Sps beginer needs help

[fkdenton]

I got a blue tipped acro frag one week ago. I have a 46 gallon bowfront. Lighting is a tek 4bulb 36inch t-5 fixture. Flow is from a maxi jet 1200 bakpak2 skimmer and a emporer 280 running without filter pads or bio wheels to help with flow. The polyps on the acro have not came out much here is a picture

Were should I put it in the tank and under how much flow. All water test are were they should be sp is 1.025 and temp is 80


Thanks

 

[parothead22]

Acropora is a very demanding coral with the exception of a few types, one of which is Millipora Acropora. Most require intense lighting and strong water flow. You can get away with lesser light with brown/green varieties of Acropora, however IMO, Blue and purple colors are very hard and nothing but again, intense lighting will do ie. metal halides!!!!!
I would try and place your Acro as high up as possible in your tank and give it strong water movement and try to entice it by target feeding with zooplankton.
Good luck!

 

[ray22]

you are going to need more light in order to keep most sps, current will need help as well. there are some very good post on here to help you get an idea of what will work . they are very demanding to keep . if your up for it just ask qestions and read even more. everyone on here was once in your shoes and i find they are eager to help you out . good luck

 

[SunnyX]

You do not need Metal Halides to maintain an SPS tank.
Your lighting is fine, the flow is rather low.

Do you have any powerheads in your tank? SPS require alot of flow, but not as much as people on this board would have you belive. If you would like to make it a full flown SPS tank try have at least 15 to 20X system turnover.

What are you other number?

NO3:
PO4:
Ca:
Alk:
Ph:

 

[Sk8r]

Look at your frag with a flashlight after dark. You may see polyp extension. Some of them are sneaky. My valida took forever getting some by daylight.

 

[marine_freak]

Sell the T5's and get 250 watt metal halide or even 2 of them and it will cover your tank nicely..... You could actually get by with one though.... place it in the center, and place your lower light corals at the edges on the outside..... Oh and you need to increase your flow. Your tank is 2-3ft????

 

[parothead22]

Of course you can use power compact lighting or t5's or vho's and keep stonies alive. What I am referring to with regards to intense lighting is the brilliant colors of the particular coral coming to life with the right lighting. I have different types of Montipora in one of my reef tanks under 7watts per gallon (PC's) and the vibrant green color associated with it is gone! Brownish /green color is the best I can get under those lighting conditions even placed up at the top of my tank...Why would you want to purchase a Montipora Denae(beautiful red polyps with a blue base, or yellow polyps with a green base) if when you purchase this particular coral under less than optimum conditions, you get a faded cream/brown color and the price of this coral is around $160.00 for a 4" frag. Doesn't make sense huh...? I'm just pointing out that if you have intense lighting conditions-the sky is the limit...
Check out the corals on REEFERmadness.com to really appreciate some awesome corals under either 400w or 1000w metal halide lights!!!!!!!Amazing!!!!really

 

[keeperofthefish]

Is it really true that you need MH? I don't understand why... T5s have as much or MORE par. Is it spectral? Interested to hear replies.

 

[REMF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7405567#post7405567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by marine_freak
Sell the T5's and get 250 watt metal halide or even 2 of them and it will cover your tank nicely..... You could actually get by with one though....

Not true, for one T5ho's have a higher PAR than at least 250w DE's, read some threads in the lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment forum. The Grim Reefer did par tests and this is what he had to say

My overdriven T5's spanked my 250 watt DE halides as far as PAR to the bottom of the tank

Also 1 MH would not be sufficient for a 46g bow as there is a center brace that would create a shadow in the middle of the tank, you would have to go with 2.

And for what it's worth, I am running a 5x54w T5ho and have very nice growth from my SPS at about mid tank depth in a 75g. and yes I have some very nice colored milli's.

I do think you need more flow though.

 

[REMF]

Click HERE for a great T5ho SPS growth link.

 

[fkdenton]

The rest of the test results are ph 8.3 nitrate 0 calcium 475 alk. I had tested yesterday I dont know the scale for it but he said it was 4.0 something the same as 11.2 in carbonated hardness. I have no idea what that means. PO4 hasentr been tested for a while but was 0 the last time. It is at the highest point and under as much water flow as I can get. I got the frag in a $1 raffle last week.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7405595#post7405595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by parothead22
Of course you can use power compact lighting or t5's or vho's and keep stonies alive. What I am referring to with regards to intense lighting is the brilliant colors of the particular coral coming to life with the right lighting. I have different types of Montipora in one of my reef tanks under 7watts per gallon (PC's) and the vibrant green color associated with it is gone! Brownish /green color is the best I can get under those lighting conditions even placed up at the top of my tank...Why would you want to purchase a Montipora Denae(beautiful red polyps with a blue base, or yellow polyps with a green base) if when you purchase this particular coral under less than optimum conditions, you get a faded cream/brown color and the price of this coral is around $160.00 for a 4" frag. Doesn't make sense huh...? I'm just pointing out that if you have intense lighting conditions-the sky is the limit...
Check out the corals on REEFERmadness.com to really appreciate some awesome corals under either 400w or 1000w metal halide lights!!!!!!!Amazing!!!!really

Above has NO IDEA what hes talking about. The T5s are more than adaquate here. The issue, is as sunny said, you need a lot more flow.

If he can't get it to color up under the T5s, its something other than the lighting.