SPS- What's best for a newbie

G

GPB

New member
I'm looking to try a few SPS in a mixed reef. Right now I have some LPS and zoas. I don't have any softies and aren't really planning on having any due to chemical issues.

My No3 and PO4 are basically undetectable, My Alk is 9. My calcium 500 and Mg is 1400. I have 6x 24 watt T5 lights. I have a sump with macros and a skimmer. My flow is about 1150 gph with an additional MJ1200 on a wave timer cycling on and off once per minute. I use Kalk in my ATO system to maintain Alk and Cal.

What are the best SPS for someone who's never tried SPS before. How do I make sure I don't get really tough to grow species first time out. I want to be successful.
 
Montipora caps and digitatas, as well as most birdsnests are all pretty forgiving.

Just so you know, your calcium is pretty high. You'll want to aim for something closer to 420.
 
Mandosh said:
Montipora caps and digitatas, as well as most birdsnests are all pretty forgiving.

Just so you know, your calcium is pretty high. You'll want to aim for something closer to 420.
Click to expand...


+1 on your calcium being too high.

If you have strong lighting, and good water conditions, SPS corals will thrive. If your lighting, or water conditions are poor, your SPS will suffer.
 
What are you testing calcium with? I recently discovered that my cheapo api kit has been testing high, maxed chart @ 500. I just ordered a salifert kit.
I am a sps newbie and so far have 3 monti caps and 1 birdsnest that are colored and growing amazingly. I did get a purple acro that has been loosing color, but in the last few days noticed that the polyps are starting to extend more than i've seen.

Anyway, for me the monticaps are the easiest. It seems like I can sit and watch em grow.
 
jim.crunk said:
What are you testing calcium with? I recently discovered that my cheapo api kit has been testing high, maxed chart @ 500. I just ordered a salifert kit.
I am a sps newbie and so far have 3 monti caps and 1 birdsnest that are colored and growing amazingly. I did get a purple acro that has been loosing color, but in the last few days noticed that the polyps are starting to extend more than i've seen.

Anyway, for me the monticaps are the easiest. It seems like I can sit and watch em grow.
Click to expand...

I remember reading somewhere that API calcium kits can read 10-15% high.
 
'Coral Salt Pro' by Red Sea has 450 Calcium and 1340 Mg. With a 37 gallon tank, water changes alone should be sufficient in providing adequate calcium and magnesium levels with the amount of SPS you can put in your tank. I mean, it depends on how stocked your tank is, but you should be pretty close to optimal levels if you do weekly or bi-weekly water changes IMO.


http://www.redseafish.com/index.aspx?id=4163
 
I use salifert test kit and it is a pretty new one at that. I think it's right because I've gotten same results several times over several days span.

Thanks for the responses. The tank is still pretty new. I only have a few LPS , snails, and some hermits. I'm supplementing cal / alk together with Kalk in my ATO using 1 tsp per gallon. My ALK has been tending to go down in the course of the week while my cal goes up. I have my ALk right now at 8.9 and had top add a little baking soda to get it there. It had dipped over two weeks to 7.7. I don't think I have enough critters using calcium yet so it just keeps going up. My Mg. is high at 1350 also.

I'VE read to try an maintain Alk and leave and supplement cal and ph as it causes stability problems.
 
Salifert is an accurate test. As previous members stated, your calcium should be in 380-420 range. When you add sps and they start to grow your calcium should drop naturally. The most forgiving sps I started with is the green birdsnest, any tabling monti and digitata.
 
Mandosh said:
I remember reading somewhere that API calcium kits can read 10-15% high.
Click to expand...

Ive had my calcium at 500 and it never hurt anything. Also from my experience API calcium kits arent accurate. Mine read anywhere from 50 - 100 ppm higher than it actually was. My LFS owner said it can read 50 lower or higher than it actually is.

But as for as beginner SPS, I would go with monti or birdsnest. Or something cheap from your local store. I wouldnt pay for ORA if your just learning how to maintain SPS.
 
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