SPS placement

schminksbro · 02-17-2011, 07:02 PM

Ok, Based on a suggestion from Creefer in the "Let's talk sticks" thread lets talk about acro placement. There are many factors when it comes to placing new acros in your tank. Lighting, flow, and relation to other corals are some of the main concerns. There is a ton of anecdotal information out there but really very few hard and fast rules. First and foremost when acclimating a new acro I take into consideration lighting. It is huge important to acclimate your new coral to your specific lighting very slowly. The easiest way to do this is to start the coral on the bottom of your tank. Once the coral seems comfortable you can slowly move it up into higher light. Exposing new corals of any kind to lighting that is much stronger than what they are accustomed to is a recipe for disaster. Most coral will tolerate extremely strong lighting if they are acclimated slowly and allowed to adjust.

The next factor I take into account is flow. A rule of thumb that many use based on anecdotal evidence is that thicker branched acros prefer more flow. However this may be incorrect. Heavier flow tends to cause acros to build heavier branches. It stands to reason that one would assume that the thick branched acro preferred to grow in the heavy flow when actually the thick branches are a result of the heavy flow. With most acros enough flow to make the polyps "Dance" is usually enough. To much direct flow will reduce polyp extension and in extreme cases blow the skin right off them. Too little flow usually results in poor growth and in extreme cases tissue recession.

3rd on the list is placement in relation to other corals. I take into consideration several factors. Will neighboring corals grow faster than the coral being placed near them? If so will they grow over and on the coral? Will they grow large and block light or flow from the new coral? Do they tend to base widely or grow upwards? Are they a dominant coral with a powerful "Sting"? Do they have sweepers and can they reach the new coral? Lastly, do the colors contrast which will make both corals stand out making the display more appealing to the eye.

I am sure others have some input so I will stop there for now.

creefer · 02-17-2011, 08:21 PM

Schminksbro....

Thanks! This is exactly the type of information I was after in my post from your other thread. I appreciate you taking the time to post this as I'm sure that others will have some good information.

My system is mostly LPS dominant right now and I have started to develop a taste for SPS. As such, I have acquired a couple of acro fargs and have done what you suggest in terms of light acclimation. So far, all has been well. The other part of my interest from the other thread is to determine how certain types of acros grow and what placement in the tank suits that growth the best.

Again, thanks. I hope this thread will produce very useful information for all to digest.

MizTanks · 02-17-2011, 09:54 PM

I for one got a well of info from this thread, thanks Schminksbro

can't wait for my first sps. I just know it's gonna be awesome thanks to y'all

Sir Patrick · 02-17-2011, 11:07 PM

Question, if an sps coral is slowly lossing color, at a very gradual pace, should it be moved down to less intense light, or let it stay, and see if it will acclimate?

I would guess if it bleaches, fast, it should definitly be moved, but what about when its a very slow process? What would you suggest?

schminksbro · 02-17-2011, 11:48 PM

There are some other factors to consider. Does the coral have full polyp extension? Is it fading to white or toward brown? What kind of light is it under and how close to the light is it? What kind of coral is it?
Was it placed where it is immediately when it was first acquired or was it slowly acclimated?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Patrick

Question, if an sps coral is slowly lossing color, at a very gradual pace, should it be moved down to less intense light, or let it stay, and see if it will acclimate?

I would guess if it bleaches, fast, it should definitly be moved, but what about when its a very slow process? What would you suggest?

Manoj's Reef · 02-18-2011, 06:21 AM

Nice write up Andy.

creefer · 02-20-2011, 07:20 AM

Not being entirely familiar with the Acropora Species, are there any deep water acros that may require less light than others that would require lower placement in a tank?

schminksbro · 02-20-2011, 12:29 PM

Deepwater is a bit of a misnomer. It has been used to describe smooth skinned acros such as the one pictured below. However these acros don't necessarily come from deep water. In some cases these corals prefer high light. In any case if you follow the "start low" recommendation you should be fine.

Deepwater acro under strong lighting

Quote:

Originally Posted by creefer

Not being entirely familiar with the Acropora Species, are there any deep water acros that may require less light than others that would require lower placement in a tank?