How to successfully keep SPS Corals!

Robink · Jan 4, 2015

following...

heathd.hd · Jan 25, 2015

This is a great thread and would love to see some updates of some of these great tanks! Get your cameras out! Pls

kandymann · Jan 27, 2015

Thank you for this thread!

Junkie · Feb 11, 2015

Reading through this thread and it has great info, although, one thing that I didn't see stated was how much of an alkalinity swing in 24 hours or in between dosing is acceptable. For instance, would a full 1dkh swing be acceptable or is that too much of a swing? I know that as little as possible is optimal but what have others found to be the limits as to how much acros can tolerate without negatively impacting them?

jabeuy · Feb 11, 2015

Junkie said:
Reading through this thread and it has great info, although, one thing that I didn't see stated was how much of an alkalinity swing in 24 hours or in between dosing is acceptable. For instance, would a full 1dkh swing be acceptable or is that too much of a swing? I know that as little as possible is optimal but what have others found to be the limits as to how much acros can tolerate without negatively impacting them?

That's a good question, was wondering about this as well since I've started dosing manually.

Eckolancer · Feb 11, 2015

Back when I was manually dosing I noticed more then 3 dkh change in 48 hours would put sps in hibernatation and slow growth. Bought dosers and helped a lot, now using cal reactor and really helping a lot.

elitegc · Feb 11, 2015

Awesome thread!!

Eckolancer · Feb 11, 2015

Deleted

mcarroll · Feb 12, 2015

Junkie said:
Reading through this thread and it has great info, although, one thing that I didn't see stated was how much of an alkalinity swing in 24 hours or in between dosing is acceptable. For instance, would a full 1dkh swing be acceptable or is that too much of a swing? I know that as little as possible is optimal but what have others found to be the limits as to how much acros can tolerate without negatively impacting them?

There's no hard/fast rule.

On the one hand, corals are extremely adaptable - they can adapt to a wide range of dKH conditions.
OTOH, pH changes seem to be the root of the problems associated with dKH changes that bother corals.

In reality, if you're dosing for dKH on a daily basis (or better) you'll never run into a low-dKH situation. (If you aren't dosing daily, or better, I recommend no stony corals.)

But it's still possible for you to have pH situations from dosing too much, too fast (which depends on the exact chemical used) or allowing dKH to get too low (depends on the rate of CO2-usage, alkalinity uptake and rate of air exchange).

It's also important to know that pH is actually rooted to atmospheric CO2 levels....any pH change we make by dosing is temporary and will be equalized by gas exchange with the air according to a known curve. (Google Randy's articles on low pH or high pH.)

For all these reasons, there is no hard and fast rule.

Junkie · Feb 12, 2015

mcarroll said:
There's no hard/fast rule.

On the one hand, corals are extremely adaptable - they can adapt to a wide range of dKH conditions.

OTOH, pH changes seem to be the root of the problems associated with dKH changes that bother corals.

In reality, if you're dosing for dKH on a daily basis (or better) you'll never run into a low-dKH situation. (If you aren't dosing daily, or better, I recommend no stony corals.)

But it's still possible for you to have pH situations from dosing too much, too fast (which depends on the exact chemical used) or allowing dKH to get too low (depends on the rate of CO2-usage, alkalinity uptake and rate of air exchange).

It's also important to know that pH is actually rooted to atmospheric CO2 levels....any pH change we make by dosing is temporary and will be equalized by gas exchange with the air according to a known curve. (Google Randy's articles on low pH or high pH.)

For all these reasons, there is no hard and fast rule.

Great explanation. Thanks!

Stanley · Feb 14, 2015

Tagging along

gpwdr · Feb 24, 2015

misael888 · Mar 2, 2015

Where are you SPS keepers at? Don't be shy, show them off! :lol:

scastillo813 · Mar 4, 2015

Nothing too glamorous, just dipping my feet into the SPS world.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1425518377.884330.jpg

gpwdr · Mar 4, 2015

Joel_155 · Mar 5, 2015

I need to read this entire thread! Having success with LPS and softies and want to make the jump to Sps!

gpwdr · Mar 5, 2015

Joel_155 said:
I need to read this entire thread! Having success with LPS and softies and want to make the jump to Sps!

I heard SPS does very well with no softies in the tank. Have you heard the same?

Gene

Joel_155 · Mar 5, 2015

Well the two corals have different needs. I mostly posted here to put this in my participated threads to read later. Softies need dirty water to thrive and medium flow. Sps needs steril water and high flow

CastAway · Mar 6, 2015

Tagging along.

ctello23 · Mar 7, 2015

Hey guys first time posting, was just wondering if there was anyone running an AI Hydra (older models) in any of there tanks and have had success in growing SPS. If you wouldn't mind pm'ing me that would be great. Want see what you guys are running them at. Thanks!