How to successfully keep SPS Corals!

rossco

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@rossco didn't I read somewhere that you use Red Sea pro salt?

If so, how do you manage to keep your alk low during water changes - I keep my tank at around 8.6-9.3, but when I do a 10% water change using Red Sea pro it spikes to 10+ [emoji30]

Nope, wasn't me - I have used Reef Crystals since the beginning. I did cycle through a couple buckets of Seachem Reef Salt a few years ago troubleshooting a SPS recession event, but other than that, exclusively Reef Crystals.
 

Viner87

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Ok cool, don't reef crystals have high all as well though @rossco ? Cheers Chris
 

las

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I've read that among the many recommendations made here, having a high nutrient input that is balanced with an equally high nutrient output is the secret to great growth/color on an sps system. Can you sps gurus comment on this please?
 

FarmerTy

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I've read that among the many recommendations made here, having a high nutrient input that is balanced with an equally high nutrient output is the secret to great growth/color on an sps system. Can you sps gurus comment on this please?
That's what I employ and its been working great for a long time now.
 

naso tang

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I only feed my ~10 fish in my 150 with coral food once a day. I have a filter sock, ati powercone 250 skimmer and a fuge. 15 gal water changes a week. Filter socks 1-2 changes per week. Seems to work if you have some algae eaters in the tank like tangs and blennies...

Food alternates between flake and coral vitalizer or brine/oyster eggs/coral frenzy/cyclopeeze/coral vitalizer. 2x dosing with fuel per week too.
 

FarmerTy

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can you please give an example of what/how much you feed and how you are exporting those nutrients?

Here's a old video of me feeding but this gives you a rough idea of how much I feed.



The autofeeder feeds pellets 3x/day and then I feed as much food in the video on a nightly basis. I rotate foods at night and feed mysis, krill, bloodworms, live blackworms, and LRS frozen food. I also dose aminos and micro foods for my corals twice/week and feed about half a large sheet of nori a day.

For nutrient removal to counter all the feeding, I go with GFO for phosphates, biopellets for nitrates, a really large skimmer for organics, and activated carbon for organics and toxins. Lastly, I don't do any water changes or even use filter socks.

Old video of my tank... I need to shoot a new one soon.

 

mcarroll

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@FarmerTy you need a little switch of wood (or short length of PVC) to prop that hatch open during feeding and maintenance! :) :) :) All that one-handed in-and-out-of-the-hood was nerve-wracking! LOL You did great, though!
 

FarmerTy

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@FarmerTy you need a little switch of wood (or short length of PVC) to prop that hatch open during feeding and maintenance! :) :) :) All that one-handed in-and-out-of-the-hood was nerve-wracking! LOL You did great, though!
Haha, funny you mention... I have a prop now. :)
 

las

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Wow that's a lot of food. I'm just trying to decide what to do to combat phosphates. I've got nitrates covered with the marine pure block and skimmer. Would like to avoid GFO if possible
 

naso tang

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Wow that's a lot of food. I'm just trying to decide what to do to combat phosphates. I've got nitrates covered with the marine pure block and skimmer. Would like to avoid GFO if possible

I gave up on both carbon and gfo. I like to use liquid phosphate remover, like phosphat e from brightwell. Swings aren't good, but for a 150 i dump in about 3 capfuls a week and that works for me.

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Nice!
 

las

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So just so I'm understanding correctly, the best situation for growing SPS would be a tank that is fed heavily while at the same time keeping nitrate and phosphate and zero?

It's just confusing cuz some people say u want a " dirty tank " like 5-10 nitrate and up to .1 phosphate. While others say it's the food input that you want high while keeping nitrate and phosphate as low as possible.

Sorry if this is a remedial question but, I still don't fully understand.
 

spspirate

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Nutrients in nutrients out but allowing some nutrients to be available to the corals is good too. Theres a "nutrient window" with keeping SPS and as long as your in that window along with all the other variables your golden. Everyone has their philosophy when it comes to SPS or reef keeping in general. Im not a number chasing guy some are. Some visually look at their reefs paying close detail to coral with in the ecosystem of the tank looking for any signs of too much or too little nutrients and adjusting accordingly. Some people chase those phosphate and nitrate numbers to get that peace of mind and adjust if needed and where needed. I don't think striving to reach the big 0 is where it's at but thats my opinion. Look at Rich Ross's reef for example. Phosphates through the roof but corals are happy and very healthy. Theres other reef tanks that strive for that "0" and look great! Personally I don't mind a little algae as long at it's kept at bay. What type of reef do you want? I guess I could keep on typing but I'll stop..Lol Algae thrive off light and nutrients. Corals need the same thing. Try to find that balance and stick with it. Balance the bio load. Keep your clean up crew happy and employed.. LOl.
 
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naso tang

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Nutrients in nutrients out but allowing some nutrients to be available to the corals is good too. Theres a "nutrient window" with keeping SPS and as long as your in that window along with all the other variables your golden. Everyone has their philosophy when it comes to SPS or reef keeping in general. Im not a number chasing guy some are. Some visually look at their reefs paying close detail to coral with in the ecosystem of the tank looking for any signs of too much or too little nutrients and adjusting accordingly. Some people chase those phosphate and nitrate numbers to get that peace of mind and adjust if needed and where needed. I don't think striving to reach the big 0 is where it's at but thats my opinion. Look at Rich Ross's reef for example. Phosphates through the roof but corals are happy and very healthy. Theres other reef tanks that strive for that "0" and look great! Personally I don't mind a little algae as long at it's kept at bay. What type of reef do you want? I guess I could keep on typing but I'll stop..Lol Algae thrive off light and nutrients. Corals need the same thing. Try to find that balance and stick with it. Balance the bio load. Keep your clean up crew happy and employed.. LOl.

Couldn't agree more. Honestly i don't pay attention to total phosphate numbers. I hate the hanna test. And ulns was a disaster for me. I have a mix of green algae and coralline algae growing in the tank, the fuge is healthy, and i get algae on the glass. Keeps the tangs and blenny happy, i can tell there's a nutrient load there, but not so much that it browns the corals. A couple caps phosphat-e for me a week keeps my colors bright while sticking in that window of low but enough. And if course, oversize your skimmer around 2x if you can, that helps alot!
 

Beej1254

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So glad I saw this thread because I just bought my first 2 acro frags last night. my tank is about 14months old and doing well. I'm hoping I can keep these new frags happy and healthy
 

naso tang

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So glad I saw this thread because I just bought my first 2 acro frags last night. my tank is about 14months old and doing well. I'm hoping I can keep these new frags happy and healthy

Good luck, don't feel bad if they don't make it. Does take some practice, and a populated sps tank depends on a good culture of sponges from mature rock to be really healthy. Good strong full spectrum lights, good flow, big skimmer and stability.
 
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revhtree

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Keep the tips coming!
 
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