Help with choosing and keeping SPS

[MossyFroggyLove]

Hey guys. What the title says. I tried with 2 sps and their tissue receeded and one of them died. The other one is being bullied by my hermit crab. I just need to glue it back down. But, why does the tissue receed? Is it because i bought it online. Should i go to a proper shop and buy it myself? Also, i need help with choosing a SPS coral. Something easy. You can find info about my tank on my build thread. Here is the linkie, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-20g-reef-tank.1138047/. But basically the flow is 2, 3000l/h wavemakers. I have a total of 50w lighting. 20 gallon tank. Please help.

 

[bubbgee]

There's a lot of information we need such as Alk, Cal and Mag as well as Phosphates and Nitrates. What brand of light specifically are you using and pics of the sps that has the tissue recession.

 

[zheka757]

From your build thread, looks like you only have softies in your tank, not knowing your parameters, it might be way off to keep sps in a tank, sps needs good flow, proper lights, and good water chemistry, also more stable tank.

 

[JonoH]

Agree with the above, looking through your build thread, I feel your tank may be better suited for softies/LPS.

In that, if you can get some stability, and Algae issues under control - hypothetically it is possible, but perhaps start with some 'easier to keep types' - Monti's and Pocci's

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

Well, i dont really have all the test kits. The ones i can measure are as below.
No3: 10ppm
P04: 0.3ppm
dKh: 9
Salinity: 1.025

Po4 used to be 1 a long time ago, then i managed to reduce it to 0.5. Everyone was doing good, but i tried and managed to get it down to 0.3. I am still trying to get it down to at least 0.1. No3 and p04 i use salifert. dKh i am using api, not soo accurate. The others i dont have yet. I have mainly softies,as well as a 5 head purple micromussa, a green cynarina, sometype of gorgonion, i think it is a purple candelabra, not sure. I also have a long tentacle nem doing great. And, thats about it. Oh, i am using a Spectra branded light. I have a few inverts.
Edit: I will get pics soon.

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

Hey guys. Got the pics. This one was snapped off by my hermit crab which is why is on the sand. I am yet to get some coral glue. The other piece seems to have stopped receeding

 

[slingfox]

Agreed with the above that your tank seems more suited for a LPS/softies tank. If this is your first tank, having SPS in a 20 gallon tank (very small and therefor subject to bigger parameter swings) and with only 50 watts of lights is likely going to be very challenging. I would focus on learning how to run a very stable tank with softies/LPS then plan to experiment with SPS if and when you upgrade to a larger tank.

If you want to try some SPS you should get something cheap and hardy like Green Slimer.

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

Agreed with the above that your tank seems more suited for a LPS/softies tank. If this is your first tank, having SPS in a 20 gallon tank (very small and therefor subject to bigger parameter swings) and with only 50 watts of lights is likely going to be very challenging. I would focus on learning how to run a very stable tank with softies/LPS then plan to experiment with SPS if and when you upgrade to a larger tank.

If you want to try some SPS you should get something cheap and hardy like Green Slimer.

Hmm, interesting. But why does the tissue receed. I dont suppose it is because of too little light right. Plus i thought 50watts of light was too much as most of my corals are positioned a bit far from highlight places. I know it reaches like 800 par on the surface of the water. Of course, this was using a phone app that i dont think is too accurate, and par can change depending on how many particles are in the water etc etc. I think i might try again with some easier to keep sps. Last time i was succesful at keeping an orange digitata, until a fireworm attack, and then a gha 'attack'. But i think i will try again with that.

 

[twentyleagues]

This depends on where the tissue recession is starting. Good clear white light pics would be helpful in our understanding.

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

This depends on where the tissue recession is starting. Good clear white light pics would be helpful in our understanding.

It is actually very white light. As white as the light would allow me but the camera is just so bad. Its either blue or suddenly becomes pink. I will try to get a better pic. But the tissue recession starts from underneath. Seems to have stopped on the one that is secure on the rock. Seems like its growing back but not too sure.