Sps Begining

[Bubbaboy]

Ok so I want to start SPS corals and want to know if I will have any problems trying to do so. Here us my system info.. 40 gallon with 15 gallon refugium/sump. Swc 120 cone skimmer. 4x39watt t5's w/ind reflectors, and at highest point in tank corals can be about 8" to lights. I can move pumps to blow on corals. Rio 1700 return pump with 4 1/2 hea Height. Extra flow pump with about 6-700 gph. I am good about Dosing weekly with ca, mag, iodine, strontium. Water perameters are salinity 1.024, ca 460, nitrite 0, nitrate 0-5, phos 0-.2ish, ammonia 0, ph 8.2ish.
Also I will get tests for mag and strotium. Is there other test/chems I should get?

Also what are the biggest things I need to do or have control of to keep SPS?
Thanks

Btw, I can successfully keep other Lps softiet ect. I have xenias, anemone, acans ect.

 

[Bubbaboy]

And how stable do tanks need to be, like how large can the fluctuation be before sps become unhealthy

 

[samuelkl]

You are lacking a way to produce turbulent random flow. Just directing a powerhead at an acro will only lead to tissue loss due to the laminar flow

 

[Bubbaboy]

So wavemaker? Or alternating flow pumps?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

stability is key. You may have to dose 2 part on a daily basis as well, just to maintain a constant level. And I agree that you'll want a powerhead that will change flow rate like the tunze or vortech.

 

[samuelkl]

Yup, connect your pumps to a wavemaker timer or a controller. If you read another recent thread in this forum, you will find that 40-50x turnover seems to be the number to go for. So for your tank, you need nearly 1600gph turnover. That's like a mp10 on full blast

 

[lolgranny]

+1 on more flow, seems your parameters are in check providing alk is between 8-12 / Mag around 1350.

In my 40g sps dominate tank i have this for flow=
2-750g koralias
1-1050g koralia
and another 950g pump i have going along the back side of the tank.
plus a Mag 9.5 return prob shooting out 700gph

My rockwork is minimal, roughly 40lbs

With that said, i DO have a bare bottom so i have more flow then needed, but nevertheless sps like there flow.

 

[Bubbaboy]

Wow sps néed that much! Right now I have a rio 1700 with 4 1/2 head height equaling 352gph going into tank. Then a tunze 6025 with 660gph. Total is around 1000gph. Is there anything specific I can do to make the flow most useful for sps. And I have a specific rock at very top of tank stretching about a foot wide specifically for sps so I can have pumps aimed towards them if neeeded.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

It is more like a type of flow that the acros like vs a gph measurement. Don't get me wrong, ghp works but the sps corals like a broad type of flow. They tend to like a soft, broad, alternating, flow. A few koralias and it should be enough flow.

 

[Bubbaboy]

What kind of koralias for a 40 breeder? And can I hook them up on a wavmaker? I have one tunze 6025 as additional pump.

 

[lolgranny]

What kind of koralias for a 40 breeder? And can I hook them up on a wavmaker? I have one tunze 6025 as additional pump.

Im using 2-Koralia#2's and 1-#3

 

[lolgranny]

it is more like a type of flow that the acros like vs a gph measurement. Don't get me wrong, ghp works but the sps corals like a broad type of flow. They tend to like a soft, broad, alternating, flow. A few koralias and it should be enough flow.

+1