How to successfully keep SPS Corals!

[Gumbies R Us]

I'm going to keep this thread bookmarked for whenever I decide to keep SPS coral!

 

[Sdoutreefer]

someone should print this thread into a book and sell it.

 

[Reef_do_piza]

Guys, how are you?
congratulations on the tropics, it clarified many doubts of many hobbyists. I have an SPS aquarium with 25 different frags, I'm using a calcium reactor, and trace elements. In the past I only used a calcium reactor and kalwasser. I want to know if I can use kalwasser in the makeup water or if I have to put it in a reactor too.

 

[Troylee]

Guys, how are you?
congratulations on the tropics, it clarified many doubts of many hobbyists. I have an SPS aquarium with 25 different frags, I'm using a calcium reactor, and trace elements. In the past I only used a calcium reactor and kalwasser. I want to know if I can use kalwasser in the makeup water or if I have to put it in a reactor too.

Sure you can top off with it.. that’s what I do but you have to adjust your calcium reactor down so the alk doesn’t sky rocket

 

[Reef_do_piza]

Sure you can top off with it.. that’s what I do but you have to adjust your calcium reactor down so the alk doesn’t sky rocket

I'm keeping the PH of the reactor at 6.5

 

[Reef_do_piza]

I have another problem regarding nutrients, No3 and Po4, they are at zero, I can't increase them.

 

[Troylee]

I have another problem regarding nutrients, No3 and Po4, they are at zero, I can't increase them.

Dose them! Trisodium phosphate and ammonia bicarbonate.. both food grade and can found on Amazon!

 

[tbrown]

I have another problem regarding nutrients, No3 and Po4, they are at zero, I can't increase them.

Dose them! Trisodium phosphate and ammonia bicarbonate.. both food grade and can found on Amazon!

I have to dose both. I'm running a 70 gallon mixed reef dosing 10 mL of Ammonium Chloride solution (high alkalinity so I chose Chloride) and 4 mL of Trisodium Phosphate solution daily to keep my nutrients from bottoming out. That's in addition to feeding multiple times daily (6-7).

 

[Dburr1014]

I have another problem regarding nutrients, No3 and Po4, they are at zero, I can't increase them.

How have you been trying?

You can feed more also which will help, or run your skimmer for Less hours during the day.

 

[Matt L]

I’ll leave this right here.

Demystifying SPS Coral Care

Demystifying SPS Coral Care by Reefer Matt Hello Reefers! I thought I’d share my thoughts and experience with SPS coral and how I care for them. In this article, I hope you’ll find something to take with you, and apply it to your tank. Reefer...

www.reef2reef.com

Here’s my resume. 7 years old.

 

[CHSUB]

NO3 - .5 - 1ppm (Salifert)
PO4 - 0 (Salifert)

Nitrates - I prefer under 10ppm for nitrates. Any time I go over that number, I seem to experience browning out of coral and slowed growth. I maintain nitrates with water changes, feeding only pellet, nori (for tangs and foxface), occasionally mysis, and an oversized protein skimmer.

Phosphates - I don't have a good test for phosphates (not a fan of test kits for phosphates, they just don't do a good enough job). Under .03 is great for SPS. I have the Hanna handheld meter, and feel like it does a good "ballpark" job of measuring. I mostly go by the amount of algae and overall color of coral to "feel out my phosphates".

I try to keep phosphates as close to zero as possible and they usually measure between 0 and 0.02 on a Hanna calorimeter

• N03: 0-.02ppm w/Salifert
• P04: Undectible w/Hanna meter

Phosphate: 0.03
NO3: ZERO

My tank now runs at 0 po3, and .02-.04 po4

Nitrate-0, Phosphate-0

Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Phos -.02-.03

Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0

phosphates .04, nitrate near 0

NO3=0
PO4=0

Po4-.04
No3- undetectable

NO3- 2-3ppm
PO4- .03-.02 ULR Hanna

NO3 - 2.5 (holding steady at 2.5 for a couple weeks. Down from the average of 5-10 previously)
PO4 - .04

Lots of great information here…much of this good advice is lost today because many of the great SPS reefers just are not here anymore. Just a few examples of some great reefs and their nutrients. Still can’t understand why people can trust their eyes.

 

[nicisareefer]

Hi, i've just bought new red sea reefer 300xl, it comes with 2 reef led 90s and just wondering what kind of sps I should start of with.

 

[EnterName]

Hi, i've just bought new red sea reefer 300xl, it comes with 2 reef led 90s and just wondering what kind of sps I should start of with.

If you are setting up a completely new tank, I would wait quite a while before thinking about SPS.

If however, you know what you are doing:

The most forgiving SPS I know of are the plating types: Montipora capricornis and Montipora digitata.

Then maybe Stylophora pistillata and Seriatopora hysterix. I would still recommend having a well established and stable reef tank before adding SPS, but there are of course always ways to start a tank fast if you know how.

 

[Troylee]

Lots of great information here…much of this good advice is lost today because many of the great SPS reefers just are not here anymore. Just a few examples of some great reefs and their nutrients. Still can’t understand why people can trust their eyes.

Meh…. My sps are doing the best they’ve ever done!

 

[CHSUB]

Meh…. My sps are doing the best they’ve ever done!

That is an opinion, “,doing the best they’ve ever done!”, and has nothing to do with verified evidence and countless examples that low inorganic nutrients are the best environment for corals.

 

[Troylee]

That is an opinion, “,doing the best they’ve ever done!”, and has nothing to do with verified evidence and countless examples that low inorganic nutrients are the best environment for corals.

Maybe back in the day… I talk regularly with some of the top sps keepers and most don’t even test any more.. take Allen for example “crt” his phosphates run super high also. It’s more of looking at the corals and making sure they’re happy not so much the numbers. I run super high par 800-1000 and my tank is growing and coloring faster than it ever has! I’ve been in this game for over 20 years with breaks here or there I’d say things look great!

 

[CHSUB]

I talk regularly with some of the top sps keepers and most don’t even test any more

maybe because they know the level is below hobby testing resolution? Very easy to run a tank with levels below 0.5ppm. Yes corals have great color, well done!

I only run blue lights for a hour:

 

[Troylee]

maybe because they know the level is below hobby testing resolution? Very easy to run a tank with levels below 0.5ppm. Yes corals have great color, well done!

I only run blue lights for a hour:

I’m talking tanks with nitrates in the 20-40 range and phosphates in the .2-.6 range. Not .06. Agreed you can grow and color sps with super low nutrients I used to run zeo but my tank is happier with the dirtier water.

 

[CHSUB]

I’m talking tanks with nitrates in the 20-40 range and phosphates in the .2-.6 range

Yes I understand.

Agreed you can grow and color sps with super low nutrients

I would say it differently; “despite overwhelming evidence in both the ocean and home aquariums, thousands of examples, hundreds of TOTM, and a mountain of scientific research that shows without any debate corals are healthier when inorganic nutrients are kept in a range close to healthy natural reefs, some hobbyist report ‘acceptable’ growth and color in a few corals with an arbitrary higher nutrient level in their aquariums.”

 

[Troylee]

Yes I understand.

I would say it differently; “despite overwhelming evidence in both the ocean and home aquariums, thousands of examples, hundreds of TOTM, and a mountain of scientific research that shows without any debate corals are healthier when inorganic nutrients are kept in a range close to healthy natural reefs, some hobbyist report ‘acceptable’ growth and color in a few corals with an arbitrary higher nutrient level in their aquariums.”

I’ll disagree!
Any thoughts here Allen.
@coral reeftank