The Dirty SPS Tank Club

[tommyboynj]

There are some really sweet tanks posted - nicely done.

I don't test for phosphates & nitrates but with a heavy bio-load I know I'm not even close to a ULNS so I would likely fall into the "dirty tank" catagory. That said, over all the colors are okay for the most part however I still have some corals that remain uncooperative which I dub as "under performing" pieces - healthy but just not living up to their color potential. Although that too can change week to week - I find it hard to keep everything happy all the time.

Anyway below are a few pictures from my tank from about a month ago so you'll get the idea.

Filthy. You better pull a few of those colonies out and send them to me [emoji1]

 

[Oldude]

Filthy. You better pull a few of those colonies out and send them to me [emoji1]

Good idea, what's your address?

 

[swk]

Makes sense. If I decided to buy just one which woudl you recommend? I'm thinking maybe a kole, or bristlemouth tang?

I have a tomini tang that's worth his weight in gold! Algae Blenny's are great too!

 

[rgulrich]

@Andrew - I'd agree with swk - a Tomini or a Yellow-eye Kole would be good, as would a "Lawnmower" or Snowflake Blenny. The Snowflakes do a pretty good job in my reef, and the Lawnmower seems to be keeping things under control in my prop system.

 

[Bpb]

Andrew, I feel stupid giving someone like you "advice" who obviously has mastered the art of acropora growing. But...I'd say I'm observing the same thing in your tank as I do in many tanks with high inorganic nutrients, but heavy heavy coral and herbivore loads. First...It comes down to useable space. Where on earth would algae even hope to attatch in your tank with such little exposed rock space? The corals are dominating the real estate, and I'm sure most of us have seen that healthy SPS encrusting growth can and will kill algae in order to claim the rock space. Also, those corals consume some of the inorganic nutrients as well, albiet not as much or as fast as algae does, but the sheer biomass is allowing them to out compete algae. Plus...as mentioned before, lots of herbivores. Perhaps your 90 gallon with similar paramters has alot more unclaimed surface area for algae to attatch, and alot less predation and competition.

 

[Andrew D]

Thanks for the compliment, but I've far from mastered anything. True, I've had luck with some of my corals but others don't grow and even more have died. As soon as you think you think you know what you're doing, something happens to remind you of how little you really know.

I think it's a combination of things that plagues the frag tank. I need to clean it thoroughly, siphon and maybe even get rid of the crushed coral, replace the egg crate, increase the flow, improve the lights and get a couple of the fish that you all have recommended. Of course I have to hide the last purchase from my wife who thinks I already have far too many fish

 

[dh350twin]

Awesome thread. Just found and finished it. Thanks to the OP for starting it.

 

[MrCaveman]

Awsome thread, I'm going to try feeding a bit more often. Have increase photoperiod as well.

 

[las]

Do you guys think a live phytoplankton drip would be a good way of feeding an SPS tank?

Also, do you think throwing a block of marine pure matrix in the sump is a good idea for enhancing export of nutrients?

I ask this because of the apparent high aluminum readings many are getting on their triton tests.

 

[Bpb]

Phytoplankton won't feed the sps but it will feed the food chain which feeds the sps. Plus you'll just skim the phyto off real quick

 

[AkoAung]

Dirty SPS lovers, you might be interested in this article: corals thriving at the mouth of Amazon river. while scientists are astonished at corals living in muddy waters, what's not mentioned is that Amazon fresh water must contain a ton of nutrients from the jungles and farms, conditions that SPS are not supposed to enjoy. Yet, to quote the article:

"...contains more staghorns and other colorful corals"...

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/...a-new-coral-reef-at-the-amazons-mouth/479259/

 

[sk8elenex92]

Old thread but deft a very informative one. @tommyboyNJ wow..
I don't understand how some of you guys can grow such colonies, I can barely get my acro to encrust. Been battling to low nutrients, then try to raise and get cyano.. Crazy crazy you guys got it figured out....
WOW Just WOW on that last one. Cant even believe it.

 

[echopiece]

Old thread but deft a very informative one. @tommyboyNJ wow..
I don't understand how some of you guys can grow such colonies, I can barely get my acro to encrust. Been battling to low nutrients, then try to raise and get cyano.. Crazy crazy you guys got it figured out....
WOW Just WOW on that last one. Cant even believe it.

Huh, you're not the only one! If I cut down on feeding my corals look pale. If I bump up the feeding the corals respond good and darken up some, but then I get algae outbreaks even with a good CUC and tangs. My latest battle is now cyano... sigh

Some people just seem to have the blue thumb