SPS new tank start?

[jonelder68]

What’s the best/most common method for starting off a new tank that’s going to be SPS dominate? This is my first go at SPS and everyone says mature and stability. My plan was starting cycle with bottled bacteria. Shortly after add a few fish. Once the uglies start add some cuc. Once it stabilizes adding more fish until I’ve established my stocking list. At this time also getting the refugium going and pods. Once everything's stable and few months old and parameters are steady add a few easy pieces and starting to dose/maintain parameters and adjusting dosage as demands increase.

Am I over thinking this all? SPS is new game to me along with dry rock. I know with dry rock it takes longer to get a good stable system going. As they say “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and I’m just trying to do everything slow and patiently.

 

[KrisReef]

I would start out with some live rock, give it a few months with just rock and limited light to get the Roman slave bacteria time to build a good base to the ecological pyramid, and then add a skimmer, maybe a fuge or algae scrubber if you are getting a forest of growth on the rock, the cuc, and when the coralline algae starts conquering and holding the rockscape I would check my light with a par meter and place a few test frags into the tank to get a reading on sps survival and calcium and alk stability. Once that is working, I would add more frags and set up an observation tank for the fishes and add them after the sps are ruling well. The only job the fishes have is to pick at algae and spread manure into the hungry sps polyps. The sps don't need a "cycled" tank to grow, but a tank running with sps that started with live rock will carry fishes easily as long as you feed the fishes and monitor the resulting nutrient parameters to keep them from swinging to wildly with water changes, if necessary.

If the fishes arrive healthy they should be fine to dump into an established reef, and they will thank you for not running them through the rigors of a bare tank start up.

 

[tzabor10]

Go with TB live rocks and sand. Get the best lights you can afford. Hit the ground running.

 

[jonelder68]

I would start out with some live rock, give it a few months with just rock and limited light to get the Roman slave bacteria time to build a good base to the ecological pyramid, and then add a skimmer, maybe a fuge or algae scrubber if you are getting a forest of growth on the rock, the cuc, and when the coralline algae starts conquering and holding the rockscape I would check my light with a par meter and place a few test frags into the tank to get a reading on sps survival and calcium and alk stability. Once that is working, I would add more frags and set up an observation tank for the fishes and add them after the sps are ruling well. The only job the fishes have is to pick at algae and spread manure into the hungry sps polyps. The sps don't need a "cycled" tank to grow, but a tank running with sps that started with live rock will carry fishes easily as long as you feed the fishes and monitor the resulting nutrient parameters to keep them from swinging to wildly with water changes, if necessary.

If the fishes arrive healthy they should be fine to dump into an established reef, and they will thank you for not running them through the rigors of a bare tank start up.

Makes sense, thanks.

Go with TB live rocks and sand. Get the best lights you can afford. Hit the ground running.

Would live rock added to the refugium be fine? TB live rock I’ll order thanks! I do have some 22 year old Fiji live rock in another tank but it’s going through a GH algae out break currently. Aqua scape for DT is already done. Lights I’ve already got covered. 2 Reefi uno 2 pros with 2 quanta pro strips.

 

[rongy]

Agree with above, get live rock or buy rock from established tank (watch out for potential pests). I started my tank with dry rock and seeded with rock from established system, and the tank is sps ready in couple months. I then slowly remove those rock or move them to my sump

 

[ryshark]

What’s the best/most common method for starting off a new tank that’s going to be SPS dominate? This is my first go at SPS and everyone says mature and stability. My plan was starting cycle with bottled bacteria. Shortly after add a few fish. Once the uglies start add some cuc. Once it stabilizes adding more fish until I’ve established my stocking list. At this time also getting the refugium going and pods. Once everything's stable and few months old and parameters are steady add a few easy pieces and starting to dose/maintain parameters and adjusting dosage as demands increase.

Am I over thinking this all? SPS is new game to me along with dry rock. I know with dry rock it takes longer to get a good stable system going. As they say “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and I’m just trying to do everything slow and patiently.

Your approach is what I did. I also got some sand/rubble from aquabiomics which is tested to NOT have bad bacteria, etc, to help seed the tank.

 

[rongy]

Makes sense, thanks.

Would live rock added to the refugium be fine? TB live rock I’ll order thanks! I do have some 22 year old Fiji live rock in another tank but it’s going through a GH algae out break currently. Aqua scape for DT is already done. Lights I’ve already got covered. 2 Reefi uno 2 pros with 2 quanta pro strips.

Don’t think GH algae is an issue. You can always turn off the light to get rid of them since you have no corals on your tank

 

[Project]

I went with Dry rock and dry sand and added first initial SPS frags (about 10), pretty much right after the cycle. I had 1 big mistakes at about 1yr mark (user error). which killed about half of the frags I had. But it is still doing really well. Maybe it will be helpful: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/24-cube-sps-reef-tank-build.965899/page-4#post-12171542

 

[ryshark]

I went with Dry rock and dry sand and added first initial SPS frags (about 10), pretty much right after the cycle. I had 1 big mistakes at about 1yr mark (user error). which killed about half of the frags I had. But it is still doing really well. Maybe it will be helpful: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/24-cube-sps-reef-tank-build.965899/page-4#post-12171542

Same. I added acros very soon after the cycle.

 

[jonelder68]

So I’m planning on triton method. Aka large refugium (see my build thread so far) was thinking needed fish waste for nutrients. But seems many cycle then start adding coral and then fish? I’ve got a 22 year old tank and haven’t kept on current “ways” as my old tank grew softies and lps perfectly. Dry rock etc new to me. Live rock hard to come by and not sure I want to deal with the creatures that come with it. My 22 year old Fiji live rock tank has more activity at night then day. Every sq inch is crawling at night with pods, bristleworms, and god knows what. Many different ways it seems! We’ll see how it goes and which way I follow.

 

[ryshark]

So I’m planning on triton method. Aka large refugium (see my build thread so far) was thinking needed fish waste for nutrients. But seems many cycle then start adding coral and then fish? I’ve got a 22 year old tank and haven’t kept on current “ways” as my old tank grew softies and lps perfectly. Dry rock etc new to me. Live rock hard to come by and not sure I want to deal with the creatures that come with it. My 22 year old Fiji live rock tank has more activity at night then day. Every sq inch is crawling at night with pods, bristleworms, and god knows what. Many different ways it seems! We’ll see how it goes and which way I follow.

I’d still go with a fish or two first, personally. Sounds like you can use some Fiji rock to seed all the dry rock. Unless of course there are critters in there you’re trying to avoid this time.

 

[jonelder68]

I’d still go with a fish or two first, personally. Sounds like you can use some Fiji rock to seed all the dry rock. Unless of course there are critters in there you’re trying to avoid this time.

I’d appreciate a tank without bristle worms! Can’t touch anything in the tank last 20 years or you feel it!

 

[ryshark]

I’d appreciate a tank without bristle worms! Can’t touch anything in the tank last 20 years or you feel it!

All dry rock, bottled bac and aquabiomics sand/rubble is probably your best bet then. That’s what I did, worked fine. Keep an eye on po4/no3 to avoid Dinos.

 

[jonelder68]

All dry rock, bottled bac and aquabiomics sand/rubble is probably your best bet then. That’s what I did, worked fine. Keep an eye on po4/no3 to avoid Dinos.

Just looked into aquabiomics. Very cool! I will order some like you mentioned and try it how you did. Thanks!

 

[Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef]

It don’t make any sense to me when people say mature tank? The challenge is keeping parameters in check. Also when you fill up a tank with corals instead of all plain rocks and bump full light off course all algae will take over your tank.

Imo you need to outcompete with the algae, best way of doing this is to fill it with corals .. 8/10 you will need to add po4 special in begin phase ..

I’ve started my tanks by filling it up instantly with sps corals and don’t have any losses.. so you need to keep parameters in check from start and add bacteria and test for parameters.. anything off daily basis adjust and all be fine..

I start with 10% live rock from established tank

And rest with dead rock. This will keep the spike in nutrient in control.

1 week lights of and second week lights and fill up the tank.. it will come to life far quicker the. Waiting around for all the algae etc take over.

 

[Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef]

It don’t make any sense to me when people say mature tank? The challenge is keeping parameters in check. Also when you fill up a tank with corals instead of all plain rocks and bump full light off course all algae will take over your tank.

Imo you need to outcompete with the algae, best way of doing this is to fill it with corals .. 8/10 you will need to add po4 special in begin phase ..

I’ve started my tanks by filling it up instantly with sps corals and don’t have any losses.. so you need to keep parameters in check from start and add bacteria and test for parameters.. anything off daily basis adjust and all be fine..

I start with 10% live rock from established tank

And rest with dead rock. This will keep the spike in nutrient in control.

1 week lights of and second week lights and fill up the tank.. it will come to life far quicker the. Waiting around for all the algae etc take over.

This my current tank.. it’s sps dominated

 

[jonelder68]

It don’t make any sense to me when people say mature tank? The challenge is keeping parameters in check. Also when you fill up a tank with corals instead of all plain rocks and bump full light off course all algae will take over your tank.

Imo you need to outcompete with the algae, best way of doing this is to fill it with corals .. 8/10 you will need to add po4 special in begin phase ..

I’ve started my tanks by filling it up instantly with sps corals and don’t have any losses.. so you need to keep parameters in check from start and add bacteria and test for parameters.. anything off daily basis adjust and all be fine..

I start with 10% live rock from established tank

And rest with dead rock. This will keep the spike in nutrient in control.

1 week lights of and second week lights and fill up the tank.. it will come to life far quicker the. Waiting around for all the algae etc take over.

Makes sense! I’ve always struggled with “mature tank” meaning. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on it. In the “gist” of it I’ve concluded it means stable parameters. Guess next struggle with that is are we able to keep steady parameters on a young tank or does it truly take time to build the bacteria and other organisms needed to help maintain. But many good suggestions here i appreciate it! Hopefully i can track down some decent live rock everyone’s on backorder currently.

 

[Kzang]

I added acro frags, a lot of them, within a week of setting up the tank. Biggest pain in the butt is alkalinity drops like crazy and ph is difficult to keep up during the nitrogen process.

I did have a trident which help tons and Ghl doser that I could adjust easily, eventually, over wifi

 

[Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef]

I added acro frags, a lot of them, within a week of setting up the tank. Biggest pain in the butt is alkalinity drops like crazy and ph is difficult to keep up during the nitrogen process.

I did have a trident which help tons and Ghl doser that I could adjust easily, eventually, over wifi

Exactly this… also po4 issue for me..I’ve always had to add po4 out of the bottle so it wouldn’t bottom out.. I could test my Kh from work and I have an Kh keeper.. and make adjustments from distance. It is a challenge and needs some work but there are deff ways to make it a succes.

Letting my tank over grow with complete algae and Dino’s in the start phase wait for months and make it come around is a bigger pain but that’s me. I am a bit stubborn and I believe there are more ways to make it a succes.. its a matter of dedication and this is in hands hobbyists