First Acro.

[BlazinNano]

Ok I am just not geting into SPS. I got my first acro from a fellow reefer because he broke a piece off a colony while cleaning. He was not going to sell it because it has never colored up for him. So I got it. Have a wierd question. Here it is. How long will I know if it is gonna make it? If my tank is not ready will it die pretty quick or will it take a little?

 

[soccerbag]

Well, it depends on water quality and lighting for the most part. SPS likes a higher Ca (425+), stable alk (8.0 - 11.0 but rock solid), and a good Mag level (1350 - 1400) to keep both of the previously mentioned parameters in check. You can grow SPS successfully under T5 and halides. You may need to experiment with placement. If it is not happy, it may lose color quickly and brown out. Don't give up on it. They can be finicky to change. If it is REALLY unhappy, you will notice bleaching from the top up or vice versa (if it's an acro). Hopefully you will not see that though.

What type of SPS did you get?

 

[BlazinNano]

Taken with my camera phone. My levels are pretty good. My millie and digi are growing. Have had them since the end of Jan. Here is what my friend gave me. It does have blue tips. I have 150W 14K MH on a 28 gallon AIO tank.

 

[soccerbag]

If your millie and digi are doing well, you should be good to go. How is the polyp extension on your millie? Another thing I did not mention is flow....they love it and lots of it. What kinda flow you got going in that bad boy?

Parameters sounds like they are good and the lighting is fine for that sized tank. Flow is the only concern. If the millie is really hairy, then you are good to go my man.

 

[BlazinNano]

Milli is not reall hairy. The digi looks like it is wearing a wool sweater. It is not in direct flow but there is a Koralia 2, MJ1200(need to upgrade) in the tank. Might move it to give it a little more.

 

[soccerbag]

You may be fine. Millies, when happy, are really hairy. Indirect, random flow is the best for SPS but I'm guessing you also have LPS / softies in the tank as well? Just try to find a happy medium. I think you should be good to go.

 

[BlazinNano]

Well I will admit I have been taking better care of the tank. Got my maintnence scheduled out. And the milli is hairy now then it was last month. For about 2-3 weeks I would say you could not see the polyps but the bacse started encrusting over the glue. Now you can see the polyps.

 

[soccerbag]

SPS will typically encrust before growing upward. As an example of what a millie should look like, here is an older pic of one of mine. Poor example but the best I could do on short notice....

 

[BlazinNano]

Well I hope I can get mine like that.

 

[soccerbag]

You will. Keep us posted on the new acro and the other SPS.

 

[BlazinNano]

Will do. Time for the next step. Figured the tank has been up for ayear and a half. Might as well try.

 

[CoralBandit]

I got you some nice frags coming man, are those paly's good yet? I can bring them fri. I can help you out and see how your setup is in person but I assure you SPS are easy man esp for you... you Know your ****

 

[schminksbro]

Your doomed! That corals is gonna color up for you and start growing along with your other two. Then you will become hopelessly addicted to SPS corals. You will be powerless. You will obsess. You will be unable to pass up any acro that crosses your path and has a bit of color. Welcome to SPS corals!:)

Seriously, just acclimate it slowly to your lighting, keep your params stable, and watch is color up and grow!

 

[BlazinNano]

I got you some nice frags coming man, are those paly's good yet? I can bring them fri. I can help you out and see how your setup is in person but I assure you SPS are easy man esp for you... you Know your ****

Wish I could man. For some reason that colony was kicking butt. Popping out babies everywhere. Then right as the babies where about to open the adult polyps started to melt. Lost all but two polyps. It is the only thing that I have had a problem with in like 6 months since I moved the tank. I don't know what happen. For some reason I have bad luck with PE zoas. Since I started int his hobby I have lost 3 frags of Ding Dang PE, 1 frag of OPE, now 8 polyps of Green Stardust PE. The two polyps I have left are on seperate plugs in seperate places. Hopefully they will start growing.

 

[akabryanhall]

Be careful with the flow, They like flow for sure, but putting it in the direct path of your powerhead can strip the flesh off of the skeleton, like what happened with my desalwii.

 

[BlazinNano]

Be careful with the flow, They like flow for sure, but putting it in the direct path of your powerhead can strip the flesh off of the skeleton, like what happened with my desalwii.

When did that happen? I just saw it a couple weeks ago.

 

[akabryanhall]

Looks great now, but the flesh started receding heavily when I first placed it, was too close to power head stream, took repositioning and a little tlc and its back better than ever.