To take the NPS plunge, or not?

[SquidHC]

I am currently planning my new 150 (possibly 180), gallon build, now that I have my wifes permission! A TOTM a month or two back inspired me to look into the option of going with a NPS set-up. Not only have I seen some truely dazzling tanks, full of vibrant colors, I also like the idea of doing something a little diferent.

In addition, it will save my electric bill, and the $1,400 bucks on the LED fixture I was looking at building.

I guess the biggest question I have is the availability of NPS corals. None of my local shops seem to have much of a selection, and what they have is in pretty poor shape. Is the community strong enough that there frags available from hobbiests, or is there good online sources?

Secondly, in terms of care/maintenance/sensitivity, how would you say the keeping of a NPS system compares to keeping an SPS dominated system?

Lastly, for the moment... I love having lot's of fish! Is this a bad thing in an NPS system?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Trichome]

I will take a shot at answering some of your questions but i am sure other will be able to either confirm my answers or add their opinion.

1) Is the community strong enough that there frags available from hobbyists, or is there good online sources?

From what i can tell there are not many hobbyists selling frags of NPS corals, but there does seem to be several different online sources that get NPS corals from time to time you just have to keep an eye out.

2) Secondly, in terms of care/maintenance/sensitivity, how would you say the keeping of a NPS system compares to keeping an SPS dominated system?

The care of the NPS corals require about the same flow as the SPS tanks, but the maintenance is much higher in a NPS tank. You have to feed several times a day depending on the NPS coral you choose to keep and also keep the water clean.

3) I love having lot's of fish! Is this a bad thing in an NPS system?

From what i can tell keeping a lot of fish in a NPS tank would be just fine as long as they are fed well and don't pick at the NPS polyps or steal their food.

I hope i was helpful and welcome to the NPS Forums where different is good!

 

[Western_reefer]

I'm not trying to discourage you, but if the tank is going to be a full blown NPS tank, you should look into food costs. Here is a quote.

The large bottles in the refrigerator are 1 quart or 32oz. For dosing I break it down to ml, so IIRC it is around 946 ml in a quart. The dry Fauna Marin food I buy in the large containers (clam,minF,seafan) and seems to last between 4-5 months. That doesn't include any of the frozen cyclop-eeze that I use (atleast one bar a week), the packs of PE Mysis (stuff is F'n awesome), the large containers of LPS pellets in Large and Medium sizes, and a couple of other items (items that I am trialing/testing/or got hooked up with that are not available in the US).

Oh, okay. I made an estimate of about how much you spend on food a year, price didn't include mysis, frozen cyclop-eeze, and several others. Price range is about $1,300 - $1,750 a year lol

Aquabacs has a 50 gallon tank that is a full blown NPS tank and an estimate of food costs is $1,300 - $1,750 a year and that's not counting a lot of other foods he uses. Aquabacs keeps feather starfish, small polyped gorgonians, large polyped gorgonians, LPS, and a ton of other things.Your tank is 3 times larger than Aquabacs. Food costs will greatly depend on what your planning to keep tho. Again, I'm not trying to discourage you, but I think people should look into food costs/what they plan on keeping before they dive into NPS stuff. How this helps and good luck! :beer:

 

[uhuru]

1) You won't find many people selling frags, though I'm planning to do some fragging over winter break, maybe sooner. One reason is that there just aren't that many hobbyists yet, and another is that these are for the most part slow growing corals. More and more online retailers are offering non-photosynthetic corals though. DD just had some awesome ones show up tonight, and looks like someone grabbed a few of them within minutes of them going online. Phishy Business and Cherry Corals have dedicated non-photosynthetic sections, and many other places can bring them in on special request. One of the cool parts of this is finding new, rare or unidentified corals - and not just the same coral with a new flashy name.

2) Care is different from SPS tanks. The key is planning the system ahead. The corals tend to be more tolerant of phosphates, but because of all the food that goes into the tank you still have to be just as diligent with water changes, and you have to do more of them. Get an automatic water changing system set up and your life will be 100x's easier. Get an automatic feeding system going as well. I spend about the same amount of time maintaining my tank as someone with a full blown SPS tank because so much of it is automated now. Most of the time is spent just enjoying it!

3) If you plan your system like I said above having lots of fish shouldn't be a problem, and could be an advantage.

Concerning food costs - keep in mind there is no guaranteed formula. I've experimented with spending tons of money on food to spending just the minimum necessary (which is still a lot relative to an SPS tank). The only consistent requirement I have found is maintaining good water quality. If the corals aren't happy in their environment they won't eat no matter how much food you give them.

 

[fullmonti]

That was me on DD. I ended up getting five new corals!!! Can't wait till Fri

sorry for getting off topic
Jim

 

[fullmonti]

I might add, that I had sps for three years before nps (I'm pretty new to nps). While they both have there challenges, the nps requirements are Much less defined than a normal reef tank. As one person put it, more of an art than science. What you save on lighting you will definitely spend on food.

 

[SquidHC]

Thank you all for your input. I guess the two major factors that worry me are 1. There's no way I have the time or availability to feed that much. As it is, I only feed my tank once a day, right before lights out. 2. ADDITIONAL maintenance sounds like a drag. Right now I'm semi lax about it, but am still seeing happy corals.

I guess in the end, I'm probably going to stick to what I know. But I would really like to add a few nice NPS to the system. Thank you all for your time, and helping me solidify a decision.

 

[uhuru]

Thats good that you are able to examine your habits compared to the needs of the tank. The initial part of it is the hardest IMO and definitely has to be a priority in your life.

I'm sure it will slowly get the best of you at some point and you will be hooked. I started off the same way thinking I would just add a couple to my mixed reef Please share with us when you add some of the non-photosynthetic corals to your system and if you need any advice this is the place to get it!

 

[slapshot]

Thank you all for your input. I guess the two major factors that worry me are 1. There's no way I have the time or availability to feed that much. As it is, I only feed my tank once a day, right before lights out. 2. ADDITIONAL maintenance sounds like a drag. Right now I'm semi lax about it, but am still seeing happy corals.

I guess in the end, I'm probably going to stick to what I know. But I would really like to add a few nice NPS to the system. Thank you all for your time, and helping me solidify a decision.

The biggest failure of a Azoox tank is the lack of time to commit to feeding. While some of us have resorted to refrigerated auto feeders you must understand up front. These corals require a lot of food and constantly. I know many people who start out and then give up because they think they can just skip a day, then two then what? It died? I don't mean to discourage you but rather prepare you for the challange. If you can't feed the tank a minimum of twice a day, or commit the funds to an auto feeder then you are better off saving your money. You will just be frustrated in the end. If you decide to go for it consider the auto feeders we have built on here. They at least bring down the time required dramatically.