bro from ur tank thread..i believe your tank is not ready for sps..no point throwing money down the drain just like that..
like bro tunicate mentions, water parameters plays a major part in sps husbandary. not just lighting alone..do you know your ca, mg, sr, kh, ph, temp levels? most of the bros who are sps keepers keen a keen eye on water parameters.
protein skimmer helps to keep a good water quality unless one can do water changes regularly, HOB does not quite cut it...water must be clean for sps.
and for such a small tank like yours, very hard to control water parameters.
like you, i want to start SPS too, but i find myself flipping through my chemistry text book checking if NaHO3 precipitates CACl2 and what is a desirable result i want to achieve. i check water perimeters every 3 days, dose once a week. if i can keep my water perimeter up to par, then i will start learning about the SPS for beginners. but time is not ready...
start slow, enjoy the learning process, enjoy the friendship and live a gd life!