Should i try SPS?

[Evolutionz]

Hey guys, never though i would ever make a thread in this section.. I've been reefing for almost 4 months now with a 34L tank. im keeping Mainly zoas and they are opening and growing very well.

Honestly, i do not have much interest in SPS as i don't really fancy them. However, there are some kinds which i really liked.. mainly Optic Fiber, radioactive pocci and birdnest. would like to know if my current set up can keep any of the 3 i mentioned?

Tank size : 31x31x36cm (34L)

Filtration : 1020l/hr Dolphin h-800 hang-on filter + 4.5kg Live rock + Rowaphos and purigen in a filter bag.

Wavemaker : Currently none, May add a 600/900 l/hr mini wave maker.

Substrate : Carib-sea live sand.

Skimmer : Dymax IQ Skimmer (with sanders 2 replaced once per 3 weeks, can only get light tea color)

Lighting : Par38 9 x 3 Watts BridgeLux LED. (5 Royal Blue, 2 Neutral white (4500k) and 2 Violet (405 -410nm) With no lenses.

Chiling : Fan Chilled.

Salt mix : DI + Red Sea Coral Pro salt.

Here's my water parameters taken minutes ago :

Temperature : 27 - 28C

(Taken with API test kits)

Ammonia : 0

Nitrite : 0

(Taken with Salifert Test kits)

Nitrate : 5 - 10

Phosphate : 0 - 0.03

Calcium : 480

Magnesium : 1440

kH ; 7.6 - 8

Maintenance :

Water Change : 5% on tues, thurs. 10% on saturday. (total 20% weekly).

Additives : Bacteria Starter on every sat.

Red Sea Reef Energy Part A & B 0.2ML Daily.

Can Any of the above 3 SPS grow well in my tank? i wonder if the temperature is going to be an issue.

Here's my tank picture. top part of the rock structure is currently bare because my zoas are light shocked when i upgraded my light to this 9x3w Par38. Hoping to try a frag or 2 there.

Anyone can advice?

Thanks!

[jxlex]

Bro, i had good success with the same setup previously...

By all means try and update

[Evolutionz]

Thats great to hear! with such frequent WC im doing, is this going to replace enough Ca and mg for the SPS? at most going to try 1 or 2 frags actually.. till i upgrade to a 2ft before trying out more.

of the 3 i mentioned, which is the easiest to keep? maybe i should start with that.

[surreal1228]

U can try birdnest. Monti first.

Chanllenging for ur current set up. Esp skimmer and chiller.

Can pass u a birdnest frag foc to try out.

[Evolutionz]

Thanks bro for your offer.. pm-ed u!

i forgot about monti.. read that they are the easiest of all SPS.. may give it a try too.

my same thoughts.. thats the reason why im doing such frequent WC to maintain good parameters.. as for chiller, no way i can find space to fit a chiller to this tank now.. But will get a chiller when i upgrade.

[james72]

Get the brown monti from dnsfpl, if your tank can colour it up, u can try out other sps species.

[jxlex]

skimmer wont be much of an issue with your regular WC.... I used to suck out detritus everyday and replace water accordingly followed by a 20% everyweek. did not have a nutrient issue. Chiller on the other hand might pose a small problem. Maybe u can consider one of those ice probes thingy, its relatively small have seen it done the trick. imho i do agree with bro james72, monti seems very much more forgiving compared to the birdnest.

[Evolutionz]

Get the brown monti from dnsfpl, if your tank can colour it up, u can try out other sps species.

Didn't noticed dnsfpl got monti for sale.. bro kkk121 gave me a red monti to try!

skimmer wont be much of an issue with your regular WC.... I used to suck out detritus everyday and replace water accordingly followed by a 20% everyweek. did not have a nutrient issue. Chiller on the other hand might pose a small problem. Maybe u can consider one of those ice probes thingy, its relatively small have seen it done the trick. imho i do agree with bro james72, monti seems very much more forgiving compared to the birdnest.

my nitrate still hovering at 5 - 10ppm though.. no idea why. I'll be upgrading soon and theres no way i can have any chiller or ice probe now..

[Evolutionz]

Special thanks to kkk121 for giving me birdnest and monti frags! hopefully they wont die in my hands..

no idea if their polyp are extending..

Monti

They are placed pretty high up in the tank.. added a 300l/hr pump flowing in their direction.

[thomas_lim]

Frag looking quite healthy with polyps extension.

Do note that once the SPS get conditioned, they will start to grow real fast, you will need to trim them regularly.

Once you feel the tank is ready for more.

You can try the slower growing encrusting type of monti, i.e. Superman, rainbow, danae

[Evolutionz]

Frag looking quite healthy with polyps extension.

Do note that once the SPS get conditioned, they will start to grow real fast, you will need to trim them regularly.

Once you feel the tank is ready for more.

You can try the slower growing encrusting type of monti, i.e. Superman, rainbow, danae

Thanks for ur advice bro. im more than happy to trim it oftenly if it grow fast!

I should be upgrading soon in another month or so.. will probably give radioactive, optic fiber SPS and other montis a try.. by then there will be a chiller chilling the tank. I was wondering can i do without a dosing pump and those big bottles of water? i have to manual dose everyday to maintain ca and mg level?

[surreal1228]

Best if u can change water very often. That would be even better than dosing pump.

[james72]

If your sps is striving, your kH & Ca will start to deplete rapidly. Without a dosing pump or a calcium reactor. Its very hard to keep parameters stable unless u keep doing water test and adjust dosage accordingly. If you go on a weekend getaway, what contingency do you have?

[Evolutionz]

Best if u can change water very often. That would be even better than dosing pump.

right now i can change water everyday no problem.. only takes me just a few minutes. if i upgrade i'll probably stick to 10-15% weekly..

[james72]

Yes if u just keep a few small frags then water change will be sufficient. Once reefer starts

Sps and successfully colour it, its like a plague. .....you wont stop......good luck!

[Evolutionz]

Yes if u just keep a few small frags then water change will be sufficient. Once reefer starts

Sps and successfully colour it, its like a plague. .....you wont stop......good luck!

i hope it wont hit me too hard!

Thanks for all ur adivce bros!

[Evolutionz]

Guys, im thinking if my SPS PE is constant, does it means its healthy?

any signs of bleaching? recently added lenses to my LED so its stronger.

[tropic]

Is that stn on the centre frag at the base? Sent from my Android using Tapatalk2

[Evolutionz]

it does seems like from the picture, will have to view it from top when i get back home.. the frag at the back is slowly dieing of as you can see from the picture, but its also slowly extending its polyps this few days.. as for the 2 other frag (espcially the left one) their PE is pretty good.

[james72]

The centre one probably wont make it. Give all the frags good random flow.

[Evolutionz]

The centre one probably wont make it. Give all the frags good random flow.

If you the one at the back (with only 2 branches), yes probably wont make it.

i have a 1000l/hr hof and a 300l/hr power head blowing at different directly, hope its random enough

[tropic]

Try trim the good branch rather than waste it away Sent from my Android using Tapatalk2

[Evolutionz]

Try trim the good branch rather than waste it away Sent from my Android using Tapatalk2

oh that will help? will do so tonight thanks!

[tropic]

Haha..depend. if water parameter good may recover. Sent from my Android using Tapatalk2

[reef garden]

Bro evolutionz,

I happened to come across this thread and find it interesting to read such posts i.e. from a non-sps fanatic to a whole aquarium full of sps, you have really come a long way in the span of a year. It's really wow and impressive. Now you are more than qualified to provide guidance to others on sps.