My path towards SPS

[Shawn_epicurious]

I am three months in my my tank and this journey is taking me towards SPS. I have now formally decided that’s the path I want to follow. So, I decided, if I am going to be successful, I need to start acting like I already have SPS in my tank (trust me, I don’t) The first thing I wanted to do was make sure I have the equipment right. “Gotta have a good foundation, or your house is gonna suck“. ...right)?

i am about to hook this bad boy up right now! : ) Dosing system is on order : )

 

[Euphyllia97]

Good luck on the sps! Just make sure you are not going the 0 nitrate-way. Stripping the water from nutrients has lead to a lot of problems in the past. Don’t fix something which isn’t broken I hope you enjoy the extra challenge

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Good luck on the sps! Just make sure you are not going the 0 nitrate-way. Stripping the water from nutrients has lead to a lot of problems in the past. Don’t fix something which isn’t broken I hope you enjoy the extra challenge

The equipment is the easy part : ) I have a lot of reading to do!

 

[ScottB]

So 3 months is a bit early so don't buy SPS that is too costly as you will be fighting some tough odds. Your biome is going through some fairly significant changes over the next 9-12 months.

In terms of hardware preparation, I would suggest quality test kits are critical.
a) a good/great refractometer
b) ALK test kit (salifert is cheap and simple and good but many others)
c) Nitrate test kit (Nyos is my new favorite, switched from Red Sea)
d) Hanna ULR Phosphate checker is a must for SPS
e) Mag and Ca should get an occasional look. Salifert is fine.

Your cycle is over so unless you start losing fish, you do not need to test Ammonia and nitrite.

You have an ATO running already, correct?

What is that reactor going to be used for? That media is for a calcium reactor, right?

 

[Victor_C3]

SPS, once you get everything going, isn’t as hard as everyone would make you believe it is. The trick it to not mess with anything and keep your hands out of the tank. Once you place a coral, leave it there. Once you get your lights figured out, quit trying to tweak them to get the perfect output. Even better yet, run T5’s which means you can’t adjust the spectrum.

SPS is very adaptive. You just have to let it adapt and it’ll grow.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

So 3 months is a bit early so don't buy SPS that is too costly as you will be fighting some tough odds. Your biome is going through some fairly significant changes over the next 9-12 months.

In terms of hardware preparation, I would suggest quality test kits are critical.
a) a good/great refractometer
b) ALK test kit (salifert is cheap and simple and good but many others)
c) Nitrate test kit (Nyos is my new favorite, switched from Red Sea)
d) Hanna ULR Phosphate checker is a must for SPS
e) Mag and Ca should get an occasional look. Salifert is fine.

Your cycle is over so unless you start losing fish, you do not need to test Ammonia and nitrite.

You have an ATO running already, correct?

What is that reactor going to be used for? That media is for a calcium reactor, right?

I can put a check in all those boxes... as of today that is. I’ve been using a high quality refractometer since day 1. I just upgraded my testing kits today and am about to start playing with them. The reactor is for calcium. I also have a RODI water ATO system going. My lights are Hydra 32s (2 of them) and one Hydra 26 in the center.

Most importantly... I do not plan on actually buying my first SPS coral for at least six months. However, as of today, I am going to act like I already have SPS in there. ....my way of getting myself ready.

I just ordered a really nice 3 stage dosing system today. My LFS guy is going to install that for me... prolly next week.

it feels like I am doing this right...?

 

[ScottB]

Awesome! You've already done some good homework. Great to hear this.

So the doser typically runs ALK, Calcium and Magnesium for the Balling method or two-part dosing method. Or are you following another method? Like Red Sea, Zeovit, Triton, TM etc etc?

Which then leads to the next question. The aragonite media is for use in a calcium reactor which is a very different animal than a simple upflow media reactor (aquatop). A calcium reactor uses measured doses of CO2 in a pressurized recirculating reactor to dissolve aragonite media. It replaces the need for a dosing system.

That reactor is good for running activated carbon, GFO (real careful here) and the like.

Have fun!

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Awesome! You've already done some good homework. Great to hear this.

So the doser typically runs ALK, Calcium and Magnesium for the Balling method or two-part dosing method. Or are you following another method? Like Red Sea, Zeovit, Triton, TM etc etc?

Which then leads to the next question. The aragonite media is for use in a calcium reactor which is a very different animal than a simple upflow media reactor (aquatop). A calcium reactor uses measured doses of CO2 in a pressurized recirculating reactor to dissolve aragonite media. It replaces the need for a dosing system.

That reactor is good for running activated carbon, GFO (real careful here) and the like.

Have fun!

We talked about about the what we would put in the three stagesof the dosing system. To be honest, I am not certain what I want in the 3rd stage yet. I have time for research on that....so... I’ll figure it out : ) That’s why I am starting six months early

how does this set up look?

 

[ScottB]

Looks good. Still nice and clean too. Still a touch puzzled about the purpose of the reactor but suppose it cannot hurt anything.

How about a pic of the display?

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Looks good. Still nice and clean too. Still a touch puzzled about the purpose of the reactor but suppose it cannot hurt anything.

How about a pic of the display?

Sure : ) here is the tank (I have a habit of over buying sometimes) I may decide to use the 3rd stage to feed with... I may end up using the third stage for calcium and putting something different in the reactor (like you suggested)

right now, my livestock is all “newbie” stock. My new LFS guy is gonna buy a few of the softies from me before I start putting SPS in it.

 

[RCS82]

I'm a strong fan of using kalk, whether in your ATO or thru one of your dosing pumps. Its simple, cheap, and easy to do and you get a boost in pH typically and it will take care of some of your alk/calc consumption. 2nd thing I like and I'm not sure how old your rock is but one of the best things for a tank is established old live rock with sponge growth and pods and all sorts of microfauna. And in my experience, SPS love the light and can take a lot. Don't be afraid to up your lighting.
For me its-
Lots of flow
Lots of light
Lots of rock
Lots of fish
Lots of kalk
And keep up on checking salinity and temperature. They're just as important as Alk and PO4.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I'm a strong fan of using kalk, whether in your ATO or thru one of your dosing pumps. Its simple, cheap, and easy to do and you get a boost in pH typically and it will take care of some of your alk/calc consumption. 2nd thing I like and I'm not sure how old your rock is but one of the best things for a tank is established old live rock with sponge growth and pods and all sorts of microfauna. And in my experience, SPS love the light and can take a lot. Don't be afraid to up your lighting.
For me its-
Lots of flow
Lots of light
Lots of rock
Lots of fish
Lots of kalk
And keep up on checking salinity and temperature. They're just as important as Alk and PO4.

Great advice! Will do

 

[ScottB]

That is a hefty tank for your first. Very good aquascaping too. Nice softy collection. And you have a rabbit fish too.

Come on now. You've done this before. Admit this ain't ur first rodeo.

 

[Albertan22]

If your LFS sold you that aragonite media with that reactor then they are taking advantage of you and you shouldn’t trust them. That media will not supply any calcium, alkalinity, or anything else in that reactor. It is literally a pile of rocks in that state. That media is for use in a calcium reactor which is a different piece of equipment entirely that uses a CO2 tank, regulator, a couple pumps, etc.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

That is a hefty tank for your first. Very good aquascaping too. Nice softy collection. And you have a rabbit fish too.

Come on now. You've done this before. Admit this ain't ur first rodeo.

I did a 75 gallon mixed reef tank 15 years ago. ....and yes, I failed miserably lol That’s the primary reason I am taking my time right now... being overly cautious.

my daughters were teenagers when I did the last tank (single father) they took up all my time and ALL my money. I was doomed to failure the first time.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

If your LFS sold you that aragonite media with that reactor then they are taking advantage of you and you shouldn’t trust them. That media will not supply any calcium, alkalinity, or anything else in that reactor. It is literally a pile of rocks in that state. That media is for use in a calcium reactor which is a different piece of equipment entirely that uses a CO2 tank, regulator, a couple pumps, etc.

If that’s true then I am about to find out. I just tested everything today and I am keeping a log.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

That is a hefty tank for your first. Very good aquascaping too. Nice softy collection. And you have a rabbit fish too.

Come on now. You've done this before. Admit this ain't ur first rodeo.

I love my fox face! I also have a copperband butterfly fish and two spotted eels : )

 

[ScottB]

I love my fox face! I also have a copperband butterfly fish and two spotted eels : )

I saw the butterfly. Love to have one for insurance against aiptasia but have not taken the plunge. Never been sure about eels as I keep other animals they like to snack on.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I can’t find it now... Of course (yes, it’s a Friday night and scotch is involved) someone here asked me about the age of my live rock. The “blue” rock is (I don’t know if I know the correct reefer dude vocabulary lol ) is “fresh” from the ocean..... the lighter rock all came form a LFS... it had been in his tank for (he said) over a year.so yes, half the rock was well cured

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Awesome! You've already done some good homework. Great to hear this.

So the doser typically runs ALK, Calcium and Magnesium for the Balling method or two-part dosing method. Or are you following another method? Like Red Sea, Zeovit, Triton, TM etc etc?

Which then leads to the next question. The aragonite media is for use in a calcium reactor which is a very different animal than a simple upflow media reactor (aquatop). A calcium reactor uses measured doses of CO2 in a pressurized recirculating reactor to dissolve aragonite media. It replaces the need for a dosing system.

That reactor is good for running activated carbon, GFO (real careful here) and the like.

Have fun!

Wait... are you saying I am using the wrong media? ...someone else mentioned that too...