Am I on the SPS pain train?

[BighohoReef]

Well, folks, the day is here, I think the tank is ready for some bigger SPS pieces. Aquascape is redone and the sps order is in I posted a few pictures wondering what everyone thinks (best ones I could pull). Once I get them into QT and rested I'll update the thread with some better pictures. If you have any pro tips on keeping SPS it would be most appreciated! I've been combing R2R reading as much as I can. I've made plenty of room for them to grow, have lots of flow, and I hope that I par'd all the lighting spots correctly.

Tank parameters:
Testing, testing, testing:
Salinity: 1.025
Alk: 10.7
Cal: 450
Mag: 1350
Nitrate: 5
Ph: .03


Lighting:
Par at the top/mid of the SPS rock is 350-400

• OR3 90 Reef Daylight
• OR3 120 Blue light
• XR30 Gen4 nonpro

Flow:
I'm going to add another XF330 for alternating flow from left to right.

• Maxspect XF330
• Two mp10s

Acclimation, Dipping, and QT process:

• QT tank float, drip 1-2 hrs monitor for bugs
• 5 min dip, rinse, dip another 5 mins monitor.
• Remove frag plug and rest in QT (30 days)
• At the end of QT, I float drip again 1hr and add to the main display

Daily care/nutrition:

• Spot feed mix of phyto/ab+/reefroids/spirulina
• Dosing with Tropic Marin All in One

Tank maintenance is done on a bi-weekly basis (water change, substrate vacuum, etc)
Water tested twice a week

Thanks for the read! More to come

 

[jsvand5]

I’m far from a pro but make sure to remove all of those corals from their bases. Helps avoid a lot of pests.

 

[BighohoReef]

I’m far from a pro but make sure to remove all of those corals from their bases. Helps avoid a lot of pests.

Great advice! It's in the plan to remove them

 

[MERKEY]

Can't wait to see them grow!

 

[BighohoReef]

@MERKEY One day we'll meet and IF I can keep them I'll frag ya off a piece from each one

 

[MERKEY]

We will cross paths at some point for sure lol...we are making the rounds tomorrow so we just missed you hahahah

 

[fishguy242]

nice pieces!! can't wait to see really color up!!

 

[BighohoReef]

nice pieces!! can't wait to see really color up!!

@fishguy242 If you were only closer! Thanks, man I'll keep ya posted on the progress.. I've been doing okay with the 1" sticks so hopefully I'll have the same type of luck with bigger ones

 

[BighohoReef]

We will cross paths at some point for sure lol...we are making the rounds tomorrow so we just missed you hahahah

Where you guys headed tomorrow? Sea King had some nice stuff last week and Barrier had some nice stuff being unpacked over the weekend.

 

[MERKEY]

Where you guys headed tomorrow? Sea King had some nice stuff last week and Barrier had some nice stuff being unpacked over the weekend.

If we have time probably both as well as Seattle and saltwater......they are all getting in really crazy stuff, I love it!

 

[BighohoReef]

If we have time probably both as well as Seattle and saltwater......they are all getting in really crazy stuff, I love it!

Right! On top of the SPS... I've been on the hunt for a space invader Barrier has one but it isn't for sale

I call it "Beauty and the Beast. Love the sweepers and if they ever touch another coral

 

[MERKEY]

Right! On top of the SPS... I've been on the hunt for a space invader Barrier has one but it isn't for sale

I call it "Beauty and the Beast. Love the sweepers and if they ever touch another coral

Oh yes we love that one also! Everyonce in a while they get some frags in

 

[Payne Train]

I’m pretty sure that I have all the naming rights for the phrase “Payne Train”

 

[Payne Train]

I saw “Pain Train” on the discussion topic and immediately thought I won one of these fancy tank give aways haha... my heart dropped for a moment and I realized that didn’t happen ;Dead

 

[BighohoReef]

I saw “Pain Train” on the discussion topic and immediately thought I won one of these fancy tank give aways haha... my heart dropped for a moment and I realized that didn’t happen ;Dead

If only right?!?

 

[LOVEROCK]

I’m far from a pro but make sure to remove all of those corals from their bases. Helps avoid a lot of pests.

When you mean base do you mean frag plug or cut some more of the flesh ?

 

[BighohoReef]

Order came in nice fat chunky pieces:

EXCEPT when removing the rock base and dipping them all I found a few issues.
1. Dead tissue, but not really. Little tentacles could be seen from the area with the issue. Turns out they were red burrowing acropora worms sadly had to frag the pieces down to two fat chunks. It was a sad cutting pieces off the colony.

2. Red flatworms on SPS and eggs on the base. Dipped 4 times with CoralRX and Prime Coral, I went nuclear on them. They might get a second treatment this morning.
3. Big vermited snails... two fatty vermited’s at the base of two rocks. They didn’t make the cut literally
4. Two gorilla crabs dip got both of them. Took some time though to get them to fall squashed both of them.
5. Maybe a black bug sighting, multiple dips took off quite a bit. Lots of black little dots in the dip water... no movement so hopefully not.
5. Other creatures attached to the base: scallops, tube worms... nuked in the dipping and cutting.

Here are the results of frag fest 7/17:

 

[BighohoReef]

When you mean base do you mean frag plug or cut some more of the flesh ?

Base meaning the large rocks that colonies come in. Typically when you buy mariculture wholesale you’ll get a big rock base and lots of creepy crawlers as well. You can remove them with a dremel diamond bit or a reef band saw.

 

[LOVEROCK]

Base meaning the large rocks that colonies come in. Typically when you buy mariculture wholesale you’ll get a big rock base and lots of creepy crawlers as well. You can remove them with a dremel diamond bit or a reef band saw.

Where you get these from ? :O so much hitch hikers

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Keep those bad boys QT'd for a good while!