SPS and Soft Corals. Are they compatable?

[scarter]

I have heard that SPS and Softies cannot be kept together. I have also heard that they can as long as you have a large tank. I have a 200 gallon. Is this enough water to dilute any chemicle warfare? I also have two g3 skimmers to help with that.

My second question is actually a soft coral question. I figure you guts would know bwcause most of us start out with softies anyway. I just ordered two 400w MH and wanted to know if this would melt my softies. I have spent years collecting them and as much as I want to go full force with SPS, I cannot part with them or do anything to damage them, they are a part of my family..lol

I also want to add that the people on RC are the best. I had been relying on knowledge from the LFS and was constantly getting poor information. Every question I have asked on RC has been answered with a gerat ammount of knowledge. so thanks guys.....

S. Carter

 

[Cody Ray]

If you are good about your water changes and changing carbon you could probably do it. RC have a soft coral forum now if you want more info, however 400W is quite a bit of light for soft corals.

 

[jjmcat]

How tall is your 200 gallon tank?

 

[Sk8r]

If you put the softies down to the bottom and create shaded areas and ledges in the rockwork (I'd put them near the outflow, because softies, whether or not they start the quarrel, are usually the nuclear device in reef wars) and get the sps and lps a bit higher and near the inflow. Montiporas are usually very tolerant and might actually create (via the foliosa) the shading ledges.
Keep torch and bubble well away from leather. You can also set up pillars or slabs to divert water flow or prevent sweeper tentacles from going downwind. As leathers aggress chemically, the lps are good at physical sneak attack. You wouldn't believe some of the sweepers---steer clear of galaxia coral!
For sps, again, the montiporas make good fences: if they're retracted, this is not good, and it serves as an alarm system.
[Call it the coral version of the Aggressive tank. But, as I say, it is do-able.]
One caveat, however: I would really, really, really counsel against adding any anemone to the pot---should the fleeting thought ever cross your mind. I did that, briefly. It was not a good thing. No, no, no, no, no....

If someone goes purple, run carbon. If you've run carbon at lot, use micronutrient supplements and do water changes.

I've done what you propose in a 100 gal with a 50 gallon sump.:eek1:

 

[thereefgeek]

I've been keeping SPS & softies together for about 10 years w/o too much problem, but 400 watt halides may be a bit much IMO. I'm running a 200 (7X2X2 feet) and have 3- 250 MH with Luminarc Mini reflectors. Softies down low, and the SPS up midway to top of the tank.

 

[scarter]

Thanks for the info.....

I have never ran carbon. It just seems unnatural to me and I have never had any problems with my softies. do you guys think I should start to run carbon when I add the SPS?

also, I have heard several people say that 2x400w may be to much, but them say that they run 3,4,5, or even six 250w
whats the difference, it all adds up to the same wattage. Is it because it is point source?

 

[Sk8r]

Carbon is only for when you're having an active problem. Like if an encrusting leather goes purple and wrinkles up and stays that way. Or when your sps are all withdrawn.

Don't know on the lights: I'm a 52 with a 250 w mh, supplemented with 4 actinic, so it must be yellow as all get-out---I was dead ignorant when I got the rig, but I got it from a reputable and knowledgeable reefer/lfs owner, and it's been good.

 

[Horace]

The reason you should run carbon with SPS is the toxins that the softies release, ESPECIALLY LEATHERS! If you have any leathers in the tank I highly advise you run carbon. Its a good idea to run carbon anyway. Just make sure you do some research as to how to run it, and how much at a time. If you dont do it right you may end up with more problems than you had before.

Also, everyone keeps saying that you must keep your softies down low...well that totally depends on what type of softy you have. Not all softies are low light. Some absolutely love MH....

 

[RichConley]

I think the best thing you could do for this tank would be ozone.

Keep the softies close to your overflows, so their chemicals are going over the overflows, and not to your sps, and then run a drain fed skimmer with ozone. It should break down most of the alleopathic chemicals before they cause problems that way.