PLEASE READ: SPS thread ideas for this forum

[ThaNgBOm321]

how about some write-up on different type of system ( like bb,dsb,ssb,fuge,fugeless,sump,sumpless) explaining how the equipment's role/work to give 'noobs' a idea as how things work ... that will cut down a lot of repeat q?

another thing (kinda out of what you are planning but..) is a thread/sticky full of tips on sps' keeping.... just a big olll list that you can read and maybe pick up somtehing new...

YzGyz

 

[Philwd]

Lots of great ideas. Only thing I can think of to add is compilations like T5 threads, RB, aefw treatments etc. so the info is all in one place.

 

[tentacles]

I would like to see a thread on placement that includes details like specific lighting used, distance from the light, amount of flow in the tank etc... for specific corals. instead of the generic responses I usually see like, I keep mine high up under high flow.

 

[dzhuo]

i am personally interested to find out what exactly separates a well matured tank from an immature one.

i have seen many cases where a lot of people claim that they have a young tank and yet all the major measurable parameters such as ph/alk/cal/mag are in good range, but they are still unable to keep any sps or acro despite having abundance of light and flow.

what is it that we don't know about that separate a mature tank from a young one? is it the level of oxygen? bacteria concentration? water clarity? nutrient level? or simply something we don't yet know about?

there get to be something more than the usual ph/alk/cal/p04 stuff.

i am not as interested in the actual methodology (bb, dsb, ssb, types of light, amount of current, etc) used but a general understand of how to archive the end result of an mature tank and be able to sustain it for long period of time.

 

[CAreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10467709#post10467709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prop-frags
Great lead on this Joe; it's just the kind of thing we need from our mods to get more value from RC.
Here are a few ideas:

* Best Practices of SPS pros: things that experienced sps keepers have added to their "toolkit" over time. This would include common mistakes to avoid, lessons learned, etc. In order to avoid too broad a discussion, you could narrow it to categories such as:
tips for testing and managing water quality,
tips for placement and pruning of sps,
tips for quarantine and prevention of pests or disease in sps

* Aquascaping for that TOTM look: This would include planning an effective and asthetically-pleasing layout, live rock selection, placement techniques, integrating water flow into rock work, coral mounting techniques, etc.

* Planning the SPS show tank: much as you select fish that co-exist, this topic would include planning and choosing SPS that align with a theme or the overall look you want to achieve, and corals with complementary growth forms and colors. Another thing to include might be maintenance as you incorporate new sps colonies or frags, how to maintain light and adequate flow as colonies grow in, etc.

Outstanging post. I second!

CAReefer

 

[dukes707]

well this is just an ingenious idea.
some common topics i think a majority would benefit from would be:

1. basic SPS requirements;
-Lighting > could be its own topic. par relative to what lighting system (MH 150/250/400> T5>VHO>PC) or a combination of them, pros and cons. and distance of light to water. what works for who and why they chose that system.
-Flow >again own topic. type of system (not necessarily brand) powerheads/wavebox/surge system. again pros and cons of what and why they chose that system for their setup. as well as placement of their flow system, ie.powerheads realtive to corals and water movement from them.
-Parameters >big 6 ie. cal/alk/phos/pH/nitrates/temp. how to manage and what works for who and why. again its own topic

2. Dosing: who doses what, for what and how. ie. reactors for calcium/phos/carbon, liquid/dry supplements; which and why, as well as how they came to that decision for their system. could go from basic to more advanced.

3. common pitfalls of acros: one i wish i would have been started a long time ago. (could have saved me lots of time/money/and grief). things to watch for, like new tank syndrome and when is the right time to add acros to a new system/ or when a system is stable enough to support acros. common diseases and treatment of those diseases, ie. redbugs>interceptor, AEFW>dipping/FW, exit things like that. STN/RTN: causes, cures, and experiences with them.

4. coral placement: taking into accout everyones system is different, but a relative guide like low light corals and high light corals. experiences with said species and reactions of corals in what lighting and flow conditions.

5. i know there is a list somewhere, i think melev has a comprehensive list that i can never seem to find it when i need an id, but common hitch hikers, the good, the bad, and the ugly. which to keep and which to chuk, why, and the best way to get them outta your critters.

just a few topics i wish would have been around when i first started in this hobby. or better yet consolidated into a few solid threads instead of having to use the search function which never works for me. lookin forward to some good topics in the future.
are these gonna be tabbed or stickied or somthing so we dont gotta go searching for them when we need them?

 

[kev apsley]

everyone of these idea's is awesome! I feel the more information I can attain from other successful hobbyist and apply to my own practices, it can only help to better achieve a more universal understanding of these magnificent creatures. We can only read so many "please ID threads" a lot of the hardcore people on here are seeking knowledge and what is better than shared knowledge? We, as stated in earlier post could have our own TOTM section where it's voted by the folks in the SPS forum. Then, pictures, husbandry, lighting, flow, placement of certain acro's, monti's within the tank are explained...

Joe,
as usual you have hit the nail on the head with this one!

 

[Kip]

while i dont have any subjects to contribute to the list, i will simply applaud the efforts and forethoughts.

this forum has definitely changed over the last few years. i wont say good or bad... i will just say changed

It'd be great to see some of names of the "old salts" popping back up here and there. Better than the names, their wealth of knowledge.

I said I didnt have a subject, but I guess I do.

"After 11 yrs in the hobby, how do you stay interested when crashes, diseases, pests, and other maladies are running rampant these days?"

or

"How do you keep up with the demands of a stony system when you are now working twice as many hours on your job, have a wife, and kid, and another on the way!"

 

[MJAnderson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10470596#post10470596 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kenettson1
I really like a lot of the ideas here. There are a few that interest me most:

1. Threads on the care of specific SPS species. (Aquaguru)
2. Best Practices of SPS Pros (prop-frags)
3. You could have a weekly tank talk featuring one tank of an "sps expert." Where that person answers questions about how they got the results that they did. Kinda like some recent threads like Acropora Nut's.

Nos. 2 and 3 are what I was getting at.

 

[DaddyJax]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10467709#post10467709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prop-frags
Great lead on this Joe; it's just the kind of thing we need from our mods to get more value from RC.
Here are a few ideas:

* Best Practices of SPS pros: things that experienced sps keepers have added to their "toolkit" over time. This would include common mistakes to avoid, lessons learned, etc. In order to avoid too broad a discussion, you could narrow it to categories such as:
tips for testing and managing water quality,
tips for placement and pruning of sps,
tips for quarantine and prevention of pests or disease in sps

* Aquascaping for that TOTM look: This would include planning an effective and asthetically-pleasing layout, live rock selection, placement techniques, integrating water flow into rock work, coral mounting techniques, etc.

* Planning the SPS show tank: much as you select fish that co-exist, this topic would include planning and choosing SPS that align with a theme or the overall look you want to achieve, and corals with complementary growth forms and colors. Another thing to include might be maintenance as you incorporate new sps colonies or frags, how to maintain light and adequate flow as colonies grow in, etc.

I like these and Kennetison's ideas as well.
Good stuff everyone!!

 

[nwrogers]

I know it has been mentioned already but I came up with a good title for the thread about the basic requirements for starting out with SPS. I am always seeing people starting thread asking can I keep SPS with this equipment or that? Maybe a good thread would be titled “Let's talk about what it takes to keep SPS.” It could be a primer for people new to SPS and lead into the more detailed threads about water movement, water quality, and lighting. Just a thought…

 

[cashman95]

How about a Caution Thread, like what can happen if, or better yet if (this) has happened and then why? Kinda like trouble shooting page in an instruction maunal.
Example:

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES
Coral Bleaching - Too much light, excessive phosban, ETC


Many times I have had a problem and found myself searching for hours only to sorta find my answer. I, like many others, rely on you guys for answers, so I think this topic is great!

 

[Nanook]

Joe, thanks for taking the time to start this thread:thumbsup:

In the early days of RC, this forum was very near and dear to my heart. Over the last couple of years, it has become somewhat of a "show and tell" for new SPS hobbyists, instead of the informative atmosphere of old. We are only as good as the information we learn and then pass on.

Looking forward to partcipating and seeing some of the more experienced SPS freaks return to help.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I want to see some educational and informative ID threads. Not just post a picture and then say "granulosa", but I want to hear "granulosa because..." blah blah whatever. "Sometimes they are easily confused with ______ but you can tell its not because..... "

 

[xtm]

I like topics that provoke heated discussions involving people who are VERY knowledgeable but have differing views. As long as people are not 'crossing the line' with insults, etc. I think this can get very informative. JMO

How about:

Let's talk about the Pros and Cons of DSB, SSB, and BB.

Let's talk about Polyp Extension and its purpose - If any.

Let's talk about Commensal Crabs

 

[ThaNgBOm321]

another topic just came in mind... one on sps types/name, there care lvl and needs,and most importantly how to ID them ( cant care too good for a coral if you dont know what it is)

YzGyz

 

[Justin74]

Add me to the list wanting to discuss placement. Soo many corals are ignorantly placed near each other or kept near the top or on the bottom that have no place for being there. An aquarist struggle can easily get confused and sidetracked thinking his lights are not enough, or too much,or spinnin their wheels on water chemistry when in reality there water is fine and the coral is just getting too much light, or not enough flow, etc. depending on where that particular corals originally was or was collected from in the wild.

Some acroporids can be found naturally in the wild amongst large soft coral colonies, and can be to an extent tolerant. While some others have no business being around leathers or other softies and have no tolerance whatsoever to exposure.

Some acroporids come from deeper or cooler waters, or both. Simply knowing this would allow the aquarist to accomodate it and make acclimation to ones system that much easier, or less brown anyway

Great thread JBNY, just what the noobs and novice's alike need


-Justin

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10478752#post10478752 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xtm

Let's talk about Polyp Extension and its purpose - If any.

Oooo, I like that one...along with what the polyps will and can actually eat that we can provide, and what benefits, if any, they derive from it.

 

[acro bat]

How about a thread from the experts and very successful reef keepers that the title of the thread start"My secrets of how I do it"or why their tanks with only 1000 dls vs. 15.000 dls in equipment is doing much better than yours.
C'mon guys tell us the truth!

Vina del Mar.

 

[TIMMYE]

I think a good onewould be the practice of getting new SPS corals. From the dipping, QT, acclimation (lighting & flow), and just getting them used to new tank params. I think alot of people start off on the wrong foot when it comes to SPS and it leads them down the long bad road. Just my .02