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

[tripdad]

Sure, same as an "accidental" frag caused by maintenance, etc.

 

[Undertaker]

any suggestions on a backup power source? I currently am using an apc 450va i believe its rated to run 10hrs

 

[Da Ghost]

Great thread, I like the dog toothbrush will be going to the store tomorrow.

 

[Reef Doc]

I am getting ready to upgrade to a 75 gallon (48in x 18in) and I want to do mostly SPS. Would two dual coral life T5 HO fixtures with 2 Blue Plus ATI bulbs in each be sufficient? I would also have two 24in Current USA IC Loop LEDs to add shimmer. Thank you.

 

[terri_ann]

IMO, I wouldn't but only my opinion. For a lighting recommendation you might want to look at the Kessil A 360 WE (2 of them) and the AquaticLife T5 HO Hybrid. Of course there are many options available.

 

[Fishinwall]

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[Da8]

@ 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!

What is the purpose and benefits of this ?

I would love to have more info about it.

Thanks

 

[Benga]

What is the purpose and benefits of this ?

I would love to have more info about it.

Thanks

It's called micro-scrubbing. Me explaining won't be any good so i'll refer you to a video that explained it to me.

 

[DaveC]

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[Deanmal]

I have a sps dominated tank and this helps greatly

 

[mafiareefer]

I have sca 150 gallon tank that’s been up for 6-7 months. I just recently started putting some corals a purple stylo, forest fire digi, and another no name acro. I also put a hammer and 2 acans. Long term I’m going for a spa dominant tank but right now I just threw those pieces in as testers to see how they do. I have a problem tho. I just got ick and I’m pulling all my fish out for a 90 day qt. Am I going to have a harder time with growing corals now that I won’t have any fish in the tank???

 

[SunnyX]

I have sca 150 gallon tank that’s been up for 6-7 months. I just recently started putting some corals a purple stylo, forest fire digi, and another no name acro. I also put a hammer and 2 acans. Long term I’m going for a spa dominant tank but right now I just threw those pieces in as testers to see how they do. I have a problem tho. I just got ick and I’m pulling all my fish out for a 90 day qt. Am I going to have a harder time with growing corals now that I won’t have any fish in the tank???

Well, that all depends on your current feeding regiment. Have you been supplementing the system with any other food than what is fed to fish? If not, it is advisable to supplement the aquarium with some nutrients.

With no fish in the system you will have a nutrient vacuum. This will definitely stun coral growth, health, and color.

I have been out of the scene for a while and am not sure what products are available today, but back when I needed to supplement my reef with additional nutrients I used Prodibio Reef Booster. It has a healthy mix of amino acids, nutrients, and lipids. My corals loved it. As with any supplements it is advisable to start slowly and watch for any signs of cyno or algae. At that point you would need to scale back on dosing until you find a happy median.

Good luck with the Ick. Hopefully you can pinpoint the cause so that you are not dealing with this issue again.

-Sonny

 

[Undertaker]

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.

Thx for the tips. My tank is 2 years old and I’m about to start with sps. I run gfo 5 tbs keeps my phosphates at .03. It took me awhile to find that sweet spot running. Would you suggest removing it, or keep it up since I have found the amount that keeps phosphates at a good level?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Thx for the tips. My tank is 2 years old and I’m about to start with sps. I run gfo 5 tbs keeps my phosphates at .03. It took me awhile to find that sweet spot running. Would you suggest removing it, or keep it up since I have found the amount that keeps phosphates at a good level?

Stop testing for for anything other than alk, calcium, and mag.
The sps in my tank really took off once I simplified things.
I stopped using carbon, gfo, and filter socks. I have not tested phosphate and nitrate for almost three years.

 

[Aheinz]

Definitely keeping this in mind when I decide to add sps

 

[jose hernandez]

I’m lookin into doin a sps dominant tank what do I need goin with a waterbox 190 gallon set up I have 2 g4 pros but really like the orphek Atlantic v4 leds

 

[Jettareefer223]

I agree with much of the above.
Stability / Patience / Simplicity = SPS.
Acronyms...Many have success with complex systems (zeo/carbon/additive
dosing/etc.). The fundamentals and redundancy are all you need to achieve SPS long-term success. Most of all keeping up regular wt/ maintenance routines. My .02
For the past year I only use sunpower t5 fixture/led bar, big skimmer, large sump w/LR , heater, return pump, and gyre/jebao flow in the tank
-no socks/refug
-Don’t chase #’s- just keep it stable. Po4/No3 I don’t test (color/vitality) is used. .19-.22/20-25ppm (Jan 19)
-plain instant ocean/hand dose BRS (big 3 2x daily)
-Heavy bioload/feeding
• Redundancy- grounding probe, 2 stage temp control via apex heater/light, battery b/u (circulation), and always check everything daily.

My tank’s in transition/rebuild (treating black bugs)

 

[Surfandturf]

I think that you gave really good advice. One of the most important things that I have learned through the years is the power of a dosing pump. Testing parameters frequently is another big deal. I think that after some (me included) have been in the hobby for a while, get complacent and thats something an Sps or mixed reef cannot really accommodate. I have also had great success using Acropower.

 

[Wolverine47]

Keeping SPS is all about stability. Corals have adapted to many different conditions in the oceans depending on the specific reef. But the one constant is that the overall conditions do not change. If you can keep parameters consistent and avoid large fluctuations you will avoid many of the human errors that lead to the downfall of an SPS tank

 

[christian321uy]

great post