What is the secret to keeping SPS?

[revclyburn]

Just wanted to know what it takes to maintain a couple
of nice milli's, acros, monti's? Is it all about the lights, CA
levels and water flow? I want to try my hand at them,
but I know my current setup won't do. Can they, any of
them be kept under vho lighting, or is that to weak? Is
there anyone with just vho's on RC keeping SPS's?

What really is the key?

RevClyburn

 

[JR719]

The "KEY" is actually several things. System stability would be main. Keep all the parameters in tight check. PHosphates, Nitrite, Nitrate at 0 or very close. Temp, Calc, salinity etc. in close tolerance.
I have MH lights so I cannot comment on the VHO's, I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

[Sk8r]

Get 3 tests, besides the ones you already have: alkalinity, calcium, magnesium; and I recommend Salifert: you want hard numbers: alkalinity of 8.3-11, calcium 400-450, and mg 3x calcium reading, but not too much above 1300. I prefer 1200.
Salinity 1.025. You can keep the millis and montis under vho, no problem. Some acroporas will want more. But the montis come in a vast array of types. You can also mix in lps with no problem, as long as you keep sweepers off the sps.

The key is stability, Stability with a capital S. Get your readings precise and keep them steady before you add your corals. They don't tolerate ammonia or nitrate well at all. Try for 0, constantly. They don't like much temperature flux: shoot for 80.
Start a coral low in the tank and move it upward until you get good extension and coloring. YOu may have to build rockwork a little higher if you don't have a tier that puts the coral top about 8" from the surface for those that like a little more light.
HTH.

 

[jaefei]

400w 20kk MH bulb.

 

[Letmegrow]

Zero phospates for GREAT success, they will live with some tho.

Like the people before me have said, keep the water conditions on a short leash.

 

[itz frank]

20k is actually more of a blue then a white light on the color spectrum. Corals like white light. Your corals look good because the lighting is almost illuminescent like. It's not the reason for growth or your ability to keep it.

 

[icliao]

1. Low Nutrient (NO3 < 3, PO4 < 0.03)
2. Strong light 250W MH+ 10,000K
3. Good circulation
4. Stable and high Ca = 400 /KH = 9
5. Stable Temperature & saltlinity

Does that mean everything???!!!

 

[MiddletonMark]

I'd follow icliao's good list with the suggestion to check out the stickied threads, including the `Lets talk about ___' series [lights, flow, water quality] which address the major issues.

While you can keep some SPS-types successfully under VHO/etc - you will want to limit yourself to corals that thrive/color nicely under less light ... likely more Montipora, Pocillapora, etc vs. the exotic-colored Acropora.

 

[Biggie]

Nothing more or less than maintaining your water to reef conditions and having the correct lighting. Some cash helps too...

 

[revclyburn]

Biggie,

the CASH$$$$$ part is usually the hardest part, lol. But I will keep that in mind. I also thank you all for your insight, and I will try and get my tank to it's optimum and very close to it. My CA level is about 400 now, and I try to keep it that way. As for water quality, it's not bad, could be better. I guess my schedule at work is a part of the reason it's not where it could be. But, I guess if I get in these corals, I will have to be more diligent with keeping my water/tank up to par. Usually during the summer I try and get NSW, and use that. I know a lot of people frown on NSW, because of the impurities that can be introduced to my tank. But, I have never had a problem with the water I collect, other than being a little low in salinity. I'm going to collect some today for a water change.

As for lights, definitely need to work on them. I really don't want to get into MH's, as it leads to a higher water evaporation level, and heat. And with the way thinks are going energy wise, my electric bill definitely would go up. And the wife will be complaining about it, lol.
I was think of building my own t5 setup, 4 to 6 bulbs, plus the vho's.
Would that be sufficient lighting?

Rev

 

[atzak]

I don't know if pi is still around but he has a beautiful sps tank run on vho lights only, one of the nicest tanks I've seen.

 

[RichConley]

you expressed electricity as a concern.

VHOs are about the least electrically efficient means of lighting a tank at this point. A single 54w T5 puts out more light than a 110w Vho tube.

VHOs are essentially overdriven fluorescent tubes. A 110w VHO puts out roughly twice the light that a 32w fluorescent tube does, at 4 times the wattage.

I assume you're running 4x110 on that 90. 4x54w T5s, or 2x175mh would both be an increase in light, and a decrease in electricity.


That being said, I think you have enough light now. Flow and nutrients are way more important than light.

 

[revclyburn]

Thanks for the advice on the lights,

going to go with 6 x 54 t5 setup on the lights. Would that be enough for most corals?

 

[undertai]

water quality

 

[Eric Boerner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7656814#post7656814 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by itz frank
20k is actually more of a blue then a white light on the color spectrum. Corals like white light. Your corals look good because the lighting is almost illuminescent like. It's not the reason for growth or your ability to keep it.

I have to call this one... Mis-information...

Corals like ANY kind of light. As long as it has a high PAR rating, they will build calcium.

Now, what color you want your corals, is completely dependant on the color of your lighting.

Corals will grow fast and wild at 6500k. But, they will typically be brown (the way they look on surface reef sholes).
They'll grow slower, but bring out color with 10000k lighting.
They'll grow even slower at 20000k but will become actinic, for those awesome colors you see in the best display tanks.

Making you lamps bluer, will lessen their PAR rating. Thus if you want good growth to fill out a tank, but aren't worried about color yet, get 65000k. If you want superb coloration, but don't mind the wait on growth, do 20000k. If you're somewhere in the middle, 10000k is your best bet.

 

[dreaminmel]

Sorry to butt in w/ a question but...

Eric, Won't that color quality be less of an issue if you are using higher PAR than needed over your tank to begin with? For example I'm going to be using two 400watt 20Ks and two 140watt VHOs over my 125 I'm upgrading to and have been told that by using the 400watters over this size tank I should still get excellent growth even w/ 20K...

Please let me know if this doesn't ring true as I'd like to know before the big changeover actually happens.

Thanks,
Mel

 

[TCU Reefer]

Patience

 

[Eric Boerner]

Correct. If you pump up the wattage with bluer lights, you will over compensate for the lower amount of PAR that is inherent in the spectrum. Your spec will yield great color and growth. That is why most people state, 20000k + 400 watts in a 24"+ tank yield the best results. However... if you did that same spec, but with 6500k bulbs, you would see even more growth than the 20000k. If you are just starting out with a bunch of frags, running 6500k for the first year will spark your growth rate to insane amounts, as long as you have enough calcium for the corals to build on. After that, swap out to 20000k and in 6 months, you will be amazed at how quickly they actinic.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7660251#post7660251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dreaminmel
Sorry to butt in w/ a question but...

Eric, Won't that color quality be less of an issue if you are using higher PAR than needed over your tank to begin with? For example I'm going to be using two 400watt 20Ks and two 140watt VHOs over my 125 I'm upgrading to and have been told that by using the 400watters over this size tank I should still get excellent growth even w/ 20K...

Please let me know if this doesn't ring true as I'd like to know before the big changeover actually happens.

Thanks,
Mel

 

[dreaminmel]

Thanks Eric. That's the most direct understandable answer I've gotten on the issue. I'm actually upgrading everything to this new setup from a 72 gallon w/ 260 watts of PCs so I'm thinking it might be easier to slowly acclimate everything to the 20Ks, then after a while maybe spur some growth w/ 6500s or 10Ks and then eventually revert back to 20K... but, that seems like a lot of acclimating/risk so maybe I'll watch the 20K growth and see where I'm at. Thanks again.