Venturing into SPS World

[Fretfreak13]

Help me choose! A few weeks ago I purchased the 6.2 AIO nano from Mico-reefs and have been anxiously waiting by my door for the fedex guy. Its rather small and I've never been able to keep SPS before. I'd like this to mainly be a zoa/shroom/LPS tank but I would love ONE sps colony at the top of the tank where the return is so it gets the flow it needs. However, I'm having a hard time deciding which one I'd like to try.

I'm partial to the green birdsnest, but I also love millepora (the purple ones!). Can you guys give me some ideas on some of the SPS that are a bit on the easier side? I'm aware that they themselves aren't classified as "easy" corals, but I think I've done my research enough to try to focus on keeping one alive and thriving.

 

[mark54321]

Good luck,keeping a stable environment is a must if you want to have thriving SPS, and in 6 gal.tank it will be a challenge. For easier SPS I would recommend Green Slimmer acro. It grows fast and is hardier than other acros IMO.

 

[Nanook]

The requirements for the corals you intend to keep and the one SPS are completely different. You can try it, but it would be a challenge. I would think you could try a digitata or monti cap, but be prepared to watch it die from lack of flow, light and nutrients in that small tank.

 

[Fretfreak13]

The lights in this tank are LEDs, and not the cheapy petco ones. They are meant for coral. I will be doing a one gallon water change weekly to put nutrients back into this tank as well as spot feeding every coral with a home made food I've been looking into. I'm hate montipora with a passion, I think its the ugliest thing and I don't understand the attraction at all. However, I'm not a complete noob and am fully aware of what I am getting myself into, especailly with such a small tank. In my whole time reefkeeping, I have never had a tank larger than a 29 gallon.

Sorry to seem snippy, I'm just tired of being told over and over that it'll be a challenge. I know. I just wanted some suggestions on some SPS.

That green slimer looks awesome! Any other suggestions?

 

[Nanook]

Ok.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Sorry, like I said I don't mean to go off on you. Its just distressing when I come on here and ask for help or advice to hear someone say anything I try, dispite all the time I've researched and things I've read, that no matter what it'll wither away and die when I see other people keeping beautiful nanos.

Looking at them more, I see those green slimers have super long stalks, and in such a short tank with it being at the top that might be a problem. Any ideas on something with shorter "arms" if you will?

 

[Nanook]

Its rather small and I've never been able to keep SPS before I'm aware that they themselves aren't classified as "easy" corals, but I think I've done my research enough to try to focus on keeping one alive and thriving.

I'm just saying if you've never been able to keep SPS before and you have done your research, that you should know that the type tank you are setting up is less than ideal for SPS. Sure, you might be able to keep it alive, but you've set yourself up for failure as for the correct environment. Believe me, as I am speaking from experience here

 

[Fretfreak13]

Oh, I didn't elaborate enough. I tried SPS when I first started reefing over five years ago as my first coral ever and watching them die sucked. Since then I found zoas, xenia, and others like that and hadn't tried SPS since the first attempt. I've done tons of reading since then and I believe I'm ready to try it with a more realistic mind set.

Sorry for not explaining that.

 

[Nanook]

I don't doubt that you can do it, just that it might not be the ideal environment. A. millepora might be a cool one to try...something with a metallic pink or blue, long furry polyps

 

[Nanook]

 

[Fretfreak13]

Gak, can't see the picture because I'm at work. Haha I love the fuzzies! I've never looked into them before because I gave up on acros, but are the little hosting acro crabs tiny enough for a tank like mine? I love symbiosis and I'm obviously not throwing a clown and BTA in this tank haha. Might do a goby and shrimp pair though <3

 

[jgraz]

What about montipora do you hate? I personally can't get enough.

I was gonna suggest Montipora Spongodes, its bright green, encrusting and branching at the same time. And its a quite easy to care for. I wish I had a pic available of mine, just don't. Check it out.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Oh wow, thats one of the species that I tried those fives some years ago and could never get an ID on it! I couldn't tell you exactly what I dont like about it, its just a personal preference. My best friend hates clownfish just because. It might be because I have always had such tiny tanks and they take up a lot of space, plus shade corals beneath them limiting me a lot on what I can get. In nanos I try to pack a lot of variety of color in one little tank (I get a lot of zoas and rics haha) and in order for a monti to be pretty at all it has to be huge, IMO.

Those tanks with enormus motipora colonies are fantastic, but just not for me because of my limitations.

 

[Reef Bass]

Montipora come in many forms from encrusting to branching. M. digitata is an easy (for sps) branching coral and available in several colors.

 

[jgraz]

And many of the encrusting ones are just as nice take up very little space and don't shade anything, and many can be very striking color wise.

 

[nebraskareef]

Ok.

Lol perfect. It just fit.

Long term I think entrusting or branching Montipora species are your obvious choice. Mount your digita horizontal to get more time out of it. Cheap investment too.

Take it slow, but honestly I had trouble until I was well over 50x gallons and I've been doing this over a decade.

Good luck lots of gems to be had!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Arkayology]

Birdnest, monti digitata and cap, green slimer (Acropora yongei), staghorns, and stylopora species are all relatively hardy and would be good testers to see how well you can keep SPS. I would not drop any money on other acroporas until you see how one or more of these species do in your tank.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Oh wow, those digitatas were exactly what I was looking for! Whenever someone said montipora to me I only pictured a broken stack of dinner plates. Those are really cool and definitely what I'll be getting. Thanks guys <3

 

[bigbuckdown]

Its going to sound like im being rude but trust me i am not. you say you have done a lot of research on sps yet you dont know montipora comes in all types like branching,encrusting and plated. people are telling you your tank is to hard to keep parameters stable for SPS you will have alk swings which will bleach out your sps as quick as you put them in. stay away from all acros including green slimers because they will die in your tank. if you want to try it try a orange "branching" digi and wait 3 to 4 months and see. if it lives and you see FAST growth you will know you might be ready to add something a little tougher like a birdsnest and work your way up. i started in this hobby in 2005 and i just started sps last year and had some up and downs on the way and i have 100 TWV in my system with a reactor to keep my tank as stable as i could. also unless you have a ATO in that small tank your salinity is going to swing due to the evaporation in a 24 hour period and unlike a bigger tank that can handle a gallon evaporation yours wont. try a digi like many suggested and go from there