SPS Newbie Questions

[btreyes]

So, I'm finally venturing out of the world of soft corals and LPS and into the world of SPS outside of monti caps...

Does anyone have any good advice for what I should read?

How much testing should be typically done? Daily, or is that unnecessary? What about water changes? So far I'm doing about 20% weekly in a 50 gallon tank with a skimmer, small refugium, but no sump. The tank has 4 small fish and a large zebra mantis shrimp that I'm trying to convince my professor to get rid of. All of the soft coral is very healthy.

My water quality is good, with the exceptions of my embarrassingly-high phosphates... 0.65 (shhhhhh, don't tell anyone) I'm now debating whether to use GFO or attempt vodka dosing. I have a deep sandbed and I heard that this might interfere with vodka dosing. Also embarrassing- I made the mistake of buying a few SPS frags (2 Pocillapora and one bali green slimer) before getting my water quality under control. If I try GFO, how much media should I use to start out with?

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[btreyes]

ok... so I'm not sure if I tested them correctly yesterday, b/c my two tests today have read 0.00 phosphates

 

[Avenger]

i know as far as gfo goes the manufact. puts dosage about on the bottle. every gfo is different.

 

[btreyes]

which kind of GFO would you recommend using?

 

[markalot]

Water changes should get the PO4 down to a manageable level IMO. I would start there before running more equipment.

Have you verified that your PO4 test is accurate?

Has the maintenance on the tank been consistent?

SPS like stability in just about everything so the goal is to change things slowly.

Hard Corals will start using Calcium and Alkalinity once happy and growing, which will require you to dose at some future point. I use a commercial 2 part and only test KH, then dose both parts according to the daily Alk loss and a reef calculator telling me how much I need for KH daily. With all softies and brand new frags you aren't close to this point yet.

Poci's and the slimer are fairly easy corals so if you can get parameters in s safe range and keep them fairly steady you should do well.

 

[Avenger]

i would do water change and get that tank under control. seems like a good place for lps but i would be careful with sps.

i only run a skimmer and sock on my system. no need for any additives as long as you do not over feed and conduct water changes.