I am wanting to start growing some SPS corals in my tank, and would like alittle advice. What I have to start with: My tank is a 6ft long 125 gallon tank with a sump under the cabnet, I think my LFS, when he sold me this set up, called it a (sp) Berlin system. I have about 230 lbs of live rock in the tank. I have four T5 bulbes in the cabnet top, 2 white and two blueish colored bulbs. I also have 3 MH lights in the canopy, 250w 20K bulbs. I do not have a calcium reactor, my LFS told me that this isn't a must have at this time and that I could get by using a two part calcium buffer, which I am using at this time, one cap full of each, twice a week. I have a calcisum test kit but haven't used it yet. I do have a few corals in the tank at this time, several kinds of polyps and zoas, two toadstools and a Devils Hand. I also have several fish, one each of the following, Midas Blenny, Alge Blenny, Fox Face, Yellow Tang, Hippo Tang, soe sort of red Wrasse and two M. Clowns in a Rose Ann., the tank also has two power heads, one at either end of the tank. Any advice you can give me on getting started would help. What I was kinda, sort of, thinking of doing was buying corals from LiveAquaria Divers Den, appears that I can buy larger coral colonies here instead of the small frags that everyone else sells, they cost a bit more. Anyway, I just didn't want to just start buying without getting my tank in shape to give them a fighting chance of surviving. Any advice will be welcomed. Thanks for your time.
A few questions
- Thread starter strout
- Start date
To start off, I'd look at increasing your flow. Unless you have two vortechs, I doubt you have enough flow for SPS.
Then you need to get an Alkalinity test, a magnesium test, a nitrate test, and try to find someone with a hanna handheld phospate meter.
Then you need to start using your test kits. You want stability.
I'd stop dosing the two part. It is very likely you are wasting it, as it doesn't sound like you have any calcium demanding coral.
Once you start testing, then you can decide how much to start adding.
Calcium - around 425 ppm
Alkalinity - around 8-12 dkh - keeping it steady is important for SPS
Magnesium - 1300-1500 ppm
Nitrates - less than 10 ppm
Phosphate - less than .03 (double check me on this one)
Once you have those under control and stable, I'd recommend buying some frags off of locals first. Getting larger colonies from LiveAquaria, especially Divers Den, would probably be a very expsensive mistake.
Start with montipora & digitata. Or a green slimer is pretty hardy. You don't want to start sticking in hundreds of dollars of coral just to see them RTN/STN, or fall prey to some predator.
I'd recommend QT'ing all new corals. Not just SPS. If you have made it this far without getting some bad disease or "bug", then you've been lucky.
Google Melev and check Marc's site out, he has some great info on quarantining corals.
HTH and I'm sure others will be able to help as well.
Then you need to get an Alkalinity test, a magnesium test, a nitrate test, and try to find someone with a hanna handheld phospate meter.
Then you need to start using your test kits. You want stability.
I'd stop dosing the two part. It is very likely you are wasting it, as it doesn't sound like you have any calcium demanding coral.
Once you start testing, then you can decide how much to start adding.
Calcium - around 425 ppm
Alkalinity - around 8-12 dkh - keeping it steady is important for SPS
Magnesium - 1300-1500 ppm
Nitrates - less than 10 ppm
Phosphate - less than .03 (double check me on this one)
Once you have those under control and stable, I'd recommend buying some frags off of locals first. Getting larger colonies from LiveAquaria, especially Divers Den, would probably be a very expsensive mistake.
Start with montipora & digitata. Or a green slimer is pretty hardy. You don't want to start sticking in hundreds of dollars of coral just to see them RTN/STN, or fall prey to some predator.
I'd recommend QT'ing all new corals. Not just SPS. If you have made it this far without getting some bad disease or "bug", then you've been lucky.
Google Melev and check Marc's site out, he has some great info on quarantining corals.
HTH and I'm sure others will be able to help as well.
Thanks for the advice, I left out something on my list, I have a clam and thats the reason I was using the two part. I have pretty good flow in the tank. One of my toadstools is pretty good size and if I don't have the rock it is growing on wedged in place between the live rock, it will get blown over. I do have a 10g Q. tank, but it dosn't have good enough lights for SPS Corals. I was using it to QT my fish when I set the tank up. I will work on getting the test kits.
chrismhaase
Active member
I would personally get rid if all the leathers. They produce a toxic chemical to SPS types. Also consider getting a carbon reactor to keep the water clean and clear. Other than that do what was suggested and test.
chrismhaase
Active member
Also depending on how old tour MH bulbs, you may want to replace. Great idea in starting with cheap small frags. Dip them at a minimum if you can't QT them.
Bpb
New member
Find someone's tank you love and imitate what they do. Every tank and situation is different, and don't pick a TOTM winner, but someone in your local reef club, or someone with a journal on here who has a similar tank size and light setup you do and kind of pick apart what makes their system tick. You may not end up copying it exactly but will give you a direction to go. Make sure your gear you purchase solves a particular issue you're having, and you know exactly how and why everything works the way it does before you buy. Spending more money on plastic, glass, and wires up front, will save you a lot of money on living organisms later if that makes sense. I've seen too many people with inadequate flow, filtration, water quality, testing, and lighting, spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on livestock that ends up dying. Simply because light bulbs or rodi filters aren't as fun as that pretty Acropora you see for sale. Hope that helps
