When is my tank ready for SPS?

Silver14SS · Dec 27, 2018

When and how do you determine your tank is ready for SPS? What do you look for before you're comfortable adding frags? My tank has cycled, coralline is growing, pods are breeding, no crazy algae outbreaks, etc.

I started with BRS Pukani, it was in saltwater from March to September, and has been in the tank with lighting since September. Parameters are steady, everything seems to be running great, and the ATI ICP test is on the way to the lab.

I'm tempted to order a small Battlebox, but don't want to rush it...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/45g-tankme-usa-and-battlecorals-sps-build.449305/

CMO · Dec 27, 2018

Depends on what type of sps and their sensitivity. With my tank I waited about 8-9 months before starting to add higher value / sensitive sps, but got Adam's "Super Hardy Starter Pack" around the 4 month mark, all of which did great early on and are still kicking today. This was with dry sand and clean dry rock.

Brad Miller · Dec 27, 2018

My tank is about 8 months old and just starting SPS.
Most say wait a year (mature tank) and get everything stable with a consistency of how you approach everything fist

Silver14SS · Dec 27, 2018

CMO said:
but got Adam's "Super Hardy Starter Pack" around the 4 month mark, all of which did great early on and are still kicking today. This was with dry sand and clean dry rock.

What corals did you try first?

Mrx7899 · Dec 27, 2018

Soon as my tank cycled I had sps In there.

CMO · Dec 28, 2018

Silver14SS said:
What corals did you try first?

The below Battlecorals set were the first SPS in my tank, along with other easy SPS like green birdsnest. You can certainly keep SPS early on shortly after cycle but there's a bit higher risk of alk swings or other instability events that might take out more sensitive pieces if you're not really on top of things. I thought my last tank had fully matured numerous times before it truly did. For example, I'm glad I didn't have high value SPS in there for a massive cyano and green hair algae outbreak at month 7, or a dino outbreak around the same time which required messing with nutrient levels and taking them higher than some SPS would appreciate to combat. Having said this, I didn't lose any SPS throughout these maturing tank times but that required daily alk testing and close monitoring of all parameters. You just have to be a bit delicate with how you deal with these types of situations if you want to really load up on SPS early. Otherwise put a few in early as bellwethers so you can track how your tank is doing in terms of SPS stability and load up once the tank is fully mature after 9-12 months.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/super-hardy-starters.389843/

I also got a battle pack with the following somewhat early on, all of which have proven to be very hardy and tolerant of a wide range of lighting in my experience.

BC Miss Scarlett
BC "Spainbow"
BC Morning Star
BC Secale
BC Lemon Hammer
Snipers Blue yum yum
Reef ready Grape Juice
Poletti Yellow tip Austera

Silver14SS · Dec 28, 2018

Thank you for the detailed response! Alk is pretty steady using Salifert tests, usually no more than a .1 swing. I plan on eventually getting a Neptune or Alkatronic, maybe I'll wait on coral for that. Doubtful though

DesertReefT4r · Dec 28, 2018

It sounds like you did things right. Cured and cycled the rock early on, ran the tank for several months to mature. If your parameters are staying stable and coralline is taking off you should be good to add corals. I did a long slow cycle also, slowly added fish and corals after 3 months. Coralline started booming shortly after. At 5 months I started adding sps montis first and when they did well acropora at 6 months. All corals are doing very well and so far I have not had any losses or issues with corals.