SPS Growth Opinions

[dave57]

I would like to know everyone’s opinion on what creates very fast growth in SPS regardless of color.
some examples;
Amino acids, trace element supplementation, nitrogen, phosphates levels, high par lighting, stable water chemistry.. please share pictures and experiences.

 

[Acrofiend]

Only products where I had results were seachem fuel or reef energy ab+.

 

[X-37B]

I get best growth with keeping my established range of parameters consistent.
No water change system so I dose trace and test.
Carx keeps ca and alk very stable with manmade media.
I run low p04 and no3.
Po4 .02 tested today.
No3 2 tested today.
They have stayed at these levels for 9 of the 10.5 months the tank has been running.
Temp 79-81
Sg 1.026
Alk 7.3
ca 460
Mag 1400
Potasium 410
All tested today and once a month.
Stability has been the key to growth for me.

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Stability has made my corals grow better, and also amino acids.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

All of the above plus I’ve noticed growth on stubborn pieces since elevating my ph from 7.7-7.9 to 8.0-8.3 by adding a brs co2 scrubber

 

[C. Eymann]

All of the above plus I’ve noticed growth on stubborn pieces since elevating my ph from 7.7-7.9 to 8.0-8.3 by adding a brs co2 scrubber

You may want to consider lowering your PO4 from .25 ---> .1-.06 for better growth rates

PO4 inhibiting growth rate varies species to species with acropora, some species of stags actually grow faster with a PO4 of .10 than they do at .06
However, we have noticed most of our tenuis colonies' on the farm , growth slows down if PO4 reaches above .15, PO4 of .25 with A. tenuis will still exibit good coloration but growth will be inhibited.

Your corals have awesome coloration, but I think you would get a better growth rate out of the beautiful collection of tenuis you have if you dropped your phosphate a bit.

 

[RCS82]

You may want to consider lowering your PO4 from .25 ---> .1-.06 for better growth rates

PO4 inhibiting growth rate varies species to species with acropora, some species of stags actually grow faster with a PO4 of .10 than they do at .06
However, we have noticed most of our tenuis colonies' on the farm , growth slows down if PO4 reaches above .15, PO4 of .25 with A. tenuis will still exibit good coloration but growth will be inhibited.

Your corals have awesome coloration, but I think you would get a better growth rate out of the beautiful collection of tenuis you have if you dropped your phosphate a bit.

Wow, that is quite the tank. Very awesome.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

You may want to consider lowering your PO4 from .25 ---> .1-.06 for better growth rates

PO4 inhibiting growth rate varies species to species with acropora, some species of stags actually grow faster with a PO4 of .10 than they do at .06
However, we have noticed most of our tenuis colonies' on the farm , growth slows down if PO4 reaches above .15 PO4 of .25 with A. tenuis will still exibit good coloration but growth will be inhibited.

Your corals have awesome coloration, but I think you would get a better growth rate out of the beautiful collection of tenuis you have if you dropped your phosphate a bit.

You’re back!!! Thank you for the compliment and I agree 0.10 is better for growth than 0.25. My po4 is usually 0.10-0.15 but it will drift up to 0.25 and then I’ll drop it, but never lower than 0.08. I don’t ever recommend 0.25, but I show that value to let whatever sps death thread I’m on that 0.25 will not crash a tank or brown out all their sps, and it’s the chasing ultra low nutrients is why their corals are dying and mine are not.
Good to hear from you again. I always enjoy your input.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

You may want to consider lowering your PO4 from .25 ---> .1-.06 for better growth rates

PO4 inhibiting growth rate varies species to species with acropora, some species of stags actually grow faster with a PO4 of .10 than they do at .06
However, we have noticed most of our tenuis colonies' on the farm , growth slows down if PO4 reaches above .15, PO4 of .25 with A. tenuis will still exibit good coloration but growth will be inhibited.

Your corals have awesome coloration, but I think you would get a better growth rate out of the beautiful collection of tenuis you have if you dropped your phosphate a bit.

Looks like you’ve been busy. Did you set up a coral farm? Looks awesome. Those Leds seem to be working good for you.

 

[C. Eymann]

Looks like you’ve been busy. Did you set up a coral farm? Looks awesome. Those Leds seem to be working good for you.

I work at a coral farm with an awesome team of people.

Thats about all I wish to say.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I work at a coral farm with an awesome team of people.

Thats about all I wish to say.

Can you tell us more about that awesome system? Parameters? Aminos etc?

 

[C. Eymann]

Can you tell us more about that awesome system? Parameters? Aminos etc?

This particular system houses both SPS and LPS/ zoas, there are 3 identical tanks on this system making a total volume of 1200gal this is the one we keep some of the SPS colonies in, the other two are a mix of LPS and zoas.
therefore we keep the nutrients slightly higher in this system than the SPS only systems which are kept around 5-10 /.06-.07 N/P

Alk - 8.3-8.6
Calcium-430
magnesium- 1350
Nitrate- 15
Phosphate .07-.10

Fed on average twice a week with concoction of oysterfeast, rotifeast, phytofeast and aquavitro fuel, generally fed when phosphate needs to come up, if phosphate is in the sweet spot already, I will use a 50/50 mix of this "concoction" with benepets and we find it tends to keep phosphate at its current point without elevating it. If phosphate needs to come down a tad we will only feed benepets or skip a feeding

In addition to coral food we will also use methods like feeding fish more/less nori, reducing/increasing skimmer time, lengthening/shortening fuge photoperiod, also products like synthesis and activiate (N/P) on systems that have very high N/P demand.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

This particular system houses both SPS and LPS/ zoas, there are 3 identical tanks on this system making a total volume of 1200gal this is the one we keep some of the SPS colonies in, the other two are a mix of LPS and zoas.
therefore we keep the nutrients slightly higher in this system than the SPS only systems which are kept around 5-10 /.06-.07 N/P

Alk - 8.3-8.6
Calcium-430
magnesium- 1350
Nitrate- 15
Phosphate .07-.10

Fed on average twice a week with concoction of oysterfeast, rotifeast, phytofeast and aquavitro fuel, generally fed when phosphate needs to come up, if phosphate is in the sweet spot already, I will use a 50/50 mix of this "concoction" with benepets and we find it tends to keep phosphate at its current point without elevating it. If phosphate needs to come down a tad we will only feed benepets or skip a feeding

In addition to coral food we will also use methods like feeding fish more/less nori, reducing/increasing skimmer time, lengthening/shortening fuge photoperiod, also products like synthesis and activiate (N/P) on systems that have very high N/P demand.

Great stuff. What is synthesis and avtiviate?

 

[C. Eymann]

Great stuff. What is synthesis and avtiviate?

Synthesis is a product by aquavitro originally made for planted tanks it contains urea ammonia, nitrate and free organic nitrogen, we use it to raise nitrate in systems that consume nitrate rapidly or younger systems that have a lower fish load, also it tends to not depress pH as much compared to using coral food or increased fish food/overfeeding to raise nitrates.

Activate is the same thing but for phosphate, essentially potassium phosphate, so in addition to help boost phosphate levels as an added bonus it helps us maintain potassium. Some systems we have can drop by .05 easily within 24hrs if nothing but just regular fish food feedings are added, again adding the amount of coral food and or overfeeding fish to raise or maintain P in those systems can lead to slightly depressed pH so we supplement N/P with these two products as needed.
Both these products also help maintain better control each individually so we can maintain the target ratios of N/P, exp- being able to raise one and not the other.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Synthesis is a product by aquavitro originally made for planted tanks it contains urea ammonia, nitrate and free organic nitrogen, we use it to raise nitrate in systems that consume nitrate rapidly or younger systems that have a lower fish load, also it tends to not depress pH as much compared to using coral food or increased fish food/overfeeding to raise nitrates.

Activate is the same thing but for phosphate, essentially potassium phosphate, so in addition to help boost phosphate levels as an added bonus it helps us maintain potassium. Some systems we have can drop by .05 easily within 24hrs if nothing but just regular fish food feedings are added, again adding the amount of coral food and or overfeeding fish to raise or maintain P in those systems can lead to slightly depressed pH so we supplement N/P with these two products as needed.
Both these products also help maintain better control each individually so we can maintain the target ratios of N/P, exp- being able to raise one and not the other.

Time to go shopping

 

[C. Eymann]

Time to go shopping

before you rush out to buy these
take into account home aquariums and farm systems are two different animals.

Demand rates are different with every system.

Most of these systems are packed full of large mother colonies, not to mention the surface area for algea, diatom and bacteria consumption of N/P in large farm systems.

A typical home reef aquarium is a bit different, you wont generally see your phosphate level in a 60gal tank go from .10- .05 in 24hrs unless you are using gfo/wc/lanthum chloride etc etc.
Alot of that consumption in farm systems has to do with size/surface area as well, think about even flat non porous surfaces like glass, sure water volume mass does "dilute" the effect but its a big difference when you have 8 square feet of brightly lit surface area vs several hundred, esp when it comes to algaes/diatoms consumption

Home reefs are a bit different than a large coral aquaculture system, Personally Id see very little need to constantly be using products like Activate/ synthesis for a home reef, only for minor adjustments, most N/P demand can be maintained with feeding very adequately with just fishload/fish food.
Only value in a home aquarium I can see would be the advantage of being able to tweak one, but not the other, (need to raise nitrate but phosphate is at target, vise versa)

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

before you rush out to buy these
take into account home aquariums and farm systems are two different animals.

Demand rates are different with every system.

Most of these systems are packed full of large mother colonies, not to mention the surface area for algea, diatom and bacteria consumption of N/P in large farm systems.

A typical home reef aquarium is a bit different, you wont generally see your phosphate level in a 60gal tank go from .10- .05 in 24hrs unless you are using gfo/wc/lanthum chloride etc etc.
Alot of that consumption in farm systems has to do with size/surface area as well, think about even flat non porous surfaces like glass, sure water volume mass does "dilute" the effect but its a big difference when you have 8 square feet of brightly lit surface area vs several hundred, esp when it comes to algaes/diatoms consumption

Home reefs are a bit different than a large coral aquaculture system, Personally Id see very little need to constantly be using products like Activate/ synthesis for a home reef, only for minor adjustments, most N/P demand can be maintained with feeding very adequately with just fishload/fish food.
Only value in a home aquarium I can see would be the advantage of being able to tweak one, but not the other, (need to raise nitrate but phosphate is at target, vise versa)

I was just kidding. I don’t have any problems with keeping nutrients up, but I believe it could be helpful for systems that can not get their N/P up. My hope is your info will strike a chord with struggling sps keepers that intentionally keep 0.25N/0.001P, bc that’s what they’ve been told is best, but can’t figure out why their acros are dying.

 

[C. Eymann]

I was just kidding. I don’t have any problems with keeping nutrients up, but I believe it could be helpful for systems that can not get their N/P up. My hope is your info will strike a chord with struggling sps keepers that intentionally keep 0.25N/0.001P, bc that’s what they’ve been told is best, but can’t figure out why their acros are dying.

I have run those near undetectable levels with good success personally, granted my alk never was above 7.5 and target was 6.7.
However, corals certainly were a bit more pastel.

Many people run alk levels of near 9-10 or higher these days

and that combo yes can cause major issues with sps.