I think I'm ready-the leap to SPS?

[MichaelReefer]

Good morning.

I have now been reefing for over two years, I have my new tank, new lights and feel like I am ready to make that first step towards SPS. I currently dont dose, but I guess I need to start moving towards that? Are there any SPS that I can keep without dosing? Any easier kind of Acropora? Appreciate any advice!

 

[Leadfooted]

Maybe start with some digi's (try to find a forrest fire or Bubble gum). Also Green Slimer , Frog Skin , Garf Bonsai would be a good place to start with acro. Test you CA and ALK every few days, that'll determine when/if you need to dose. For beginner dosing there's single dose elements like Reef Complete , Purple Up , Polyp Lab One and others that may suffice and less complex than 2-3 part dosing.

 

[dank reefer]

If you are keeping up with weekly/bi-weekly water changes then at first you might not need to dose since a couple of SPS frags wont eat up too much of your ALK, CA, and MAG.

 

[SeaDweller]

Are you talking about not dosing ever or just in the beginning as frags? If the former, then you’re not ready for SPS.

as stated above, frags may not consume too much initially but as they grow, obviously they will. So simple water changes may replenish what you need. Then you get bit by the bug and buy more. And more. And more. Then comes the cycle/need of testing and dosing.

“easy” sps is no different than acropora to me, other than price tag (even some montis are expensive), I treat them all the same: give them the best water conditions you can provide for survival.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Are you talking about not dosing ever or just in the beginning as frags? If the former, then you’re not ready for SPS.

as stated above, frags may not consume too much initially but as they grow, obviously they will. So simple water changes may replenish what you need. Then you get bit by the bug and buy more. And more. And more. Then comes the cycle/need of testing and dosing.

“easy” sps is no different than acropora to me, other than price tag (even some montis are expensive), I treat them all the same: give them the best water conditions you can provide for survival.

I know I will need to Dose eventually, but like you guys said when its just a few frags I think I can supplement manually or off water changes.

 

[92Miata]

“easy” sps is no different than acropora to me, other than price tag (even some montis are expensive), I treat them all the same: give them the best water conditions you can provide for survival.

I'm with you on this. There are some "maybe-sps" like cyphastrea that seem to be really easy, but I haven't found most acros to be any more finicky than montis.

And I can't grow birdsnest. At all, despite people saying it's a beginner sps all the time.


Get a couple Digi/cap frags cheap - and some of the older hobby stalwarts for acros - green slimer, garf bonsais, ora tricolor valida, etc. Buy a couple of frags that people are getting rid of cheap because the local market is saturated and they grow fast.

 

[SeaDweller]

I know I will need to Dose eventually, but like you guys said when its just a few frags I think I can supplement manually or off water changes.

Well manually is dosing. Are you talking about with automation/machines? If so, you never have to. You can dose by hand forever if you want, gets old but you can.

 

[Duncan Tse]

Only way to find out is by testing. But agreed that you will eventually have to dose when keeping sps.