Help me master SPS. The stick kind.

[Zeal]

Title. Currently running a Red Sea 170 mixed reef but heavily leaning towards SPS...

My parameters as of 12PM are...
Alk 9.4
Calc 425
Mag 1350
PH 8.15
Nitrate 10
Phosphate 0.074
Salinity 1.027

Im running a Radion G5 XR15 Pro with AB+ using BRS recommended settings and have 2 powerheads MP 10 running TSM 100% all day and a Nero 5 using various different settings maxing out at about 1600GPH. All My SPS have polyp extension and color but how can I improve upon this? Im kinda opposed to dosing any amino acids or "coral food" I found those just increase nitrates and phosphates...

Any advice would be gladly appreciated. Thanks

 

[X-37B]

Pics?
What do you want to improve?
How old is the tank?
If tank looks good with no issues then no need to change anything, imo.

 

[Zeal]

Pics?
What do you want to improve?
How old is the tank?
If tank looks good with no issues then no need to change anything, imo.

Well the tank was cycling since March with dry rock and live sand. Then I took down my Nuvo 40 and moved everything into the Red Sea over the course of a couple weeks. I finished the entire transfer of all the corals last Saturday.

What I want to improve on is colors that’s for sure... and growth. Lots of growth

 

[Zeal]

Here’s some pictures of what I got going along with light settings.

 

[X-37B]

Your colors look good to me.
I used to run alk at 8.5-9 for 8 months in my 120.
I did not change anything but alk.
I lowered it to 7-7.5 and, in my tank, color and growth improved.
Today
Alk 7.2
Ca 450
Mag 1350
Po4 .02
No3-5
Also some corals grow slower than others, even the quote fast growers.
I have 2 stags, 1 purple and 1 green slimer.
The green slimer encrusted out big time and after 1 year is still only maybe 1" higher than the frag it came from although it has muliple branches.
The purple went straight up with very little encrusting.
From 2" to 10" and multiple branching.
It has now encrusted more on the base.
I also have had 3 colonies I have remove as they got to big.
I also have a few that are not much bigger than the frag they were when I put them in.
Go slow and enjoy, your corals look great!

 

[Zeal]

Your colors look good to me.
I used to run alk at 8.5-9 for 8 months in my 120.
I did not change anything but alk.
I lowered it to 7-7.5 and, in my tank, color and growth improved.
Today
Alk 7.2
Ca 450
Mag 1350
Po4 .02
No3-5
Also some corals grow slower than others, even the quote fast growers.
I have 2 stags, 1 purple and 1 green slimer.
The green slimer encrusted out big time and after 1 year is still only maybe 1" higher than the frag it came from although it has muliple branches.
The purple went straight up with very little encrusting.
From 2" to 10" and multiple branching.
It has now encrusted more on the base.
I also have had 3 colonies I have remove as they got to big.
I also have a few that are not much bigger than the frag they were when I put them in.
Go slow and enjoy, your corals look great!

People rage how quick SPS grows and branch but mine seem to do neither. And if they do it’s at a slow pace.

 

[X-37B]

People rage how quick SPS grows and branch but mine seem to do neither. And if they do it’s at a slow pace.

Some do some dont, lol.
This hobby requires alot of patience.
To many want it all now.
A couple of thoughts for you.
What is your water change schedule?
What is your dosing schedule and what do you dose.
I dose trace daily and strontium weekly and have only done 2 minimal water changes in 15 months since setup.
I dosed 2 part for 6 months then a carx.
The key for me has been stability.
Their is a thread here that says running cloud mode on your leds increased growth rate.
I ran T5's and now MH.
All my local reefers run your leds and have good growth. They all run cloud mode too.

 

[Zeal]

Some do some dont, lol.
This hobby requires alot of patience.
To many want it all now.
A couple of thoughts for you.
What is your water change schedule?
What is your dosing schedule and what do you dose.
I dose trace daily and strontium weekly and have only done 2 minimal water changes in 15 months since setup.
I dosed 2 part for 6 months then a carx.
The key for me has been stability.
Their is a thread here that says running cloud mode on your leds increased growth rate.
I ran T5's and now MH.
All my local reefers run your leds and have good growth. They all run cloud mode too.

Why cloud mode??? Seems such a strange suggestion.

As of now I've done 2 water changes. Using red sea blue bucket. One last Sunday and one yesterday. I'm aiming for 1 water change every month starting October.

I dose every 4 hours Alk and Calc. Calc is dosed 15min after Alk. I use the BRS 2 part 1:1 But I think I need to increase the calc to keep up consumption...

So far no trace elements... I believe the water changes can keep up with the trace elements.

 

[X-37B]

Took forever to find, lol.
This may explain the cloud mode. Im not an led guy.
Sorry wrong one.

 

[Zeal]

Took forever to find, lol.
This may explain the cloud mode. Im not an led guy.
Sorry wrong one.

What??

 

[X-37B]

Found it. Read this.

Feel like quitting 2 years almost no growth please help sps dominate

Hey guys my first post on here , I’ve been in this hobby a decent ammount and I’ve tried sps dominate for the first time , I’m about to give up everyone always comments “wow those are glowing sticks !!!” Okay so what they are 1 inch tall , I must have 40 acros maybe more , and only 3-5 of them...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Zeal]

Found it. Read this.

Feel like quitting 2 years almost no growth please help sps dominate

Hey guys my first post on here , I’ve been in this hobby a decent ammount and I’ve tried sps dominate for the first time , I’m about to give up everyone always comments “wow those are glowing sticks !!!” Okay so what they are 1 inch tall , I must have 40 acros maybe more , and only 3-5 of them...

www.reef2reef.com

Very interesting seems something about giving the SPS a brief rest excites them to grow towards the sun?

Atleast that's what I'm gathering.

 

[X-37B]

Very interesting seems something about giving the SPS a brief rest excites them to grow towards the sun?

Atleast that's what I'm gathering.

Thats what my reefing buddies say too.
If I ran leds like yours I would give it a try.

 

[Zeal]

Thats what my reefing buddies say too.
If I ran leds like yours I would give it a try.

Ive thought about it, but then I thought there would be a decrease in par.

 

[X-37B]

I think the thought is just like on reefs cloud cover reduces par which is what they are trying to replicate.
I have been running full on since the early 90's and it works for me.
Lfs near me runs 12 radions on their 500 full blast and they get great growth.
Same with all their frag tanks.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Found it. Read this.

Feel like quitting 2 years almost no growth please help sps dominate

Hey guys my first post on here , I’ve been in this hobby a decent ammount and I’ve tried sps dominate for the first time , I’m about to give up everyone always comments “wow those are glowing sticks !!!” Okay so what they are 1 inch tall , I must have 40 acros maybe more , and only 3-5 of them...

www.reef2reef.com

Cloud coverage sounds dumb

 

[X-37B]

Lol! Im with ya but some say it works.
Im old school, turn lights on then off.
Clouds are not out all the time on the reef.
To many adjustment for me on leds but most locals run them with outstanding results.

 

[Zeal]

Cloud coverage sounds dumb

TL;DR??

I'm on the fence

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Lol! Im with ya but some say it works.
Im old school, turn lights on then off.
Clouds are not out all the time on the reef.
To many adjustment for me on leds but most locals run them with outstanding results.

Haha!!!! I was being sarcastic. I’ve noticed a huge improvement since adding the par respiration periods (clouds).

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

TL;DR??

I'm on the fence

TL;DR??
What does that mean?