some cases up to 40%+.

5. Account for everything that you put into the system. Chemicals and compounds build up over time and need to be accounted for. You must find a proper method to export the food and chemicals that are put into the system. Water changes work well and are probably the simplest method of halting the build up of harmful compounds. A refugium is also a good idea and it will aborb and process nutrient and may give off compounds that are beneficial to some corals. Bacterial driven systems such as Zeovit, Prodibio, and Fauna Marin are also good methods for keep parameters in line. Personally, I do daily additions of bacteria and a carbon source(Vodka). I have found a bacterial driven system along with a large skimmer to be the most efficient and cost effective means of keeping nutrients in line.

6. Get the biggest skimmer you can accommodate. I believe that a protein skimmer is one of the most important parts of a healthy reef system. The skimmer I have on my system is rated for 3-4 times more then my system volume. With a larger simmer you can keep a higher bio load and effectively keep the nutrients down. The skimmer will help add oxygen to your system and is a good insurance policy against unforeseen events in the system.

7. Plan ahead when purchasing and placing corals in your system. All to often, people pack more corals into their tanks then they can support. In the beginning this fine but corals soon grow and problems arise. Corals can chemically detect the presence of surrounding corals, and if corals are too close this will stunt their growth. I found the best success with giving corals ample space to grow stress free. when considering what corals to put in your tank, take the time to look up what they will look like as they mature. Do you really want a monster montipora cap. taking over your reef? This brings me to coral placement. By knowing what a coral will look like when it matures you can place it accordingly. obviously you would not want a Montipora cap. placed high up in the tank, as this will only lead to corals beneath it to eventually die due to lack of light from the shade.

8. Backup Power. While I hope that you’ll never need to use one, a backup source of power can save your system from certain disaster. A generator powerful enough to power the heaters and powerheads is usually all you would need for a power outage lasting 1-2 days. So long as the aquarium has adequate flow and heat the inhabitants will be fine. Anything longer than 3 days and you would be looking for a larger generator to power lighting, as the corals will now be starting to brown out. If you are running EcoTech Vortech pumps a great insurance policy against power outages would be the EcoTech Battery Backup.

9. Keep Fresh Saltwater on Standby. Mishaps can occur in the life of a reef aquarium. You could accidentally dose too much of a given element, a clan may spawn, or some other chemical agent may have gotten into the system. I would recommend that you keep at least 25% of the aquariums volume in fresh saltwater on standby. I have always had at least 60 gallons of fresh saltwater on standby for water changes and mishaps. Yes, it will add to the expense of the hobby, as the water will need to be heated, housed, and circulated. But, I cant tell you how many time the fresh saltwater has prevented a major disaster.

10. Dip your Corals. These days, there are many pests floating around the hobby. From AEFW to Red Bugs, one can never be too careful when introducing a new coral into your system. Personally, I use ReVive Coral Cleaner. While Revive will take care of Red Bugs and live AEFW, it will not have an affect on AEFW eggs. For This reason, I prefer fresh cut Acropora fragments. This way, I know that I am not importing any pests or algae into my system.

11. Combat Chronically Low Ph. A simple method for combating low Ph is to run a refugium on a reverse light cycle. The added benefit of this is that you will also be reducing P04 levels. The refugium lights should come on 30 minutes after the main system lights have gone off. The refugium lighting should run for the duration of the night, and turn off 30 minutes before the sun rises on your reef.

12. Write Things Down. Its easy to forget when you replaced a light bulb or changed out your carbon. The simplest solution is to keep a record of any changes you have made to the system. I used to keep a written log near my system as a reminder to change out certain components. With the advent of smart phone it is now much easier to keep track of system. There are many built in applications that will allow you log and set reminders for maintenance items such as replacing light bulbs and carbon.

13. Stock up on Vinegar. One of the best investments for your system is vinegar. From cleaning calcium build up on pumps to helping feed bacteria in your system, vinegar does it all.

14. Proper Feeding Protocol. One other thing I feel that needs to be addressed is proper feeding protocol:From what I have seen and read, people overfeed their tanks. I feed my fish every other day. My fish are fat and happy, and I have never had any issues even with the Anthais I have. If you do not keep up with a means of waste export, such as PO$ remover, Bacteria/carbon dosing, or water changes you stand the risk of having reduced corals health and an algae outbreak.

Now, how much you feed your fish is just as important as how often. Some people feed their fish five times a day and their systems look great. I suspect that they are feeding very small amounts of food, or that they are diligent about exporting waste. Unfortunately, not all reefers are as diligent and they quickly end up having issue related to elevated waste. For those who just cant get corals to grow or color up to the desired level I suggest that you rethink what,how, and when you are feeding.

15. Keep It Simple. The simpler your system, the better. All to often we tend to over-think and complicate our setups. With more components come more opportunities for things to go wrong. Focus on water flow, lighting, and nutrient export. A reef aquarium should be enjoyable and not a job or laborious task. Have fun, and try not to make too many changes at once.


Well, I hope that this list will help reefers, new and experienced. I will be adding to this list from time to time.

Great tips. I'm fairly new to the hobby. Been in about a year now. I have just set up a 90 and I am leaning towards a SPS dominant tank.
When you say keep a 25% saltwater mix on hand do you mean actual premixed saltwater ? If you heat that and keep it circulated will it last? Is this what you pull from for normal water changes ? Then if yes, do you just mix up more and add it back to the pre mixed 25%?

 

[prsnlty]

The refers to a container of fresh sw mix for emergencies. Not mixed with old sw. Don't heat it until you're ready to use it and no need for a powerhead to circulate it once it's mixed. If you haven't needed to use it by the time you need to do a water change then use it for your water change but make up another afterwards just in case you need it before the next water change. Accidents happen and that's why we need to keep it on hand and ready to go.

 

[kevensquint]

Nevermind the carbon. Only in an exceptional situation have I ever used it. My tanks are as good as any top tanks w/o it.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

These montis

are starting to encrust a little on my frag rack. I would like to move them to a better location. Is there a way I can remove these from my frag rack without harming them?

Does the white ring around the outside edge mean that it’s growing?

 

[EriksOasis]

These montis

are starting to encrust a little on my frag rack. I would like to move them to a better location. Is there a way I can remove these from my frag rack without harming them?

Does the white ring around the outside edge mean that it’s growing?

They look great! The white ring around the edges is new growth. Maybe take a blade and try and scrape underneath them to pull them up off the rack.

 

[becks]

Is it ok to break a branch off my Seriatopora guttatus coral with my fingers? Or do I really need to use some bone cutters? The branch I want to frag off is in a tricky spot.