View Full Version : SPS help
Matthew5664
31-07-06, 12:13
I have recently been getting geared up to branch out into SPS corals, upgraded the flow, lighting and got a bigger skimmer. My question is what do I start with? I love the look of the Stylophora, but would of thought it would be better to start with something like a Acropora??
I reckon Poccillopra are by far the hardiest of the SPS corals. In fact, with a bit of luck they will spread throughout your system due to polyp bailout. That said, you will still need to maintain water quality suitable to SPS corals, calcium, alk etc.
Go for aquacultured; reefworks and fishmanfrags sell some good sps
You could try montipora digitata they supposed to be an easy SPS.
As above, I would be buy frags and a selection of acropora, montipora etc and that way your initial outlay is not going to be that great compared to buying coloinies from LFS. Plus they are probably going to be hardier. At my LFS prices you will be able to buy just under 3 frags for the same price as a SPS colony. Although you will need weight up postage vs petrol.
If your frags are growing without any problems, then this should encourage you to buy the more expensive LFS colonies, which could be more delicate.
Dave
I tend to disagree. A frag now retails at about £15-£17 depending on which sponser you buy from and the quality. A full colony can be picked up for £30-£40, which is only two frags of the high end price. I know people have to make money, but it wasn't so long ago frags were around the £10 mark.
I've never seen a decent colony yet in a lfs - they all seem to have areas that are bleached, receding or covered in algae and are universally brown. I'm sure as well they are more likely to come with unwanted pests such as flatworms or red bugs than those from a frag farm.
I've recently just started out in sps corals and bought about 8 different frags from an online supplier. The colours weren't as vivid as described on the website but they are growing quite well. I've mainly stuck to montiporas due to the reputation of acroporas being more finicky about water quality then some of the other species.
I tend to disagree. A frag now retails at about £15-£17 depending on which sponser you buy from and the quality. A full colony can be picked up for £30-£40, which is only two frags of the high end price. I know people have to make money, but it wasn't so long ago frags were around the £10 mark.
In my LFS SPS are £39.95 +
I have no sponsers nearby!
Dave
but it wasn't so long ago frags were around the £10 mark
SPS frags for sale in my thread in livestock section for tenner each.:p
MarineManMercer
31-07-06, 20:49
Best person to give really good advice on this is Clayton Smith from reefworks.Im using two 150watt blv 20k and two marine white and found i can keep a great variety of sps although i started with the green acropora and now that i have a pretty good balance with magnesium,calcium and alk levels in my tank i have seen very good growths including my seriatopora histrix.
Remember - don't underestimate the amount of calcium that SPS require.
Either prepare to spend money on expensive shop additives or make your own from Labpak chemicals. Alternatively invest in a calcium reactor and or kalk stirrer.
Remember to test ALK regularly!
I learnt this the hard way after losing a few frags!
Matthew5664
31-07-06, 23:03
Made up a 3 part additive from CaCl, NaHCO3 and MgSO4 for the Mag part. Got the Chems from a Chemical Wholesaler Avcardo Chemicals. Have been testing once a week for my LPS and KEp the CA in at 400ppm and the ALK at 130ppm CaCO3
Montiporas are hardier as a rule, stylophora's (pistillata) is also very hardy, there are some species of Acropora that are incredibly hardy, others very difficult.
Frags and colonies that have been cultivated in aquaria or closed farming systems are hardier than wild collected or sea farmed species (don't mean to self-promote but it is true).
For their variety and hardiness I would recomend branching montiporas to begin with.
hth
Made up a 3 part additive from CaCl, NaHCO3 and MgSO4 for the Mag part. Got the Chems from a Chemical Wholesaler Avcardo Chemicals. Have been testing once a week for my LPS and KEp the CA in at 400ppm and the ALK at 130ppm CaCO3
Looks like your chemistry will be screwed up before long alright for a short term fix but not the formula to run a serious tank on.
I only say this so that someone else won't readi it as the correct way.
Regards Jez
Matthew5664
15-08-06, 14:44
I use this to top up my Red Sea salt because the Ca and Alk are low. I am going to move over to Reef Crystals or Tropic Marin.
In reply to Jez, I know youve said this a few times and I dont want to sound arguementative but if you use randy's formula - here
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
then all the major elements stay in balance, the salinity rises slightly over time but this can be sorted with your water changes.
I looked into this and there are numerous large US sps tanks that are using randys's formula for many years and are having good success.
Matthew5664
15-08-06, 15:02
Thats the one I used have to convert it all to Liters from USG but all remains the same. Think its on the reefvideos web site as well
Thats the one I used have to convert it all to Liters from USG but all remains the same. Think its on the reefvideos web site as well
Does the chemical company you get your stuff from do mail order? im after some bulk chemicals myself
Hi
I am aware of the |RHF formula and probably feel it will as I said in the short term do the job and I have used similar and some more involved formulations over the years myself. I am a bib fan of Balling method
The real issue at least with a serious SPS tank is that beginers looking at that formulation as an additive panacea. I do not feel it provides anything but the most basic of calcium and alk formulations. For every gram of calcium depositied as skeletal matter by sps many other elements are need for health and growth. Yes these are not as simply quantified as calcium but this is my main reason for not being a great fan of RHF calcium formulas it reduces everything down to corner shop chemistry if it was that easy life would be a lot simpler.
I say this without having had the time to look at the labpak chemicals. The RHF formula is dependent on US grocery store additives and presumed purities and molar wieghts etc. I would rather see one of the chemist who frequent this board offer up a hard science forumlation based one on UK chemicals.
Besides the basic formulation all these two part variants good as may be presume adequete CO2 in the aquarium. This is dependent on many factors not excluding the heavy use these days of algae scrubbers in sumps, CO2 may well prove the limiting factor in attempts to achieve high growth, high colour SPS tanks.
YMMV
Regards Jez
Gav Cornwall
15-08-06, 21:38
Yes these are not as simply quantified as calcium but this is my main reason for not being a great fan of RHF calcium formulas it reduces everything down to corner shop chemistry if it was that easy life would be a lot simpler.
I do see your point, however the RFH formula is not a huge jump from adding limewater, you just have to be sure you are adding the correct amount of chemicals to keep a balance between the chlroide and sodium.
For every gram of calcium depositied as skeletal matter by sps many other elements are need for health and growth.
Such as ? and aren't these elements taking from the water whether we like it or not (regardless of the method of adding calcium and alkalinity), all we can do is replace them via dosing trace elements and doing water changes. (or am i missing something here :P)
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