Attached are a couple pictures from my current tank. iPhone pics so they aren't the greatest quality. I mostly have softs, polips, zona and LPS. Only other things living in the tank are snails, an anemone and a shrimp. Tank is 55 gallons and all water conditions are in the normal range. Lights are (2) AI Hydras about 8" above the water. Also have a couple of powerheads for water movement. I am looking to add some reds, pinks and purples to the tank and want to do so with some SPS. What would be a couple of good choices for the tank? I was looking at the Birdnest and possibly Branched Montipora to start with. Thanks!
Adding SPS To Tank
- Thread starter AdamC00
- Start date
Usernam Invalid
New member
Before you start adding any sps to your tank you want to make sure you can keep parameters stable temp alk calc mag.
PaleHorse
New member
Pictures are above in the OP.
ALk - Don't test
Cal - 480
Mag - Don't test
Salinity - 1.025
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Phosphate - 0
Temp - 78
AI Hydra x 2 8" above the water
Change 5 gallons every other week and 10 gallons once a month
I buy premixed water from the lfs, not sure what brand they use
ro/di water used for top offs
No dosing at this time, but have supplies if I need to
GroktheCube
New member
6.5 meq/l, or 6.5dkh?
I assume the latter, in which case, you might want to try bumping it up over time.
I assume the latter, in which case, you might want to try bumping it up over time.
animalkingdom
New member
Well it sound like your alk is bouncing around which isn't great for sps. Get that stable in the 7-9 range and think will improve. Also, what intensity are you running your hydras at. Maybe its the pics but the tank looks a bit dim for SPS to me
The first 2 tests of Alk were bad tests. When I tested again, I got the 6.5. I can test again tonight to verify. The pictures were taken at night so the lights were down low. I have my blues close to 80%, whites 40%, R/G 15%
animalkingdom
New member
Thanks! 6.5 is definitely on the low side and it may help to bring it up some.
Would that be the reasoning behind the polyps not opening up??
swhobbie1
New member
I am no expert, only into SPS recently, but ... my observations to date ... some corals don't seem to have much PE at all, some have more PE than others. If you know what the coral's normal PE is and it is significantly less than that then there is something (parameter, flow, pest, something touched it, temperature, etc) in the tank the coral doesn't like. And as everyone has warned they don't like significant changes fast or like their parameters other than within the "desired" ranges for that coral.
Similar threads
