Pappone/Blue method and SPS growth

[sponger0]

I need some help with getting my SPS to grow. Ive had them since June and some have grown. Some really havent. Ive got my phos under control and keep my mag and cal and alk levels good. But dont seem to grow much.

After talking with a local shop owner, i was wondering if it was what I was using for dosing. He mentioned pappone.

I was wondering if anyone on this forum has used the Blu method and what they use for amino acids. Im interested in getting some growth. Or maybe some advice on growth.

I keep my alk at 8/9. Mag above 1300, as it gets depleted quickly in my biocube, and calcium around 450 or higher.

 

[Kshack]

For growth try to keep alk higher (11-12).. For colors, keep alk around 7-8. You can not have both. I tried the Blue method and made the food, but stopped after 1 year. Hard to keep alk as high as they recommend. The AA they use in Europe are not available here. I just used Elos.

 

[sponger0]

Ok well I really dont show much growth at all on some of my SPS. Some do. I have one birdsnest that has doubled in size but another that doesnt show much growth and both were bought around the same time.

My red table milli. No growth after 4 months.

I have a lime green monti that has grown since august. So some have growth others dont. Im not sure what isnt right or im missing.

Maybe some food reccomendations for SPS.

And yes Id rather have the color but I would like the colonies to be growing. But color is my priority

 

[allsps40]

I disagree. I use the KISS method and I get great color and growth.
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid
Kalk in ATO for ca and alk dosing and stability, simple sump with reactor running GFO and carbon, a good skimmer, simple and effective lighting and good flow in the sump and display.

 

[sponger0]

I disagree. I use the KISS method and I get great color and growth.
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid
Kalk in ATO for ca and alk dosing and stability, simple sump with reactor running GFO and carbon, a good skimmer, simple and effective lighting and good flow in the sump and display.

Then what am I missing? Granted it is a biocube but Im use a 4 bulb t5 fixute with ati bulbs, dosing for calc, mag, and alk. TLF reactor with media for phos. Like i said I dont know what Im missing.

All my LPS and softies are growing great. I know SPS dont grow overnight but I know I should have some growth on them by now

 

[dvanacker]

human growth hormone anyone.....

I forgot about this method. Still seems crazy...but I guess it could be possible.

 

[sponger0]

human growth hormone anyone.....

I forgot about this method. Still seems crazy...but I guess it could be possible.

Dude I love your avatar...thats just awesome

 

[allsps40]

IME its is much more difficult to keep happy colorful and fast growing sps in a nano especially acropora. The best nano sps setups I have seem has used a sump larger than the tank volume, a good skimmer, 2 part dosers and ATO. All this adds to stability in the small tank. Also having a lot of lps and softies could be causing stress on the sps.

 

[sponger0]

Well at this time it is a holding place for my SPS. The biocube was my first tank and I recently started a 40 breeder, thats a little over a month old. Im waiting for it to mature a bit more and I need new bulbs for the fixture on my 40 breeder. So as Im waiting, I would like to get some hints/tricks/technique to getting them to grow.

But one of my corals died today. It was fine yesterday but was a stressed out piece of coral I got from someone locally. Looked like RTN.

 

[allsps40]

A month, time to get those bulbs and move the sps into the 40B.

 

[sponger0]

A month, time to get those bulbs and move the sps into the 40B.

Need $$$$$$$$ lol. I just replaced the bulbs on my biocube, but yes first week of January I plan on getting them and moving all the SPS over and my biocube will be a softy/LPS tank

 

[chrishayes]

I had a 28nc and I struggled with color and growth. I could get both but not at the same time. I had all the gadgets and the tank was very stable in the areas that I could control but it just seemed that there was always a cycle of ups and downs. I feel in a tank that small you need to keep low fish load and choose either all sps or compromise color and growth to have a mixed reef...just cant have both in such a small volume of water.

Now some people can do it and I applaud them but after trying as hard as I could I just couldnt do it at a level that I was happy with and im not nor was I, a newb.

Just keep things as stable as you can and get that 40 ready for the swap over. Youll likely have better luck with more water, larger skimmer and better lighting.

 

[sponger0]

Well I can be considered a newb, only been in the hobby successfully since april but I have learned alot and continue to learn everyday I can.

Main thing is trying to keep the SPS I have now from dying or bleaching out. And get my 40 breeder to stablize. I have a reef octopus skimmer and brs reactor, nova t5 fixture which Im also going to use ATI bulbs, as I like the color ir produces.

Ive been able to keep the SPS I have alive, some min growth, some doubled in size, some regained color after being stressed out. So I feel liek Im doing whats right, but the growth is killing me on how much it varies and how much I dose, or change the water or test the water. Which is why I want to turn my biocube into a softy/LPS tank. Then I have no worries as they are growing very good.

So Ill just keep my eyes on the prize (40 breeder SPS dominated tank)

 

[sponger0]

Double post

 

[allsps40]

I had good growth in my 40B but color was always hard to get unless it was brown or green. Since upgrading to a larger tank with more even light coverage grow and color have come along nicely.