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SPS care and maintaince


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  1. #1
    whitetiger61 - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Rick

    Default SPS care and maintaince

    I have been going through the threads looking for information on how to care for sps..i have always like them but cant seem to keep them..So if the experts would please chime in and give some of the basics they do. I know some people dose with vodka , but i would like to hear what advise they would give someone with a mature tank, just starting out with sps.

    Rick

  2. #2
    CableGuy - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Ive really never done anything special to keep them and have a very standard tank..

    What are your issues? They die right away? After "x" amount of time..? Give us some more info.

  3. #3
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
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    Light~clean water~stable consistent parameters with special attention to ca/alk/ph. I started dosing 2 part to keep my ca/alk levels consistent between wc. That's the only thing I've done and my 2 lil sticks are doing great. I may not have the best of colors out of em but I think that's most likely due to not keeping the tank as clean as they like it. I have a lot of lps and softies who like a little dirtier water
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

  4. #4
    whitetiger61 - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by CableGuy View Post
    Ive really never done anything special to keep them and have a very standard tank..

    What are your issues? They die right away? After "x" amount of time..? Give us some more info.
    They used to turn brown and then they would die off slowly..I have pleanty of light and pleanty of flow..my alk stays pretty much constent as does my ph..only thing i can tink of is my mg is off, but from what ive been reading most people dont test for mg..if thats important for sps i would think they would test for that also

    Rick

  5. #5
    CableGuy - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by whitetiger61 View Post
    They used to turn brown and then they would die off slowly..I have pleanty of light and pleanty of flow..my alk stays pretty much constent as does my ph..only thing i can tink of is my mg is off, but from what ive been reading most people dont test for mg..if thats important for sps i would think they would test for that also

    Rick
    What kind of light? What kind of bulbs if T5/MH? Old bulbs dont put off good light - If they are old that could be why.

  6. #6
    whitetiger61 - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    T5 bulbs..bulbs are about 3 months old..i have a grren slimer , orange digi, orange cap, and a tri-color acro..everything is doing great..the tri color is brown, but its starting to show some color..only things i have done different are..change the aqua scape (changed the flow), added a return pump with a sump( again changed the flow),
    aqua scape change may have changed the lighting as they setup higher in the tank. and the last thing ive been doing in the past 3 days are ive started to add 1.5 ml of mg to the sump everyday.

    Rick

  7. #7

    Default

    While parameters near natural seawater are very important, stability is key. Temp, alk, calcium, and nutrients all need to stay very consistent. While some advocate keeping alk on the high side around 9-11 dkh I maintain mine at 8dkh. Natural seawater is 6.5-7dkh. I maintain calcium at 420. NO3 and PO4 at undetectable or very close to it. However whatever level they are at need to be stable. Too little nutrients can and will starve coral. It is also important to keep magnesium levels up around 1250. If mag drops (and once growth begins it will) then calcium and alk are allowed to swing. Alk swings are the biggest issue most people have with SPS corals. While keeping a few frags is pretty easy when SPS coral get growing they can consume massive quantities of calcium and carbonate. It is important that you have a plan in place to meet the demand of numerous large colonies.Temp is also important. I aim for 77-78 degrees. Temps over 80 will stress your corals and temp swing are bad. The ocean is a violent but stable place. These corals have evolved to grow on the reef crest. Massive waves of very clean, oxygenated water are constantly washing over them. Flow is very important as well. Brisk but random flow is key. Harsh flow directly on the corals will blow the skin right off of them. Every coral is different and it is up to you to determine the placement that makes an individual piece happy. This brings me to light. Most SPS corals grow in shallow water and get pounded with light. However sudden exposure to strong lighting can and does have extremely detrimental effects. When placing a new coral it is advisable to start low in the tank. Let the coral settle in and display full polyp extension. Then over the next couple of weeks slowly raise it up to the place you intend to keep it. It is also imperative that you mount the coral with glue. SPS corals do not fair well while half buried in sand or getting tossed around.


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  8. #8
    Heidi - Reefkeeper
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    Andy! You rock you know that!!
    +1 everything he just said, I would say out of everything stability and clean water ie. undetectable nutrients are very important But he just said all that.

  9. #9
    whitetiger61 - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by schminksbro View Post
    While parameters near natural seawater are very important, stability is key. Temp, alk, calcium, and nutrients all need to stay very consistent. While some advocate keeping alk on the high side around 9-11 dkh I maintain mine at 8dkh. Natural seawater is 6.5-7dkh. I maintain calcium at 420. NO3 and PO4 at undetectable or very close to it. However whatever level they are at need to be stable. Too little nutrients can and will starve coral. It is also important to keep magnesium levels up around 1250. If mag drops (and once growth begins it will) then calcium and alk are allowed to swing. Alk swings are the biggest issue most people have with SPS corals. While keeping a few frags is pretty easy when SPS coral get growing they can consume massive quantities of calcium and carbonate. It is important that you have a plan in place to meet the demand of numerous large colonies.Temp is also important. I aim for 77-78 degrees. Temps over 80 will stress your corals and temp swing are bad. The ocean is a violent but stable place. These corals have evolved to grow on the reef crest. Massive waves of very clean, oxygenated water are constantly washing over them. Flow is very important as well. Brisk but random flow is key. Harsh flow directly on the corals will blow the skin right off of them. Every coral is different and it is up to you to determine the placement that makes an individual piece happy. This brings me to light. Most SPS corals grow in shallow water and get pounded with light. However sudden exposure to strong lighting can and does have extremely detrimental effects. When placing a new coral it is advisable to start low in the tank. Let the coral settle in and display full polyp extension. Then over the next couple of weeks slowly raise it up to the place you intend to keep it. It is also imperative that you mount the coral with glue. SPS corals do not fair well while half buried in sand or getting tossed around.
    ok if the corals start using mg then that brings me to one of my original questions..everytime i ask someone what their mg is..they say they dont test for it..and if its important why dont they test for it..are the test kits to hard to read or what..i think im getting there with mine but i want to make sure i do this right this time..Andy got me hooked on these guys..

    Rick

  10. #10
    CableGuy - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by whitetiger61 View Post
    ok if the corals start using mg then that brings me to one of my original questions..everytime i ask someone what their mg is..they say they dont test for it..and if its important why dont they test for it..are the test kits to hard to read or what..i think im getting there with mine but i want to make sure i do this right this time..Andy got me hooked on these guys..

    Rick
    As far as I know from my readings... Mg is only a trace element that corals use BUT Mg in its element form allows for higher levels Alk/Cal without issues such as cloudiness, precipitation etc. Therefor, a higher MG allows for more Alk and Calcium to be suspended in the water column allowing corals easier access to it when needed.

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