SPS HEAVY NANO 20 gal or less

[ReeferMadness80G]

Ughhh..so some of you that are familiar with me know that I have a 14 gal biocube with a 10 gal diy Sump. Roughly 20 gal of water. I have 1 AI Prime HD and I dose Cal Alk Mag via a jebao doser and I manually dose things like acropower and reef fuel. My tank has been up and running for almost 2 years and I'd say about 7-8 months with the current stock that's in it now. I'm physically exhausted with the dealing of constant changes that happen in my tank as far as the chemistry aspect goes. I have to test almost daily and I put so much time and effort into my tank with little to no reward. I've heard time and time again that my total water volume is just not conducive to growing SPS although I've seen some fantastic looking SPS dominated reefs on google etc.

My reason for this thread is I want to see successful SPS dominated reefs that are 20 gallons or less from the actual owners or hear stories of failed attempts or know ppl who have done this successfully. Basically I want to know if I'm chasing a unicorn here!?!!

 

[CamG]

Well since I am in the middle of setting up a 13.5g SPS tank, I am going to tag along and see where this goes. I wasn't planning on using a dosing pump up front but maybe I should.
How much Cal,Alk and Mag are you dosing a day ?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Well since I am in the middle of setting up a 13.5g SPS tank, I am going to tag along and see where this goes. I wasn't planning on using a dosing pump up front but maybe I should.
How much Cal,Alk and Mag are you dosing a day ?

Honestly, i can't get a set number per day. Just when you think you can you under/over dose. I'm about 20 gallons and it's very time consuming and difficult. Even staying on top of it for months I've yielded very little growth. I love sps but this experience is leaving a bad taste in my mouth so to speak. I have an 80 gallon deep blue rimless that needs a couple more hundred dollars to get cycling and then about a thousand to get lit.

 

[minus9]

I have 22g nano (probably 16-17 actual gallons) full of sps. It's tough, but it can be done right. I have an apex and a GHL Doser 2, along with a Tunze ATO. Personally, I wouldn't run a nano full of sps without a controller and a very precise and reliable doser. I do weekly water changes of 20% - 25%. I don't use carbon and until recently, I didn't have a skimmer. I used to have BRS dosers, but they were unreliable for accuracy and in such a small volume of water, a half of a mL off here and there would see my numbers rise and fall frequently. When I bought the GHL, everything stabilized and stays on track. I only wished I bought it sooner, well worth every penny I spent on it. I used to dose only part of the day, but now dose every hour (and half hour) of the day. My lighting consists of two Kessil a160's and a 2 bulb retrofit T5 with two blue+.
That's all I have for now, but there's a lot more.

 

[hart24601]

I am really sad I don't have a photo, but I ran a biocube 14 without sump that was 100% sps. I did have some trouble with it until I removed the sand bed, after that it was really a pretty easy system, enough that I had to trim coral every week. Used kalk in the ATO and bm dosing ca, alk, mg. MP10 for flow. I had steves led kit with violets added, no idea if that is standard now. Only issue I had was coloring up some acros was harder than in my larger tank.

In that small of volume the coral were just too large for me to clean the sand bed and even cleaners couldn't get in the small areas. It was so nasty when I pulled it out that I really don't think sand and SPS go together in nanos long term with the smaller and smaller the nano the harder it is with sand although I am sure some can do it, that was my take away.

 

[brandon429]

https://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/image/41867-maritza-the-vase-reef/

Sps in a gallon and a half for five yrs

No param testing

Only water changes using instant ocean weekly and feeding

It is easier to grow sps in a vase than in any other container contrasted to the notion that size equals stability. These are very stable picos, just watch out for nerf balls and elbows in the vicinity

Topoff once a week and no ato= also more stable salinity than other normal reefs too

Blue acro took over my vase and blotted out the light when it spread across the glass I won't stock anything on the glass again, only on trimmable plugs

Obviously a down side of sps picos is no fish

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

I am really sad I don't have a photo, but I ran a biocube 14 without sump that was 100% sps. I did have some trouble with it until I removed the sand bed, after that it was really a pretty easy system, enough that I had to trim coral every week. Used kalk in the ATO and bm dosing ca, alk, mg. MP10 for flow. I had steves led kit with violets added, no idea if that is standard now. Only issue I had was coloring up some acros was harder than in my larger tank.

In that small of volume the coral were just too large for me to clean the sand bed and even cleaners couldn't get in the small areas. It was so nasty when I pulled it out that I really don't think sand and SPS go together in nanos long term with the smaller and smaller the nano the harder it is with sand although I am sure some can do it, that was my take away.

I've ran it every single way I could lol I ran Steves LEDs for a year, I ran bare bottom for 6 months and I just added the new live sand probably a week ago. Even when parameters are stable enough for coralline to grow and lights are strong, flow is from return, plus jebao pp4 and hydor koralia nano. I have no clue what the issue is. Can't get growth or colors to save my life. I may try n go back to basics and stop dosing and just do water changes until I can get a number to dose 2 part. And I should probably check my doser to make sure it's adding what it's supposed to

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

https://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/image/41867-maritza-the-vase-reef/

Sps in a gallon and a half for five yrs

No param testing

Only water changes using instant ocean weekly and feeding

It is easier to grow sps in a vase than in any other container contrasted to the notion that size equals stability. These are very stable picos, just watch out for nerf balls and elbows in the vicinity

Topoff once a week and no ato= also more stable salinity than other normal reefs too

Blue acro took over my vase and blotted out the light when it spread across the glass I won't stock anything on the glass again, only on trimmable plugs

Obviously a down side of sps picos is no fish

That's a beautiful vase you have! Maybe the no fish thing actually works and just manually dose KNO3?

 

[mannyhernz]

Honestly, i can't get a set number per day. Just when you think you can you under/over dose. I'm about 20 gallons and it's very time consuming and difficult. Even staying on top of it for months I've yielded very little growth. I love sps but this experience is leaving a bad taste in my mouth so to speak. I have an 80 gallon deep blue rimless that needs a couple more hundred dollars to get cycling and then about a thousand to get lit.

I have a nuvo 20 fusion that inturned into a frag tank...depends on your livestock load you have to adjust dosing.
For example...
I added a mari mini colony,
I wait a day, then test to see how much my params have changed.
Obviously if the load is high you need to dose more and often to keep stable.
I dose 3 times a day on my 20 just to keep my alk @8.7
Cal@445
Mag@1370
I think stability is more important than anything.
Snapshot of my webcam just now:

Some close ups from my sgs7

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I don't thing you have enough light. I can't see your flow. My small sps are in a sumpless 30g sooo. no pictures...

Why light? You have purple coralline on the top of rocks.. I only have it in the shade. I have seen very few examples to contradict this.
My Acros that are doing well are in the 3 to 4 in per second or more flow range.

 

[hart24601]

I don't thing you have enough light. I can't see your flow. My small sps are in a sumpless 30g sooo. no pictures...

Why light? You have purple coralline on the top of rocks.. I only have it in the shade. I have seen very few examples to contradict this.
My Acros that are doing well are in the 3 to 4 in per second or more flow range.

That is a good point, in all my systems I have noticed not much coralline in the light intensities that my acros like.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That is a good point, in all my systems I have noticed not much coralline in the light intensities that my acros like.

I have more deep red and maroon now than purple.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

I don't thing you have enough light. I can't see your flow. My small sps are in a sumpless 30g sooo. no pictures...

Why light? You have purple coralline on the top of rocks.. I only have it in the shade. I have seen very few examples to contradict this.
My Acros that are doing well are in the 3 to 4 in per second or more flow range.

At peak settings I am producing about 20k lux at the water line with my light about 9 inches above it. Are you suggesting I blast them? They seem pale in color now. Sps that is. My nutrients are good I keep No3 at 10ppm since I've taken my skimmer off line. Phosphates are less than .10. And my flow is pretty decent, I mean I can turn everything on full blast if you think that would be better. Like I said I have a jebao pp4 that's capable of 1000 gph and a hydor nano that's putting out roughly 400 gph and my return pump that's probably putting out 400 between the split heads.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Odd bc all of my coralline growth is on top of things where light is concentrated most instead of shaded areas. Tops of powerheads etc

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

At peak settings I am producing about 20k lux at the water line with my light about 9 inches above it.

Id play with color first perhaps, compare yours to others.. Also whats your photo period... I'm a set to eye guy, but if its completely limiting one channel or color it might be worth considering.

Odd bc all of my coralline growth is on top of things where light is concentrated most instead of shaded areas. Tops of powerheads etc

Yea thus the question.... But a powerhead may not be getting the peak with a single puck light, the rock on the bottom is the question.

Like I said I have a jebao pp4 that's capable of 1000 gph and a hydor nano that's putting out roughly 400 gph and my return pump that's probably putting out 400 between the split heads.

Maybe I'm bad at math but I like to look at the coral and see what its getting. 4in per second is my index finger and me saying One thousand.

Are you suggesting I blast them?

Everyday!!!

Lol. But with a color shift, it may do the trick, OR, small increments in increased intensity.

At 20k lux based on a 60 constant thats only 300 par. And no Ive not got any good lux/par data on the specific light.

But If the coralline connection is correct Id guess that purple goes away around the 200 par mark. Lighting DLI(photoperiod) may confuse this a bit but should be considered. IE 200 par for 8hr as opposed to 10hr.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Id play with color first perhaps, compare yours to others.. Also whats your photo period... I'm a set to eye guy, but if its completely limiting one channel or color it might be worth considering.


Yea thus the question.... But a powerhead may not be getting the peak with a single puck light, the rock on the bottom is the question.

Maybe I'm bad at math but I like to look at the coral and see what its getting. 4in per second is my index finger and me saying One thousand.


Everyday!!!

Lol. But with a color shift, it may do the trick, OR, small increments in increased intensity.

At 20k lux based on a 60 constant thats only 300 par. And no Ive not got any good lux/par data on the specific light.

But If the coralline connection is correct Id guess that purple goes away around the 200 par mark. Lighting DLI(photoperiod) may confuse this a bit but should be considered. IE 200 par for 8hr as opposed to 10hr.

Hold that thought, once I can review your suggestions I will reply. I greatly appreciate your attention as always salty.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hold that thought, once I can review your suggestions I will reply. I greatly appreciate your attention as always salty.

No sweat. Were all along for the learning ride...

A funny learning about Blasting note, I went to a friends house(most amazing sps dom acros, gorgs leathers) and put a lux meter on his 14k MH's. @8in from the light where his acros are it gave me an error message. It was over 200,000 lux.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

No sweat. Were all along for the learning ride...

A funny learning about Blasting note, I went to a friends house(most amazing sps dom acros, gorgs leathers) and put a lux meter on his 14k MH's. @8in from the light where his acros are it gave me an error message. It was over 200,000 lux.

Holy cow! That's blasting! I put my lux meter on my reef suppliers tanks and he was running about 5-6k only and grows SPS like crazy! I'm so confused

 

[reeferfoxx]

Holy cow! That's blasting! I put my lux meter on my reef suppliers tanks and he was running about 5-6k only and grows SPS like crazy! I'm so confused

Was that at peak hours?