SPS with LPS and leathers?

[Xler8n]

Hey everyone,

So ive been reading lately that it is not good to mix sps with lps and leathers.. I know leathers are toxic.. Something about the chemicals leathers and lps give off that hinder the growth of SPS. I have sps but none of it really thrives like i would like it to.. Better PE, color, etc. I have a large kenya tree coral thats near my neon trumpet and they are always fighting, so the trumpet has some heads on the bottom of the colony that the kenya tree fried. I also have a dragon soul favia, 2 acan colonies a purple plate coral, blastomussa and a few button polyps.. Should i completely remove the leather? You know how we all have those beginner corals in our tanks from before. I have a 75gallon, 20 gallon sump, Supercharged Bak Pak skimmer with mods, lol i know(saving for an octo extreme 200), Sunpod with 2 x 14k phoenix bulbs. Or should i just run carbon and gfo.. I was looking at the dual reactor from brs but they were saying that one reactor for each with its own flow is better because carbon and gfo need different flow through the reactor. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Troylee]

Well if your not running carbon and gfo you just answered your own question IMHO.... Your po4 is prolly high and severly affecting your sps... Get the carbon online to remove toxins from the softies and run some rawaphos to kill your phosphates and should be in buisness there is plenty of mixed reefs no worries.... Hth ;)

 

[Reef UP]

+1 with troy also Kenya tree coral is just a nasty coral it'll always win the battle and kill anything it contacts very invasive coral as well! It's worse than an acan echinata IMO !

 

[Xler8n]

Ok.. So should i move or trim back the kenya tree to cut back on the chemical warefare? The only reason i liked it is because it looks nice with the flow and is cool when you touch it. Should i run carbon and gfo in seperate reactors? If not..If i were to only have enough $$ to get one or the other which would be more important carbon reactor or GFO reactor? Thanx guys

 

[Reef UP]

Carbon is the most important for a mixed reef to remove toxic chemicals released by the corals IMO and there are other ways to remove po4 than GFO but it takes more dedication

 

[MimicOcto8]

opinions differ. I dont use any GFO or Carbon and this is the growth and color change I got in a matter of a month...every reef is different so just take all this good advice you get from everyone and apply to your own setup. Good luck

first pix were taken 1/6/2011 and the follow up pix were taken 2/16/2011

 

[gar732]

If you could only get one reactor, I'd say do gfo first and just run carbon in a media bag in a high flow area for now. It's not nearly as effective as running it in a reactor but it's better than nothing. The chem warfare will stunt the growth of you sps but the PO4 will cause your sps to brown out. I didnt run carbon in my tank and I still had growth in my sps and that's with a Kenya tree and a large lime green leather, though it wasn't what it should have been.

Mimic, what is that pink and yellow acro?

 

[MimicOcto8]

Hey gar,

Its the ATL Halloween Millepora.

 

[Rayzback]

I run seperate reactors. If your going to keep the Kenya, I'd get the carbon running before doing any cutback on it. It's not going to be happy getting cut on.

 

[Troylee]

If you could only get one reactor, I'd say do gfo first and just run carbon in a media bag in a high flow area for now. It's not nearly as effective as running it in a reactor but it's better than nothing. The chem warfare will stunt the growth of you sps but the PO4 will cause your sps to brown out. I didnt run carbon in my tank and I still had growth in my sps and that's with a Kenya tree and a large lime green leather, though it wasn't what it should have been.

Mimic, what is that pink and yellow acro?

agreed you can run the carbon in a bag....... fwiw plenty of people run the dual brs reactors and have great success.... i have 2 separate reactors on my tank but a single pump feeding them the same amount of flow and all is well..... don't let the flow factor scare ya something is better than nothing.....

 

[GR808]

opinions differ. I dont use any gfo or carbon and this is the growth and color change i got in a matter of a month...every reef is different so just take all this good advice you get from everyone and apply to your own setup. Good luck

first pix were taken 1/6/2011 and the follow up pix were taken 2/16/2011

wow!!!!!

 

[Xler8n]

Yea nice Purple Bonsai.. Mine is one of my favorites but it doesnt grow like that.. wow is right.. So you guys are saying that if i want my sps to be bright and colorful to run GFO first and get the carbon reactor later? I was looking at the duals but people keep saying that the GFO needs to tumble and the Carbon needs long exposure time and no tumbling. Ughh.. Im in a group buu right now for BRS and i get decide.. Im like Carbon or GFO, Carbon or GFO..

 

[Reef UP]

Do the dual reactor you'll be fine it works fine carbon on my reactor tumbles remember In this hobby it's all been learned by someones personal trial and error and it all differs

 

[Xler8n]

Mimic what is your setup? Lighting, skimmer, filtration, sump, etc.?

 

[Xler8n]

Do the dual reactor you'll be fine it works fine carbon on my reactor tumbles remember In this hobby it's all been learned by someones personal trial and error and it all differs

Thanks.. I was just a little worried because ive been doing alot of reading and people that have bought the dual wish they got two singles.. I was gonna get one now and one in a month or so but debating on which is more important.. Some of my sps is not as colorful and brown actually.. All my params are fine so im guessing its PO4..

 

[MimicOcto8]

Mimic what is your setup? Lighting, skimmer, filtration, sump, etc.?

ATI T5 54w x 6bulbs
Hydor 400 skimmer
Sump....filter sock, skimmer, two koralia 1400, return pump. Thats it.


Have you checked your phosphates and nitrates? what are they?

 

[Xler8n]

Nitrates are always zero.. I try to change the water (20 - 25 gal) every 2 weeks with reef crystals and my BRS 75 gallon per day RO/ dual DI. I dont have a phosphate tester so im not sure what the levels are. I was thinking of grabing that new phosphate tester BRS has.

 

[MimicOcto8]

I do 15g every week with reef crystals and my 6stage RO/DI unit with 0 nitrates and 0 phosphate and i use salifert test kits. Good luck man! P.S. i would toss the leather...

 

[Xler8n]

Yea its impossible to get rid of.. It had 2 heads, chopped one.. Now the stump is growing back..I think im gonna try to get rid of it though..

 

[Xler8n]

ATI T5 54w x 6bulbs
Hydor 400 skimmer
Sump....filter sock, skimmer, two koralia 1400, return pump. Thats it.


How many gallons is your display and sump?