newbie to sps

[hig789]

i am new to sps and i just got a monti digi to and it is neon green. i have read all the info in Aquarium Corals by Eric H. Borneman. does anyone have any more info on this coral or any web pages to view. also i feed my tank a mix of cyclopes, dt's oyster eggs, and brine shrimp9 for fish and lps). will this be good food for digi?

90gal.

flow= 2 seio 820 tunze style, gen x 1000gph return and maxi jet with nozzle cut off for wider flow on aquacontroller jr.

sump= jebo 520 skimmer with gen-x 600gph pump, refugium with liv rock and cheato and a sea pen to eat distirus.

lighting= 2 175w 20k xm's on m57 and 2 vho 50/50's on ice cap 660

parameters= cal. 450 nit. both 0 alk. 5(on sea chem test kit)
po4 0 ph 8.3

 

[ReeferMac]

M. Digitata's are hardy, and easy to care for, speaking in terms of SPS. It's a good beginner coral. Give this one some time, see how it does. Within a month, the coral should adjust to your tank, and begin showing signs of growth. When it begins growing rapidly, you may be ready to try a second coral.

- Mac

 

[thebicyclecafe]

DT's will work fine, scientists don't know if SPS will eat that stuff but zooplankton seems to be a good choice, or DT's. The flow is adequate, if it does well for you then you can try more SPS. The alkalinity could be a little higher (if you talking in terms of dKH) if it's meq/L then you're okay, even high.

 

[ReeferMac]

The rule of thumb I use when asking myself that same question (wether animal/vegetable/mineral), is if I'm not 100% sure why I'm adding it to my tank, I don't add it.

- Mac

 

[hig789]

i test my alk with the sea chem test and i think it is meq/l. how do you convert it to dKH?

 

[dustin Combs]

kh

kh

If it is KH your are a tad low. If you are at 5 meq/L your are high. I wouldn't be overly concerned. Here is a websight you can look at to help you balance out the values of KH and CaChemistry

 

[dweakl01]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6995409#post6995409 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hig789
i test my alk with the sea chem test and i think it is meq/l. how do you convert it to dKH?

The Seachem kit is in meq/L, that's what I use.

 

[Serioussnaps]

Cut the brine shrimp-----pure crap-----do some enriched mysis instead. You need to do some reading on balancing CA and Alk before getting anymore coral. I would take the Sea Pen out of the fuge as well. let your fuge run fallow of all organisms except the pods-----cyclopeeze will likely be a good bet for your coral----look into sweetwater zooplankton----but dump the brine

 

[hig789]

what is wrong with cal. at 450?

 

[dustin Combs]

Your alk is very high! Are you adding any buffers? what is your means of keeping your Ca and KH ?
And no 450 is ok as long as your Kh is in reasonable range.

 

[dustin Combs]

It's ok to serve brine shrimp as long as your are suplimenting with other food, ie. mysis, oyster egg, cyclopeze. The majority of food absorbed by SPS are from CaCO3. They will do fine with what you feed your fish and also keeping stable Ca,KH,pH,Mg.

 

[hig789]

i made a mistake on my alk i retested it and i was 7 dkh. that sounds better to me.

 

[hig789]

oh yeah i dose with sea chem powder calcium and powder alk. buffer. i am going to start doseing with kalk as soon as i learn more about it and get my doser biult. any info on how to dose and other info would be appreciated.

 

[ReeferMac]

Try doing a search here on RC for "Neilsen Reactor" and see what you turn up.

- Mac