What does it take to be successful at keeping SPS?

[seaweed88]

I would really like to turn my 90 into prominently am SPS tank. What do I need to do to be successful?
Please be specific. I know it depends on water quality, flow, lighting and maybe more things that I am not aware of.
Any help will be appreciated.
Happy Fathers Day
Mark

 

[watchguy123]

Reefing made easy (kind of)

Water quality: parameters must be stable.

That means alklalinity (7.5 to 11, current thinking is probably closer to seawater 8-8.5), Calcium 380-450, Magnesium around 1400. to accomplish that requires at the least either a calcium reactor, doser, or manual dosing with two or three part. Some people utilize kalkwasser as well. It seems that if you can maintain alkalinity stable, that the other parameters tend to also remain stable (not an absolute)

You will need your nitrates and phosphates near but not at zero. To accomplish that you will need at the least, a high quality skimmer, some people like biopellets or zeovit or carbon dosing as well. Many people have a refugium with chaeto to reduce nitrates. Many people use GFO with or without a reactor (it works better with a reactor) to keep phosphates down. Many people like algae scrubbers to reduce nitrates and some phosphate. Water changes of 10% weekly are used by others for both nutrient export (nitrates and phosphates) and to replace trace elements.

You will need adequate flow so both your system pump and powerheads must be sufficient to provide that flow.

Your temperature needs to be stable so you will need to consider a heater, a chiller (particularly if you use metal halide lighting), or fans for evaporative cooling. Ideal temps are around 77.5 to 79.5 with latitude either way but again the less drift, the better. Stability is a constant factor throughout.

Lighting, well thats controversial a little at least. The choices are LEDs, T5 or metal halides for the most part. For sps, the preferred is perhaps a combination of two or more of the choices. SPS love their light

Bottom of the tank, well you may consider bare bottom, deep sand bed, remote sand bed. Again the jury is out (that may be controversial as well)

Most people utilize carbon either in a bag or reactor for water clarity and to minimize issues from perhaps chemical warfare among coral.

Many people also utilize a sump to place many or all of the above items.

You will also need test kits to monitor all of the above.

Many people advocate controllers to both automate and avoid potential catastrophes from equipment mishap.

Oh, almost forgot. You will need dollars, lots of them. This is a very unforgiving endeavor. The ocean in a glass box is extremely fragile and anything but stable parameters leads to coral and/or fish loss of life typically. So you definitely need dollars for those improvements that happen along the way.

And not only does your tank need to be stable but so do you in your maintenance of it

Hope that wasn't too basic for your needs.

 

[seaweed88]

Thanks fr the reply... It is a good start... It just lets me know that I have a long row to hoe....

 

[Bjohn]

Great advice! Also having the right fish helps


Keep living the good life

 

[seaweed88]

Which fish?

 

[Bjohn]

anything that doesn't eat sps haha! (no tribal blenny)

 

[seaweed88]

I can do that. No picking fish. I need to get my nitrates down first.
Thanks for the help.

 

[akitareefer]

Start by getting test kits for everything and research which ones are accurate and relatively easy to use (alk, calc, phos, pH, nitrate, mag are the main ones). Do some testing. See where your tank is at. Can you maintain levels steadily? Do you need a better skimmer? Flow? Highly recommend a wavemaker. Lighting- as posted earlier. research bulbs... most of the time you get what you pay for. Gfo- overfeeding can cause phosphate spikes, maintain with reactor (best to have one just in case). I recommend 2 part dosing (test parameters!) Read about dosing (magnesium levels can effect your alkality). Regular frequent water changes are good at the beginning. Its a lot of stuff to get together. Start slow

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[seaweed88]

I am using Salfert for NO3 Ca and Mg. I use Hanna checker for Alk and Po3 and Milwaukee Ph meter.
I am running a Etss skimmer with a mag 7 pump now. I have a Aqua C 180 that I am thinking about putting on the system.
I am using a WP 40 Wavemaker
I am running 2 250 watt mh lights now and plan on building a DIY Led hybrid fixture the end of the month.
I am also running Neo Zeo and bio fuel.
I am adding kalk with my top off water and have two part from BRS when I get that far.
No3 is between 50 and 75 today and my Mg ca and alk are all a little low. I have been focusing on raising Clown fish for the past 18 months and this tank has been the worse for that. I use IO salt on the Clown project but have gone to Red Sea Pro for the display.
I just today changed the filters in my RO/DI and that should be all good.
So that's where I am at
Thanks
Mark

 

[akitareefer]

Sounds like you have a very solid start. What kind of corals do you currently have in your display and what is your bio load? If you can raise clown I doubt getting a sps tank set up will be that difficult for you

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[seaweed88]

I have a couple Acans Lobos and some Zoas on the bottom. I have a couple no name Acros across up top which have not died for the past month but I am not holding my breath.
I did a total re scape of the live rock a couple moths ago and have some new hair algae across the top . I replaced the RO/DI filters because the TDO was not zero coming out of the unit. Or it might be because the power compact bulbs in the light hood are OLD and that could be the cause of the algae. Or both.
I really want to get my stuff together and be successful with the SPS.. I am in it for the long haul.
Mark

 

[seaweed88]

I have a Blue Chin Trigger, File fish, pair of Neon Gobies, Convict Goby and a pair of Banggai Cardinals.

 

[akitareefer]

What 250w bulbs are you using? As for the PC, I wouldn't bother changing the bulb if your going to do led. Are you just adding actinic led bars or something more complex?

As for parameters, I would start raising the magnesium by the daily recommended dose until you reach 1400. If you do that you will in theory have less of an algae problem and you will be able to raise your alkalinity properly. Be careful with the kalk as it can raise your pH. I try to run my Alk at 150ppm. There's a wide scale for acceptable alkalinity but the new trend is to go lower, closer to actual seawater as said earlier. Having low alk in a sps tank is a big deal, you may notice some receding from the base called slow tissue necrosis STN. Get that Alk back up slowly. As for the other parameters. What are the phosphates at? that might also be part of the algae problem. Phosphates could have come from your bad rodi water or overfeeding/ excess organics. As for Nitrates, they are high. Your tank should be somewhat mature since its already running. Are you overfeeding? if not you need to run the skimmer wetter or upgrade, fuge or algae scrubber, live rock/sand for a bio filter to get out more organic waste. For now do a water change to lower it might also try some vacuuming/cleaning. How are the sps corals doing, color and polyp extension? Nitrates seem to high for them to be doing well. I'd also look into getting a gfo reactor to reduce phosphates or run it in a bag, I'm assuming they're high. I try to keep phosphates under .03.

I'm not an expert I've killed many sps, did my research and now provide a pretty good home for all of my corals. Get the routine down and you'll be fine

 

[Dtech07]

Tank parameters stability and good husbandry and keep your hands out the tank unless needed. Everything will grow like weeds.

 

[Mrfresh]

Reefing made easy (kind of)

Water quality: parameters must be stable.

That means alklalinity (7.5 to 11, current thinking is probably closer to seawater 8-8.5), Calcium 380-450, Magnesium around 1400. to accomplish that requires at the least either a calcium reactor, doser, or manual dosing with two or three part. Some people utilize kalkwasser as well. It seems that if you can maintain alkalinity stable, that the other parameters tend to also remain stable (not an absolute)

You will need your nitrates and phosphates near but not at zero. To accomplish that you will need at the least, a high quality skimmer, some people like biopellets or zeovit or carbon dosing as well. Many people have a refugium with chaeto to reduce nitrates. Many people use GFO with or without a reactor (it works better with a reactor) to keep phosphates down. Many people like algae scrubbers to reduce nitrates and some phosphate. Water changes of 10% weekly are used by others for both nutrient export (nitrates and phosphates) and to replace trace elements.

You will need adequate flow so both your system pump and powerheads must be sufficient to provide that flow.

Your temperature needs to be stable so you will need to consider a heater, a chiller (particularly if you use metal halide lighting), or fans for evaporative cooling. Ideal temps are around 77.5 to 79.5 with latitude either way but again the less drift, the better. Stability is a constant factor throughout.

Lighting, well thats controversial a little at least. The choices are LEDs, T5 or metal halides for the most part. For sps, the preferred is perhaps a combination of two or more of the choices. SPS love their light

Bottom of the tank, well you may consider bare bottom, deep sand bed, remote sand bed. Again the jury is out (that may be controversial as well)

Most people utilize carbon either in a bag or reactor for water clarity and to minimize issues from perhaps chemical warfare among coral.

Many people also utilize a sump to place many or all of the above items.

You will also need test kits to monitor all of the above.

Many people advocate controllers to both automate and avoid potential catastrophes from equipment mishap.

Oh, almost forgot. You will need dollars, lots of them. This is a very unforgiving endeavor. The ocean in a glass box is extremely fragile and anything but stable parameters leads to coral and/or fish loss of life typically. So you definitely need dollars for those improvements that happen along the way.

And not only does your tank need to be stable but so do you in your maintenance of it

Hope that wasn't too basic for your needs.

Listen to this man I have read though his photos of his tank... It's an amazing sps system.

He for sure knows what he's doing.

 

[seaweed88]

Well I have an idea what my immediate problems are.
My water is at
No3 greater than 50
Phosphate 2.5
Ca 440
Alk 148
Mg 1350
Sal 1.025
Looks like my nitrate and phosphate are the first problems I need to address.....
I am using cheap 20 k bulbs in the MH
I am building a light fixture with 2 t5 bulb and around 150 watt Cree lamps .
I am using a mix of neutral white, royal blue, blue and uv for the lamps.

 

[Ajk'sreef]

Reefing made easy (kind of)

Water quality: parameters must be stable.

That means alklalinity (7.5 to 11, current thinking is probably closer to seawater 8-8.5), Calcium 380-450, Magnesium around 1400. to accomplish that requires at the least either a calcium reactor, doser, or manual dosing with two or three part. Some people utilize kalkwasser as well. It seems that if you can maintain alkalinity stable, that the other parameters tend to also remain stable (not an absolute)

You will need your nitrates and phosphates near but not at zero. To accomplish that you will need at the least, a high quality skimmer, some people like biopellets or zeovit or carbon dosing as well. Many people have a refugium with chaeto to reduce nitrates. Many people use GFO with or without a reactor (it works better with a reactor) to keep phosphates down. Many people like algae scrubbers to reduce nitrates and some phosphate. Water changes of 10% weekly are used by others for both nutrient export (nitrates and phosphates) and to replace trace elements.

You will need adequate flow so both your system pump and powerheads must be sufficient to provide that flow.

Your temperature needs to be stable so you will need to consider a heater, a chiller (particularly if you use metal halide lighting), or fans for evaporative cooling. Ideal temps are around 77.5 to 79.5 with latitude either way but again the less drift, the better. Stability is a constant factor throughout.

Lighting, well thats controversial a little at least. The choices are LEDs, T5 or metal halides for the most part. For sps, the preferred is perhaps a combination of two or more of the choices. SPS love their light

Bottom of the tank, well you may consider bare bottom, deep sand bed, remote sand bed. Again the jury is out (that may be controversial as well)

Most people utilize carbon either in a bag or reactor for water clarity and to minimize issues from perhaps chemical warfare among coral.

Many people also utilize a sump to place many or all of the above items.

You will also need test kits to monitor all of the above.

Many people advocate controllers to both automate and avoid potential catastrophes from equipment mishap.

Oh, almost forgot. You will need dollars, lots of them. This is a very unforgiving endeavor. The ocean in a glass box is extremely fragile and anything but stable parameters leads to coral and/or fish loss of life typically. So you definitely need dollars for those improvements that happen along the way.

And not only does your tank need to be stable but so do you in your maintenance of it

Hope that wasn't too basic for your needs.

WoW this was a great help for me as we'll. There was a lot of little things that I was un sure of but reading through this was a very big help.

 

[seaweed88]

How often should I run tests ?

 

[akitareefer]

Probably a bunch of different opinions out there. If things are way off I might test daily. Otherwise once a week or before dosing. Things that are usually steady like phosphates and nitrates I test once a month(if I see more algae I test).

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