SPS Husbandry and Keeping

[Phang]

Hey Reefers,

Due to recent incoming stocks of these beautiful specimens and the many questions asked about equipment and SPS,..... decided therefore to start these thread regarding SPS Keeping....

This is the place to post information for reference either gathered from other sites or through practical and personal experiences....

Topics included would cover fragging, equipments, difficult species etc...

Would also like to start with some valuable information posted by Robe in another thread...

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For all those contemplating having SPS, (PART 1)

If you want to keep SPS get some experience first by keeping hardier corals like soft and LPS. IF you can keep them and grow them then you have gained enough experience to try SPS. I only kept SPS after two years when tank conditions and equipment enabled me to keep them alive.

You will require the following to keep SPS:

1) Deep pocket - this is a committment and its not cheap, expect $100+ a month for your electrical bill and this is just for a 4 footer, that excludes your additives, investment in good equipment like skimmer, MH lighting, chiller, pumps, calcium reactor and depending on your area an RO system for top-up (old estates with cast iron or steel pipes)

2) Passion, patience and interest to learn- money is not enough you need to have passion to keep you going throgh failures, patience to keep you from overloading your tank on the first month keeping SPS is measured in months not days or weeks, your reward in having a growing and thriving SPS tank is only after spending time that is measured in months to years.

interst to study and learn even when your tank is successful but of course learn before you even take the plunge.

3) Equipment requirements:

Skimmers - big and high throughput skimmers required 3-5 tank turnover per hour (thats measured through the actual water coming out of your skimmer, not you pump. Tunze, Red Sea, Sanders, Macro, those that has foam riser tubes less than 3 inches in diameter are not up to the job. You need big H&S, Euroreef, ETSS, MTC, BIg Turboflotors and other high capacity skimmers.

Lighting - most important equipment w/out which you can forget keeping SPS especially acroporas. Minimum required is at least 150 watts but only if you want them brown and barely growing or unless your tank is only 18 inches deep. For SPS like acroporas, 250 w every 2 feet of tank lenght is recommended (yup 750 watts for a 6 foot). For best growth and some color use 6500K( cheapest), color and growth but may not be as rapid 10000K (most expensive), for coloring up certain acros but little growth (20,000K moderately expensive). For ballast normal magnetic ballast will do the job, spend your money for the other equipment . Electronic ballast only if you're pocket is very deep. Last but not the least change bulbs at least once a year. Lifespan 20000K shortest 8-10 months, 10000K (8-12 months depending on brand), 6500K Iwasakis ( 12 months at least)

Pumps - a yes another expensive piece of equipment. IF your pocket is deep go for Iwaki otherwise settle with the China made pumps but one important requirement for your SPS tank is flow, lots of it. If your coral polyps does not wave then you don't have enough current flow in your tank. For those with really deep pockets then go for the Tunze wavemaker pumps whether it's the older version or the new propeller pumps.

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All reefers with valuable information are encourage to post up tips and what they have learn here for the benefit of others.

Please do keep this thread as a purely information and reference thread....

If you have questions, create new threads with references to here....

Thanks Guys....

[Achilles Tang]

My contribution:

1.SPS require good quality water that is free of high dissolved nutrients. This can only be achieved with good skimming to remove them.

Having nutrient-laden water affects the colouration and they tend to become brown because the zooxanthelia are absorbing the nutrients and are growing to the point of saturation.

2. Good water circulation is important for SPS. Turbulent as possible like surges that push divers left right up down. SPS corals tend to slime a lot and the layer of mucus that is over them can 'choke' them ie. affect light penetration, affect removal of wastes etc.

[newdamsel]

These are real good contributions~! Slurp Slurp, give me more~!

[DragonGoby]

AT and Phang (and any other SPS lao jiao),

No commentary on the required Ca levels, whether additives are needed, and SPS-safe corals and animals?

This guide is turning out good - maybe AT can make it sticky for reference!

Regards,

Hong Yee

[Tanzy]

Calcium levels should be about 450ppm for optimum growth but can be as low as 400 without significant problems. Calcium reactor is a must if you intend to keep SPS, kalk and two parts won't keep up with the growth.

Alkalinity should be high, around 12 dKH or about 4.5 meq/L. Definitely higher than dKH 8. Using Reef builder to bump it up will be a good idea. Once it's high enough, a well tuned calcium reactor will help maintain it.

pH should be taken care of with high alkalinity. About pH 8.3 is optimum.

Additives? Non really except those for alk and calcium. Strontium, magnesium and trace will be available from the calcium reactor in roughly the correct proportions.

[Joe_P]

Really good information to leave behind....

Pls add on........

[alois]

Alkalinity should be high, around 12 dKH or about 4.5 meq/L

feedback from hobbyist in germany has shown that KH that high could cause RTN.

Why have it that high when the ocean is ony 2.5 meg/l.

[FuEl]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

[AquaRa]

can t5s do the jo, my tank is only 2 feet high.

[stevenkoh08]

anyone pro here in keeping sps pls input it a good thing to share

for me i'll be going for sps tank so need to learn more as well

[moron_clown]

can t5s do the jo, my tank is only 2 feet high.

Yes t5s can do the job, but go for the higher end fixtures. the cheaper retrofits tend to have cheap reflectors that corrodes. go for fixtures that are cooled too. cooling plus good reflectors can give you more than 20% more par.

I'm running 1 X ATI sunpower 39wX6(5 hrs) + 39W X 4 T5 retrofit.(8 hrs)

can keep sps on the sandbed

[cedricang]

Yes t5s can do the job, but go for the higher end fixtures. the cheaper retrofits tend to have cheap reflectors that corrodes. go for fixtures that are cooled too. cooling plus good reflectors can give you more than 20% more par.

I'm running 1 X ATI sunpower 39wX6(5 hrs) + 39W X 4 T5 retrofit.(8 hrs)

can keep sps on the sandbed

Yup agree with Maron_clown comment on lightings...T5 is good enough for sps. But just that it lasks the shimmering pencil like effect

Steven, you should pay a visit to Maron_clown's sps tank, one of the nicest sps tank in town !

[sherman]

Alkalinity should be high, around 12 dKH or about 4.5 meq/L

feedback from hobbyist in germany has shown that KH that high could cause RTN.

Why have it that high when the ocean is ony 2.5 meg/l.

So what level should alkalinity be? high at 12 or low at 8?

[thairun]

So what level should alkalinity be? high at 12 or low at 8?

This article will help

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-...pe-success.html

Please read as general guidline of SPS husbandary and keeping.

Happy reefing!

[sherman]

Thank You Thairun .Good info

[zorden]

Thanks thairun. i have bookmark it.. hope to see your sps grows.. so i can frag frag frag

[FuEl]

SPS should be fed, not starved.

http://glassbox-design.com/2010/stylophora-eating-artemia-nauplii/

[Harlequinmania]

SPS should be fed, not starved.

http://glassbox-desi...rtemia-nauplii/

Very interesting video, didnt know as well SPS feed like this. I embed the video here for ease of viewing.

[reef garden]

So daunting!

[honkit]

Such an old thread!

Not as daunting as you think.

[say1606]

nice shots, very interesting video !!!

[gambitz]

wow learned a lot on this trend...thanks

[evomclaren]

Great thread!

[ASHWIN]

Calcium levels should be about 450ppm for optimum growth but can be as low as 400 without significant problems. Calcium reactor is a must if you intend to keep SPS, kalk and two parts won't keep up with the growth.how much reef builder to add?

Alkalinity should be high, around 12 dKH or about 4.5 meq/L. Definitely higher than dKH 8. Using Reef builder to bump it up will be a good idea. Once it's high enough, a well tuned calcium reactor will help maintain it.

pH should be taken care of with high alkalinity. About pH 8.3 is optimum.

Additives? Non really except those for alk and calcium. Strontium, magnesium and trace will be available from the calcium reactor in roughly the correct proportions.

[christan1959]

Is it possible to keep SPS w/o automated dosing, without testing, but with 15% fortnightly water change?