The Magic Touch: Have you ever successfully kept SPS?

[Yagerboy]

I have better luck with SPS than I do LPS long term. Stability is the key.

 

[mini-fred]

Tank is little over 2 months old now..
Keep it simple but stable.
Custom tank with dual big 2” pipes to sump
Lots of flow (2 jenao sow22+2x xf350 gyre)
Big fleece rollermat (pearl aqua large)
Big skimmer (bubbleking 250)

Lots of light, especially against shading, running a hybrid t5 (4x 80w) and 4 radion g5 pro at about 50% intensity

Dosing only ati essentials + and every other day acropower

Trident keeps my alk at 8.25 (trident controlled dosing through dos doser)
Trident keeps my ca around 445 and mg 1440

Not too many fish, i dont adjust for no3 or po4, levels are stable at 0.06/0.07 po4 on the hanna and nitrate between 3 and 4

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I’ve been reefing for over 10 years and I believe my success with sps started when I started paying attention to my p.h. Also of course stability is a large factor with this. I believe understanding the balance between nutrient and alk is also very important! Yes my glass is dirty.embrace it This tank is just over 1 year

 

[dmh41532]

I’ve kept sps successfully in the past. Unfortunately I just can’t keep them. Idk if it’s the water or what’s going on, all parameters are stable, but of the 15 frags I had, only 4 remain and they’re just not growing

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I’ve been reefing for over 10 years and I believe my success with sps started when I started paying attention to my p.h. Also of course stability is a large factor with this. I believe understanding the balance between nutrient and alk is also very important! Yes my glass is dirty.embrace it This tank is just over 1 year

Your tank looks great!

 

[Troylee]

Nope.
S. cary
P. eculiar
S. Ticks

 

[landlubber]

One thing someone prospectively looking to attempt SPS corals can take from OP's wonderful looking tank photo and most successful stick growing tanks... notice the lack of Anemone(s).
A single Acropora branch getting touched by an anemone leads to die-off, if the branch isn't removed it quickly grows algae which kills the rest of the coral. The problem is multiplied if the anemone splits.
My advice for a budding SPS enthusiast is to fight the temptation to check every box and skip on the hobby's most active coral.

 

[DanyL]

I voted other. Seems like a lot of middle ground between reefing wizard and it was a battle. Lol

We need to add a category of a “reefing alchemist” just for you, which is like 2 levels above wizard

 

[ieatbugman]

I have a decent sized monti cap and a couple of acro frags that are doing well, wizard. No. Ready for more? Absolutely yes!

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Your tank looks great!

Thank you! Hopefully this year it really fills in. I’ve run out of room for acros, but I want more!

 

[Orito]

One thing someone prospectively looking to attempt SPS corals can take from OP's wonderful looking tank photo and most successful stick growing tanks... notice the lack of Anemone(s).
A single Acropora branch getting touched by an anemone leads to die-off, if the branch isn't removed it quickly grows algae which kills the rest of the coral. The problem is multiplied if the anemone splits.
My advice for a budding SPS enthusiast is to fight the temptation to check every box and skip on the hobby's most active coral.

Never had any problem like that, the touched area dies, and if the aggression stops it usually regrow the tissue.

 

[landlubber]

Never had any problem like that, the touched area dies, and if the aggression stops it usually regrow the tissue.

The thread is asking if we've successfully kept sps. I answered the poll and responded with a personal experience based on my tank.
I'm very happy to hear you don't suffer the same problem.

 

[Dburr1014]

I think my Apache Chief is coming back!
Looks dead, but,



Zoom in a little!

 

[flashsmith]

Six months tops for me. It felt like another full time job taking care of it and the expense. Never again for me. I consider myself pretty successful with coral in general but sps is a whole different rabbit hole I'm going to avoid. I've given up on meat corals too.

 

[mini-fred]

I just have it the exact other way. Acros arent a problem, keeping nutrients higher for the lps is a challenge here. Combined with stupid overkill of lighting and flow (and ati essentials+ on a dos) makes it super easy

 

[Orito]

The thread is asking if we've successfully kept sps. I answered the poll and responded with a personal experience based on my tank.
I'm very happy to hear you don't suffer the same problem.

Sorry, I missed the part where you meant was your experience, not my native language