New to SPS - thoughts?

[Gabbone]

Hi all,

I never thought of introducing SPS into my reef tank (LPS Dominates + Soft) but that moment has come. Last week I was fascinated by this beautiful Green Sylopora and I decided to buy it. It has been dipped twice to be sure; first dip with dip-x 15 minutes and second dip with af protec dip for 5 minutes.

I am very careful about water values and I am seeking stability as much as possible.

Tank: 30g AIO
S: 35ppt or 1.026
F: 77
Ph: 8.2/8.3
Alk: 9.2dkh (I am currently using Red Sea Coral Pro salt but I am switching soon to Tropic Marin Pro Salt which has a lower dkh. The plan is to decrease my alk to 8.0dkh and be consistent there by daily dosing all for reef). I want to focus on deep coloration and fluorescence rather than growth.
CA: 420ppm
MG: 1400ppm
NO3: 10ppm
PO4: 0.06ppm
Light: Radion xr15 G6 Blue currently on AB+ at 50%.
WC: 10% Weekly

Here a video of my stylopora. Seems to love my tank. I am planning to buy also a purple one very soon!

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I think you will find it's easier to maintain numbers with all for reef around 9 dkh.

At 8 dkh calcium and mag will require a more watchful eye.

 

[Gabbone]

I think you will find it's easier to maintain numbers with Al for reef around 9 dkh.

Why so?

 

[Dburr1014]

Hi all,

I never thought of introducing SPS into my reef tank (LPS Dominates + Soft) but that moment has come. Last week I was fascinated by this beautiful Green Sylopora and I decided to buy it. It has been dipped twice to be sure; first dip with dip-x 15 minutes and second dip with af protec dip for 5 minutes.

I am very careful about water values and I am seeking stability as much as possible.

Tank: 30g AIO
S: 35ppt or 1.026
F: 77
Ph: 8.2/8.3
Alk: 9.2dkh (I am currently using Red Sea Coral Pro salt but I am switching soon to Tropic Marin Pro Salt which has a lower dkh. The plan is to decrease my alk to 8.0dkh and be consistent there by daily dosing all for reef). I want to focus on deep coloration and fluorescence rather than growth.
CA: 420ppm
MG: 1400ppm
NO3: 10ppm
PO4: 0.06ppm
Light: Radion xr15 G6 Blue currently on AB+ at 50%.
WC: 10% Weekly

Here a video of my stylopora. Seems to love my tank. I am planning to buy also a purple one very soon!

Congrats, but it's too bad you didn't come here first.
The metallic green ones will spawn all over the tank as soon as they are happy. I don't want to burst the bubble, just make you aware.
I think a little more flow is you can to make them happy.

 

[Gabbone]

Congrats, but it's too bad you didn't come here first.
The metallic green ones will spawn all over the tank as soon as they are happy. I don't want to burst the bubble, just make you aware.
I think a little more flow is you can to make them happy.

Thanks!

How do they spawn and what's gonna happen?

Regarding the flow, you can't see it in the video but I am on random mode and during that specific video, the flow was lower.

 

[Dburr1014]

Thanks!

How do they spawn and what's gonna happen?

Regarding the flow, you can't see it in the video but I am on random mode and during that specific video, the flow was lower.

They throw babies all over.
You will start to see growth all over the tank in random spots.
Before you know it, you have a hundred little baby colonies all over the tank.
This is the "weed" of sps and a lot of folks stay away from this one.

I see the polyps dancing just not enough. Flow is how they catch food and expel waste. It's very important for sps.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Why so?

There isn't a ton of wiggle room between 7-8 dkh.

My tank for example. 20 gallon display. I run at 9. I'm also dosing AFR. 2ml every other hour. In one weeks time my dkh will be lower than 8. At which point I will dose 2 part cal and alk (mag if needed) back up to 9 dkh, 440ppm, 1350ppm and increase my dose by an ever increasing amount almost weekly. It's a constant game of keep up while your pieces are growing.

At 8 dkh, even with a perfect dose today, you could be lower than 7 dkh in 4 days time.

 

[Gabbone]

They throw babies all over.
You will start to see growth all over the tank in random spots.
Before you know it, you have a hundred little baby colonies all over the tank.
This is the "weed" of sps and a lot of folks stay away from this one.

I see the polyps dancing just not enough. Flow is how they catch food and expel waste. It's very important for sps.

Which SPS would you recommend to start with?

 

[Gabbone]

There isn't a ton of wiggle room between 7-8 dkh.

My tank for example. I run at 9. I'm also dosing AFR. 2ml every other hour. In one weeks time my dkh will be lower than 8. At which point I will dose 2 part cal and alk (mag if needed) back up to 9 dkh, 440ppm, 1350ppm and increase my dose by an ever increasing amount almost weekly. It's a constant game of keep up while your pieces are growing.

At 8 dkh, even with a perfect dose today, you could be lower than 7 dkh in 4 days time.

Thanks a lot for the clarification.

My daily Alk depletion is 0.2dkh and my daily CA depletion is 2ppm per day. Dosing 5ml AFR daily will keep the value exactly there (for now).

Then of course when corals grown they will uptake more alk/ca. But I am testing my Alk every other day so I am gonna be sure will stay consistent. When they will consume more, I'll increase the daily AFR dose.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Thanks a lot for the clarification.

My daily Alk depletion is 0.2dkh and my daily CA depletion is 2ppm per day. Dosing 5ml AFR daily will keep the value exactly there (for now).

Then of course when corals grown they will uptake more alk/ca. But I am testing my Alk every other day so I am gonna be sure will stay consistent. When they will consume more, I'll increase the daily AFR dose.

You will see what I'm saying when you run it at 8. Right now that's gonna be easy. But your uptake is going to increase rapidly. That means bigger swings in alkalinity, Bigger swings when you run at 8 will eventually mean dropping below 7dk in a single day if your dose is low. Which it will almost perpetually be. Hopefully that makes it a little easier to follow.

 

[Dburr1014]

Which SPS would you recommend to start with?

Stylophora is a fine first sps.
Is just the metallic green one is the issue.
I had one, now I don't.
I have a purple one that grows crazy fast but doesn't spawn.

 

[Gabbone]

You will see what I'm saying when you run it at 8. Right now that's gonna be easy. But you uptakenis going.to be exponential. Which means your uptake will as well. That means bigger swings in alkalinity, Bigger swings when you run at 8 will eventually mean dropping below 7dk in a single day. if your dose is low. Which it will almost perpetually be. Hopefully that makes it a little easier to follow.

I get the point and I agree. Maybe the only way to be stable at 8dkh is dosing alk with a dosing pump during the 24hrs.

What if will I add kalkwasser to my ato? (I know it's kind of odd considering evaporation rate, seasonality etc).

So you'll recommend to be around 9? What about 8.5?

 

[Gabbone]

Stylophora is a fine first sps.
Is just the metallic green one is the issue.
I had one, now I don't.
I have a purple one that grows crazy fast but doesn't spawn.

Thanks!

I mean which other "easy" SPS would you recommend to add?

 

[Dburr1014]

Plating or encrusting monty.

 

[steveschuerger]

Thanks!

I mean which other "easy" SPS would you recommend to add?

Another good starter is montipora digitata or just called Digis . Good growers , come in several colors . Or aan encrusting/plating Monti as mentioned. Monti

 

[javajaws]

There isn't a ton of wiggle room between 7-8 dkh.

My tank for example. 20 gallon display. I run at 9. I'm also dosing AFR. 2ml every other hour. In one weeks time my dkh will be lower than 8. At which point I will dose 2 part cal and alk (mag if needed) back up to 9 dkh, 440ppm, 1350ppm and increase my dose by an ever increasing amount almost weekly. It's a constant game of keep up while your pieces are growing.

At 8 dkh, even with a perfect dose today, you could be lower than 7 dkh in 4 days time.

Its not so much the targeted dkh value itself but that in combination with the water volume involved. In a small tank during growout your consumption is constantly changing and that rate of change + the small water volume are what is the issue. The solution isn't necessarily higher dkh though - you'll still end up getting alk swings that SPS won't like at 9dkh. Sure, you might not drop down to 7 like you might if you started at 8 - but neither is optimal. In the smaller tank while consumption is changing the better answer is more frequent testing or anticipating the growth in consumption and creating a dosing schedule to anticipate that over the week, etc.

 

[Gabbone]

I agree with both but considering I test alk every two days, I should be fine!

 

[ryanjohn1]

I agree with both but considering I test alk every two days, I should be fine!

Go with the stylo when it grows it will boost your confidence in growing sps and will probably make you want to switch over to sps dominant tank. lol welcome to your new addiction.

 

[ryanjohn1]

Or if you can find so staghorn coral they are really forgiving as well.