Thoughts on Acropora Valida?

[WalrusKisses]

I was looking onto trying an acropora, and from my research it appears that valida is considered one of the easiest and is also quite beautiful.
As my system stands now I have:

Lighting: 2 Cool Blue, 4 Warm White, and 8 Royal Blue Luxeon 3 watts
Dosing: None, as I don't yet have the test kits for Mag, dKh, or calcium.
Weekly 10% waterchanges with Catalina SW (unless I'm bogged down with homework

Could I do it, or should I wait until I figure out my Mag, dKh, and calcium levels?

 

[DerekFF]

How big is your tank? The best way to find out if you're ready for sps is to start with birds nest, any digitata, monti caps, bird of paradise, stylophoras. These are relatively easy and will at least show wether or not you're maintaining you tank decently. Valida is a really nice looking sps piece and as far as my experience with it goes, it's relatively hardy also. I say go for it or at least get some beginner sps

 

[coralfarmer]

What about Acropora tenuis or a "Bali Green Slimer"? They would be good starters. But you will have to get some test kits and get your water parameters balanced.
Catalina usually tests high in Silicates. I would recommend using R/O Di for making saltwater and for top off.

 

[WalrusKisses]

How big is your tank? The best way to find out if you're ready for sps is to start with birds nest, any digitata, monti caps, bird of paradise, stylophoras. These are relatively easy and will at least show wether or not you're maintaining you tank decently. Valida is a really nice looking sps piece and as far as my experience with it goes, it's relatively hardy also. I say go for it or at least get some beginner sps

I have a 14 BioCube with Green birdsnest, Sour Apple birdsnest, Fuzzy green montipora, and purple stylophora, and the world's fastest growing pocillopora.

All seem to be doing well, though I did bleach my first stylo frag with too much light.

I guess what I'll begin doing is getting the tests and then monitoring my levels to chart my consumption rate to see whether or not I need to begin dosing and so on.

Should I get calcium, magnesium, and alk tests or just calc and alk? I know some say not to mess around with magnesium.

 

[DerekFF]

With weekly water changes mag shouldn't be an issue. I doubt you're even close to running into alk consumption issues. You'll need more than what you got to start making an alk dent. Green slimer is a good one also

 

[K3nnyG]

I have some birdsnest if you want to trade?

 

[WalrusKisses]

Oh, no I want a piece of the Valida, I have a few birdsnest already. What kind do you have though? I may have something I can trade for if it's one I don't have yet

 

[K3nnyG]

No idea what it is lol. It is a pink body with green tips. Not really bright but then again it may just not like the light or flow I have. I have moved it around to a couple places in the tank.

 

[WalrusKisses]

Does it look like this

Sounds like it could be a Sour Apple Birdsnest.

 

[K3nnyG]

Thats it. Haha nvm. Hows the pocillopora doing

 

[WalrusKisses]

It's about baseball sized, by far my largest piece. The thing grows crazy fast!

 

[K3nnyG]

Wow send me a pic