Temporary storage of SPS

[kirsto71]

I am after some guidance on what I need to setup to store some SPS colonies in a tank for 6-7 days during a tank refurbishment. I don't plan to have any fish or other life in the tank and don't plan on having sand or live rock. I can install heating/cooling, circulation etc. Do I have to have a skimmer considering there are no fish.

I can do daily water changes of 10-20% if that helps.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[rt67ghy]

I wouldn't think you'd need a skimmer since there'd be no food going into it.Since it'll be for 6-7 days they would probably need some lighting. I'd try to provide the same type of lighting. If the lighting intensity increases you could have browning/STN but if it's a little less I don't think the corals would mind. Good flow with wavemakers would also be required and the correct temp using a heater/chiller. Then keeping the parameters stable with dosing.

 

[Icefire]

I would keep some live rock and the skimmer, your colony will slime and polite the tank quickly

 

[kevin_e]

I just setup a week long temporary storage that included live rock, fish, skimmer, heater and a powerhead, with indirect halide and t-5 lighting. I fed daily and maintained water temperature appropriately. The water was 50 gallons of tank water from the system they came from.

Unfortunately, I ended up losing quite a bit of my colonies to RTN and STN, for reasons still unknown to me. Nothing changed besides the lighting intensity.

I wish the best of luck. I took my times, as advised with SPS, and I still failed.

 

[ostrow]

I would keep some live rock and the skimmer, your colony will slime and polite the tank quickly

This. And fill with water from the original system. Use the same lighting but, adjust as needed (height, etc) for changed volume and depth.

Expect some degree of loss.

 

[ros_sco]

If you can set up the temporary holding tank a few weeks ahead of time that would be a huge help, and make sure you have at least as much flow in the temporary as the current tank.