SPS are they hard to keep?
- Thread starter Fer21
- Start date
reefer4ever
New member
Monti caps are great beginner sps corals. Make sure you have good lighting and lots of flow. Also keep your calcium high(500 or so) and your phosphates VERY LOW. Its not as hard to keep this type of coral alive and thriving as people make it sound to be. Good luck 
divewsharks
Active member
As kataro said, all about stability of your water parameters. You can have all the flow and light in the world, if tank is not stable you will not have the results you are looking for.
mike_cmu04
New member
Like said above they are as easy as any other coral just keep up with your water changes and your parameters stabile. Also good strong lighting and random stromg flow are important.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I'd have to also agree with Kataro but a bit different on Mag. I typically keep calcium from 420-440, Alk from 8-9, and Mag around 1400-1450. Typically you want to have Mag at about 3.5Xs as much as your Calcium number.
I'd agree on the stability outside of temperature. Some stay within .1-.2 degrees and then they have a power outage and the coral cannot withstand the fluctuation. I stay between 78-80 and it works out great and my SPS are growing at a very steady rate.
I'd agree on the stability outside of temperature. Some stay within .1-.2 degrees and then they have a power outage and the coral cannot withstand the fluctuation. I stay between 78-80 and it works out great and my SPS are growing at a very steady rate.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
You'll find that you need to have a supplementation plan in place before you know it. I'd say get a system in place that will prepare for the dropping big three supplements (Calcium/Alk/Magnesium). You can keep these parameters up in many manners...But I choose 2 part and BRS has the best product for the price. You can manually add the additives a couple times a day once you have more SPS but automating down the road with a doser is more ideal. (I prefer a LiterMeter III. Pricey but is by far the best dosing mechanism around that is highly accurate)
fcmatt
Member
I agree with this. They rank up there on the difficulty scale. Why? Because they
take months/years to grow out and you have to be there taking care of them
the whole way. Everything has to be quite ideal LONG TERM to succeed.
Anyone can throw large SPS into a tank and have them look nice for a few months
but checking back in a year or two is where the challenge lies.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Agreed. If reefkeeping was easy then everyone would have one but in reality only the ones who can patiently learn and maintain a reef deserve such a beautiful underwater world in our living room!
Lyfey
Member
Agreed. If reefkeeping was easy then everyone would have one but in reality only the ones who can patiently learn and maintain a reef deserve such a beautiful underwater world in our living room!
and who has the money.
basser1
New member
I also agree with the above statements. Let something get out of whack, then there's trouble. SPS aren't as forgiving as other types of corals.
philipchan
New member
lol....dont need to be really rich...
need more patience than money
I have a 18G with crappy equipments,my sps all doing good :rollface:
Not asking for help and just throwing them in the tank. So you are off to a good start. Not having proper lighting, not having stable conditions, not testing alk calc and mag. Get those test kits as well as your others, check the perameters and get them in check. Once the corals are in you must continue to check the levels to see how much the corals are using and supplement accordingly. SPS like clean water, so a good skimmer really helps as well.
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