Going to try my first SPS :) got a question though...

[Tybond]

Hi All!!!

Well, my 55 gallon AGA is a year old now and all parameters are looking good.
I have upgraded my lighting to 4x55w pc Actinic and 2x175w MH 10,000k Ushio.
I installed a DIY 5 gallon surge that has dumped flawlessly for 6 months straight at a rate of 1 surge every 75 to 77 sec. and have one MJ 1200 providing constant flow between surges
I have a 5" deep sand bed, approximately 70 lb of 90% coralline covered Live Rock and a refugium growing macros and providing live food to the tank.
My tank temp hovers between 80 and 82 degrees.
All makeup water is RO/DI
I do a 7 gal per month water change and I keep salinity at 35 ppt / SG 1.026
Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, Calcium 420
I don't test ALk or PH so can't give fig on them.
I do dose 1/2 oz B-Ionic daily and add 1/2 tsp of Biotrace 2 times per week.
I also add green water to the tank once a month to feed the corals.

I think it's time to give it a try with the SPS and maybe a clam.

My question is in regards to placement.

With my lighting, do I need to keep SPS close to the surface or will just about any depth work??

My lights are 6" above the water surface and there is no cover on the top of the tank to restrict intensity.

The distance from the MH lights to the sand bed is 20" max depth. and 23" from the PC's to the bed.

I know SPS like flow but should it be a constant blast from a power head or let the surge provide intermitant flow??

Thanks In Advance!

ty
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[MiNdErAsR]

Hard to say about coral placement. You'll have to judge based on the lighting from which the coral is accustomed. You might want to increase the green water feeding schedule a bit (assuming it is live phytoplankton), especially if you add clams. Start at twice weekly and gradually increase from there. Also, with Acropora spp. and Tridacna spp. you had better start testing for alkalinity. NSW levels are around 2.86 mEq/L (8 dKH), but many prefer to keep alkalinity levels elevated (3.57-4.29 mEq/L or 10-12 dKH) for stability.

HTH

 

[Sue Truett]

I'm going to say "ditto" on everything Jim just posted. He said it all. Do start testing alk. and also increase feedings to the tank. I keep my alk. on both systems at 11-12dKh. For the flow on the acropora I like an alternating flow, don't blast them with a powerhead but a nice alternating flow is good. Captive raised frags will for the most part do better than a wild colony too. HTH...

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members

 

[Anonymous]

Only one thing I can even think to add. It depends on the "SPS" that you get as to the flow it likes. Not all of them are found in high flow areas. I would get them from one of the sponsors and ask what they have been keeping it in. i have found they are more than happy to talk about what will work in our systems. I have had them tell me not to gat corals because my setup was not what theirs was.

 

[Anonymous]

SteveNichols:

You have received solid advice in this thread so far. Your setup seems perfectly capable of keeping SPS and clams.

You must test for calcium and alkalinty and maintain them. Bionic could do this, but you may eventually want to go with kalkwater. I use both. How's your coralline growth?

Go get some SPS frags and clams, they are awesome!

I'd like to get rid of my leather and bubble, just to make room for more SPS!

Louey

 

[Tybond]

Thank you for the replies! I just got home from Inland Aquatics with a few new additions for my tank!!

I get live phytoplankton from over at Inland Aquatics and have bought all of my corals from them. Now that I think about it, there isn't one living thing in my tank that didn't come from them. Sand to LR to the macro in my refugium...its a Inland reef... wonder if theres a royalty possibility somewhere in that statement :wink:

Inland cultures there own phytoplankton and I buy a quart a month for about 10.00.

there quart is NOT concentrated like DT's so I don't really have a guess at how much of a quart is just water but I assume alot because from the first time I started dosing it to the system, they have had me adding the entire quart to my 55g tank. The skimmer is shut down for a while durring feeding to stop it from going berserk.

I had asked a question a long time ago about if this was a good Idea just dumping that much in at once and got varied responses. I have been doing this there way for a year and haven't noticed any ill affect what so ever. I don't believe DT's could be dumped in like this though.

If I start adding the live phytoplankton twice per week, what amount should I put in? 20.00 a week on green water is rediculous and I'm sure most would be wasted.

I'll pick up a test kit this weekend for the ALK test.

If the ALK is low or high, how will I adjust this? B-ionic says to add only equal parts. Is this the reason why I might dose kalk along with the b-ionic?

As for the Coralline, My LR is about 90% covered and the back wall of the tank and all equipment is at least 80% covered. I added a new piece of pipe for a pump to the tank a week and a half ago. the pipe is 19" long and it is already covered from top to bottom with small purple splotches.
The dominant color is purple but since I added my MH lighting, i am noticing a little red strating to take off on one rock and on a ledge on a power head placed behind it.

I'll snap a shot for you all to see here in a minute...

Thanks again for the replies.

ty

 

[KMTaquarium]

culture your own green water if you want to save money- there no real cost after the initial setup an air pump w/ a Tee, a check valve 2 airstones and 2 2L bottles and 2 15 watt NO flourscent bulbs
- i wanted to start breeding clowns so i read about rotifer and Green water and Brine shrimp culturing but my budget coulnd't get me set up to raise hte larvae so i have nothing except the ways of culturing this stuff that is useful to me now



just twice a week take the greend water and dump 3/4 of 1 2L bottle into the tank and refill it withwater to this recipe:3/8 cup salt,1 gallon of RO water, 3 milliters microalgae grow and 1 week later you have another batch- i havent actually done it but it should work according to this book: Clownfishes by Joyce Wilkerson
(DISCLAIMER)i would reccomend reading(you dont have to buy it just) this or other books that tell you exactly what to do so you dont end up spending the money, and end up not knowing what to do when something doesnt go right(END DISCLAIMER)

 

[Tybond]

Here's a couple of pics of the newbies.

just couldn't resist posting that last one...he ain't new, just a camera ham.

ty

 

[Tybond]

I swear this fish has his lips up to glass and puckered up...wana kiss :lol: