My techniques for growing SPS

Reef Breeders · Oct 9, 2011

Nice setup, one day Ill get into sps.

Aquaph8 · Oct 9, 2011

Nice Swanny. Are you using recipe 1 or 2 for two part? What's your PH running?

Acrokeeper3729 · Oct 9, 2011

Looking good man. Awesome growth. Congrats.

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

anemonekeeper said:
Nice setup, one day Ill get into sps.

Thanks! I see that you're fairly local. If you're ever going to be in the area and want to check it out, just shoot me a PM.

Aquaph8 said:
Nice Swanny. Are you using recipe 1 or 2 for two part? What's your PH running?

I use recipe 1 and my pH runs between 8.3 and 8.5

I set up my ATO to help stabilize pH as much as possible. My alk buffer (2-part) runs on my dosing pumps for about 20 minutes, four times a day starting during my dusk lighting period (6:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 12:00 AM, and 3 AM) in an effort to help boost pH after lights out. Also, my ATO only runs through the kalk reactor at night. Seeing as I set it up on my apex, I was able to use two pumps for my ATO depending on the time. From 5:00 PM until 7:00 AM, the ATO runs through the kalk reactor to help boost pH, but from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM it just tops off with fresh R/O water from a second pump to prevent the pH from getting too high.

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

nicks387 said:
Looking good man. Awesome growth. Congrats.

Thanks! I've been really happy with the growth, but I've kept very little SPS in past tanks, so I don't have much to compare it to.

sexycorals · Oct 9, 2011

Great looking stuff and great growth!! What
About the lps? They grow good for u too? Lets see some pics too

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

LPS doesn't do that well in my DT, but grow well in my frag tank where nutrients are a bit higher and the light isn't nearly as intense. To be honest, I think my lighting is way too strong for most LPS in my display, to the point that photoinhibition takes place. I don't really have that much LPS in my DT.... a couple acan echinatas, some favias, a lobo, a wellso, and a couple scolies. My 125 that was up prior to the 180 was LPS dominated and I used a completely different technique in that tank. I'll rustle up some pics of my LPS for you, Mike. Polyps on the other hand seem to love the low nutrients in my tank, I'll get some pics of those too.

sexycorals · Oct 9, 2011

Sounds good!! Same here but I love lps so much I build lots of ledges to keep them shades from the light. Cant wait to see the pics! I know u hot great taste!

sexycorals · Oct 9, 2011

Great thread by the way. Thanks for sharing your technique. I'll definitely follow your model if I was learning and was planning to do an Sps dominant tank.

milkman · Oct 9, 2011

Thanks for taking the time to share your progress. Great shots showing the phenomenal growth.

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

Here's some LPS pics from my DT. Lights are out, so they're old pics, but I can try to snap some new ones tomorrow.

gar732 · Oct 9, 2011

Hey Scott do you still have your purple monster or your PM look-a-like? If I remember correctly you had both right?

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

And some Z&Ps

sexycorals · Oct 9, 2011

10th ones are bowsers? Or Sc rainbows?

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

sexycorals said:
Great thread by the way. Thanks for sharing your technique. I'll definitely follow your model if I was learning and was planning to do an Sps dominant tank.

Thanks Mike, hopefully threads like this will help some new people get into SPS. I was in the hobby for several years before I got the courage to try out any SPS. With a bit of research and picking the brains of people who kept SPS successfully, I was able to take the plunge.

milkman said:
Thanks for taking the time to share your progress. Great shots showing the phenomenal growth.

Thanks!

gar732 said:
Hey Scott do you still have your purple monster or your PM look-a-like? If I remember correctly you had both right?

I still have the legit PM, although I haven't gotten much Vertical growth. It's completely encrusted the plug at this point, but not too much growth yet. Unfortunately, the maricultured knock-off got knocked onto an acan echinata and RTNd afterwards. R.I.P.

Reef Breeders · Oct 9, 2011

swannyson7 said:
Thanks! I see that you're fairly local. If you're ever going to be in the area and want to check it out, just shoot me a PM.

I use recipe 1 and my pH runs between 8.3 and 8.5

I set up my ATO to help stabilize pH as much as possible. My alk buffer (2-part) runs on my dosing pumps for about 20 minutes, four times a day starting during my dusk lighting period (6:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 12:00 AM, and 3 AM) in an effort to help boost pH after lights out. Also, my ATO only runs through the kalk reactor at night. Seeing as I set it up on my apex, I was able to use two pumps for my ATO depending on the time. From 5:00 PM until 7:00 AM, the ATO runs through the kalk reactor to help boost pH, but from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM it just tops off with fresh R/O water from a second pump to prevent the pH from getting too high.

Sure, Ill let you know.

swannyson7 · Oct 9, 2011

sexycorals said:
10th ones are bowsers? Or Sc rainbows?

Actually they're just CARs that have been blasted with light... Bowsers are beautiful, but way too pricey for my taste. I'll snap a pic of the SC rainbows tomorrow for you!

sexycorals · Oct 9, 2011

swannyson7 said:
Actually they're just CARs that have been blasted with light... Bowsers are beautiful, but way too pricey for my taste. I'll snap a pic of the SC rainbows tomorrow for you!

Ok excuse me while I go make some bowsers right now.