SPS in 10 Gallon Nano Questions

[FishNutty]

I have two questions regarding housing SPS, specifically birds nests, in a 10 gallon nano.
a)
What kind of lighting do I need to keep SPS in a 10 gallon nano? I was looking a having a couple of birds nests, mainly. It's a 10 gallon aga tank, right now it's got 2 coralife 50/50 10watt PCs on it.
and b)
How much flow is needed? I've got a teeny whisper in-tank filter providing flow at the moment, the frag would be going directly under it, but I wasn't sure if that was enough?
If anyone could shed some light on this for me[:lol:] it'd be great!

 

[mischief nite]

I had a 10g and I'd recommend T'5s and 1 or 2 Koralia nano's. I had a 150 sunpod MH over mine and it evaporated water like crazy.....had a Tunze osmolator to keep that in check. Good luck

 

[twelvejewelz]

i keep a 10 gallon nano with a pink birdsnest , a green millipora and a digitata . when i got the birdsnest it was about a 1 inch frag now it is alittle bigger than my fist in 1 years time. its doing wonderful. i dose seachem marine buffer once a week, seachem magnesium once a week, vitamin c every day, and i dose phyto, marine snow and trace element mixture every other day. i do a 1 gallon water change once to twice a week. i have an aquaclear 110 modded into a fuge with cheato, chemipure, phosban all the time and i add carbon to polish water once in a while. for flow i have the aquaclear 110, 1 korilia nano and 1 rio 90 powerhead . this gives me about 500gph + flow.nothing is getting blown around really at all its just about perfect flow for all corals imo . i run a current usa 96 watt 4 bulb T5. i have sps,lps, shrooms and zoas

 

[MechEng99]

I can only speak for myself, but I have been able to keep all types of SPS long-term (over 2 years) in my 10g tank. It's a very very cheap setup that I made using all leftover random parts I had lying around the house...so I'm not proud of it. Please don't use this as an example for what you should do...only what I've done successfully. I use the tank as a coral-bank so it serves as a back-up in case I ever lose any corals in another one of my tanks.

It's a regular 10g on top of another regular 10g tank (used as the sump.) The top 10g is drilled, with a cheapo Mini-Jet 404 return. The tank also has a Koralia 1 and a HOB filter (which I use for GFO and carbon). Lighting is 2 x 70W DIY Metal Halides with eBay bulbs. PAR isn't good, but it's enough to grow the SPS on the top rack. I have about 20+ SPS corals from Seriatopora, Pocillopora, Acropora, Montiporas, etc. The PAR where they are growing is only about 150.

 

[mndfreeze]

MechEng99: can you post a full tank shot with the light on your bank tank? I have a 14G nano with a 150 over it and I cannot find a happy spot for ALL my corals. Something is always ****ed off. I don't have access to a way to measuer PAR so an idea of how far your light is off the top water line and water depth to sandbed would be helpful.

 

[sahin]

MechEng99: can you post a full tank shot with the light on your bank tank? I have a 14G nano with a 150 over it and I cannot find a happy spot for ALL my corals. Something is always ****ed off. I don't have access to a way to measuer PAR so an idea of how far your light is off the top water line and water depth to sandbed would be helpful.

I'd like to see a FTS as well. If you have a thread about the 10G post the link please.

 

[WI reefer55]

same here

you must be doing 50% weekly water changes to keep CA and ALK in check?

 

[MechEng99]

I won't hijack the thread, but let me get some pics together and such, and I'll post a thread later. I have the PAR values for it written down, but not posted on a photo of the tank...so I'll do that.

I do 20% water changes weekly and dose 2-part solution daily. I dose about 5ml of alk, ca, and mag daily. Water changes alone isn't enough to keep up with it daily (I'll be around about 5 dkh if I just stick with water changes).

I just moved a TON of corals over to another tank, so it won't be as full as the picture I posted earlier. Thanks for the interest though.

 

[twelvejewelz]

heres my pink birdsnest was about 1 inch when i got it and a single branch now 1 year later:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

and heres a new milipora i just got:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[MechEng99]

Here's the linky:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1838568