Bubba's SPS Journey

[bubbaque]

Bubba what params do you shoot for? Don’t have to get too detailed.

I try and keep alk around 9, po4 .01 - .05 and no3 1 - 5 ppm. I have not tested calc or mag in a while.

I don't stress too much about nutritent levels getting too low just because the amount feed. I have seen first hand though what low nutrient levels with low food input does to sps. I use to never feed my frag tank as I only had one small fish in it and it would peck at algae. The color in the corals in the frag tank were much lighter and corals seemed to grow slower. I started feeding the frag tank like I did the display and the corals improved dramatically.

Are you adjusting the flow from the pump or the actual reactor when you need to? I’ll just pm you rather then blowing your thread up over this lol.

I have not adjusted the flow rate yet but I'm about to need to. I've always just increased co2 into the reactor and left the flow rate alone. My ph in the reactor is starting to get where I don't want it lower so I am about to increase flow.

Bubba I just flew through some of ur frag pics... with my girl.

She wants me to start an sps tank now. I told her I'm not crazy enough to try it... yet.

Your girl has the right idea! Once you start there is not turning back, lol.

It's really not hard to grow sps but everyone has failures when they start. Part of failing also helps you learn what not to do. Everyone has had their share of coral die on them but hopefully you learned what caused it and don't repeat it. Eventually you will have enough of the "don't do's" and success will come.

 

[FarmerTy]

I try and keep alk around 9, po4 .01 - .05 and no3 1 - 5 ppm. I have not tested calc or mag in a while.

I don't stress too much about nutritent levels getting too low just because the amount feed. I have seen first hand though what low nutrient levels with low food input does to sps. I use to never feed my frag tank as I only had one small fish in it and it would peck at algae. The color in the corals in the frag tank were much lighter and corals seemed to grow slower. I started feeding the frag tank like I did the display and the corals improved dramatically.

I have not adjusted the flow rate yet but I'm about to need to. I've always just increased co2 into the reactor and left the flow rate alone. My ph in the reactor is starting to get where I don't want it lower so I am about to increase flow.

Your girl has the right idea! Once you start there is not turning back, lol.

It's really not hard to grow sps but everyone has failures when they start. Part of failing also helps you learn what not to do. Everyone has had their share of coral die on them but hopefully you learned what caused it and don't repeat it. Eventually you will have enough of the "don't do's" and success will come.

I've never killed an acro in my life. I have no idea what you're talking about Bubba. [emoji41][emoji12][emoji16][emoji51]

 

[Sushitheshiba]

@bubbaque around what par do you have your BC secale under? I have one and its more light blue than anything. So I’m not sure if its a light thing or a nutrient thing since my other blueish corals (cali tort and garf bonsai) are coloring just fine. Thanks!

 

[bubbaque]

@bubbaque around what par do you have your BC secale under? I have one and its more light blue than anything. So I’m not sure if its a light thing or a nutrient thing since my other blueish corals (cali tort and garf bonsai) are coloring just fine. Thanks!

Mine is in pretty high par at about 400. That is also a pic of it to the right of that Greg C efflo I posted tonight. Normally I would say a nutrient issue or even a missing trace element but if your other blues corals look good, maybe move it to less light and see that helps it.

 

[Sushitheshiba]

Thanks for the feedback @bubbaque ! Yea i saw that pic which got me to ask why my secale is not as blue. I thought you had some secret juice you pump in your tank lol
Another question: i read pages ago you have/had the marshydro light for your fuge. What’s your photoperiod for that? I have the h80 right now and i feel like it’s doing an okay job for my 90, but it can’t compete with the dt lights

 

[bubbaque]

Thanks for the feedback @bubbaque ! Yea i saw that pic which got me to ask why my secale is not as blue. I thought you had some secret juice you pump in your tank lol
Another question: i read pages ago you have/had the marshydro light for your fuge. What’s your photoperiod for that? I have the h80 right now and i feel like it’s doing an okay job for my 90, but it can’t compete with the dt lights

I believe it's on 10 hours. If you're having a hair algae issue I'd get some large turbo snails, maybe 6 for your 90 and the hair algae should be gone in no time.

 

[bubbaque]

Christmas mirabilis

 

[FarmerTy]

Nice! I just got a huge chunk of this from a buddy. Looking forward to coloring it up as beautiful as yours!

 

[bubbaque]

Nice! I just got a huge chunk of this from a buddy. Looking forward to coloring it up as beautiful as yours!

Thanks bud! I wish it was a little deeper red but maybe because I have it way up high it's a lighter shade of red.

 

[FarmerTy]

Thanks bud! I wish it was a little deeper red but maybe because I have it way up high it's a lighter shade of red.

What par is that baby at?

 

[bubbaque]

What par is that baby at?

450~ if I remember correctly.

 

[FarmerTy]

450~ if I remember correctly.

Dang! I smell acros for dinner![emoji44][emoji12]

 

[Sushitheshiba]

I believe it's on 10 hours. If you're having a hair algae issue I'd get some large turbo snails, maybe 6 for your 90 and the hair algae should be gone in no time.

Thanks @bubbaque ! I’ll give turbos a try then. Thats a little bit cheaper than buying the marshydro light lol

 

[Bps619]

Im sure you've said it somewhere in the 100 page thread, but when you say "feed the tank", is it just the fish or do you feed the corals specifically? Thanks in advance.

 

[bubbaque]

Im sure you've said it somewhere in the 100 page thread, but when you say "feed the tank", is it just the fish or do you feed the corals specifically? Thanks in advance.

I don't directly try and feed the coral but I blend up my own fish food and try to make sure there is small enough particles I think they could eat mixed in with the larger stuff.

 

[bubbaque]

TSA Princess Peach. I love the growth form on this one. It tables out with small little knobby branches.

 

[justingraham]

And this is?

 

[justingraham]

TSA Princess Peach. I love the growth form on this one. It tables out with small little knobby branches.

Hope mine looks this good one day
is this the original frag

 

[bubbaque]

And this is?

I guess it would help if I remembered to add a name to it, lol. That is Christmas Mirabilis.

Hope mine looks this good one day
is this the original frag

No the frag I cut for you was cut off the branches in the upper left of the pic. It grows such short stubby branches that it's hard to get a large frag and that's why I cut 2-3 branches and glued them to one plug. The pic with the frag missing is where I cut one off to see what it would do under the radions.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

TSA Princess Peach. I love the growth form on this one. It tables out with small little knobby branches.

I just got a nice chunky frag of this one, and mounted it to grow off the side of one of my rock formations. Looking forward to watching it grow and color up like yours!