SPS Starter with Maxspect R420R

[Airborne12B]

I would love to start keeping more SPS, and have a birdsnest that is doing quite well. How far apart in difficulty is a birdsnest from an acropora? Is a Maxspect capable enough? I dose, and target feed all my corals, what is considered a sign that one is ready to move on to the "difficult" corals? I'd hate to kill something to find out.

 

[Hentz]

I would love to start keeping more SPS, and have a birdsnest that is doing quite well. How far apart in difficulty is a birdsnest from an acropora? Is a Maxspect capable enough? I dose, and target feed all my corals, what is considered a sign that one is ready to move on to the "difficult" corals? I'd hate to kill something to find out.

That light is more than capable to grow Acros! It's a great light.

Best bet, but a cheap frag of Acropora and see how it is. Start it low and move it up.

If you're growing birdsnest fine with good color and polyp extension, you're more than likely going to be okay for Acros!

 

[Airborne12B]

That's encouraging. The birdsnest has near doubled in size since I got it, and its polyps extend far enough to wrap about a third of the way around the branch they're growing on. I wonder what PAR is optimal...

 

[Airborne12B]

Bump

 

[outssider]

generally speaking, birds nest require less light than acropora. If you have a birds nest that you believe looks great, odds are that acropora will need to go higher in the tank. you will be surprised how coloration can vary depending on the type and intensity of light.

 

[Airborne12B]

So, what type and coloration have you had the best experience with?

 

[outssider]

the birds nest and pocillopora that I have had do best in slightly shaded areas or dim areas, if they get too much light they can get very washed out. purple stylophora can handle more light but does ok in dim light too. all acropora seem to get the best color up high with lots of light. I've had coral branches come up to the water line where i'm sure the par was immense.... they looked great even right at the water line. the par in my tank is around 400 at 8" under the water line using t5. I don't know what light is best. I have t5 on one tank and led on another. All I know for sure is the same coral will color up differently in these two tanks. My gut feeling is that 20k halide would do the best job for color but i'm not going down that road.

suggestion: don't ever get any type of pocillopora. when they get big and settled in, the mother colony will shoot out babies that will pop up everywhere.