SPS Necessities?

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Bubbaboy

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Ok so I want to start SPS corals and want to know if I will have any problems trying to do so. Here us my system info.. 40 gallon with 15 gallon refugium/sump. Swc 120 cone skimmer. 4x39watt t5's w/ind reflectors, and at highest point in tank corals can be about 8" to lights. I can move pumps to blow on corals. Rio 1700 return pump with 4 1/2 hea Height. Extra flow pump with about 6-700 gph. I am good about Dosing weekly with ca, mag, iodine, strontium. Water perameters are salinity 1.024, ca 460, nitrite 0, nitrate 0-5, phos 0-.2ish, ammonia 0, ph 8.2ish.
Also I will get tests for mag and strotium. Is there other test/chems I should get?

Also what are the biggest things I need to do or have control of to keep SPS?
Thanks

Btw, I can successfully keep other Lps softiet ect. I have xenias, anemone, acans ect.
 
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Reefer08

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Sps hate flucuations and swings in parameters. SPS do best in an established tank that is very stable. Your lighting and filtration are good. Just keep your alkalinity and calcium as stable as you can and you'll be fine. Eventually invest into something automated such as a 2 part doser or calcium reactor once you have a lot of sps.
 
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Bubbaboy

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Ok thanks and I tested alkalinity and I got 12. I know I need to be around 7-8. So what are methods to bring alk. Down?
 
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Reefer08

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A water change would do it if you use a salt with a lower alk level. Whats your calcium at? If calcium/alkalinity are in balance then personally I'd just leave the tank alone and let it come down on its own.
 
5ft24

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Alk should be more like 9 to 9.5, and phosphates should be 0. Get a phosphate reactor with GFO to get rid of them.
 
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Bubbaboy

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5ft24 said:
Alk should be more like 9 to 9.5, and phosphates should be 0. Get a phosphate reactor with GFO to get rid of them.
Click to expand...
I already have a reactor with ecobak in it. But I just put in Sunday. Should I wait to see if it reduces before I add sps?
 
DETANE

DETANE

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Sps like money. The more money the better. I day money because you need to invest into your system. As mentioned above sps like steady living and so we need to make sure equipment is up to part.

Tru temp titanium heaters by Jbj with controller. Very reliable and keep temps steady.
A good skimmer is need to maintain great water quality.
Good salt mix like H2ocean from d&d, or tropic marine.
Test kits to test mg, ca, alk, nitrate, phosphates, anything you may be dosing to your tank.
A dosing unit will make dosing life easy.
Good lighting par (t5,mh,led,plasma, sunlight)
A controller will be a bonus because it makes life easier on you visually checking your tank perameters.
Lots of "Variable" flow, and lots of "Variable" flow.
A bottle of Revive so you can dip new coral before introducing them into your tank.
Also feed your Coral, use phyto,rotti,etc.
And the most important thing is good husbandry, maintanance.
 
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Bubbaboy

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Water changed yesterday and added carbon (forgot to add again since I stopped treating for ich). Here the test results from morning test.
Ca- 440
Phos- 0
Nitrate/ite-0
Ph- 8.1 (adding 8.3 buffer daily for 3 days.)
Ammon- 0-.1
Alkanlinty-13
Any other methods to reducing alkalinity? I added carbon yesterday so maybe it needs a day to start reducing alkalinity? Also will a alkalinity and calcium 2 part doser help maintain alkalinity? What are good Dosing pumps?
 
rayray

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DETANE said:
Sps like money. The more money the better.
Click to expand...
LOL, so true. $100/week is a nice start. They also like TIME, because you will be devoting all your extra time to testing, dosing, maintenance, upgrading, worrying...trolling forums...
 
MikeGilliland

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Where I get my water, the alk is said to be at 7-8. So when my alk was high from doing the exact same thing u are doing, ( I had no idea Ph buffer raises alk) I did a couple mass water changes, tested, and then dosed accordingly. I no longer use Ph buffer I just use two little fishies 2 part calc and dose once a week. My Ph maintains at 8.2 and alk maintains at 9.3-9.6. I'm getting awesome growth in my tank.
 
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Bubbaboy

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MikeGilliland said:
Where I get my water, the alk is said to be at 7-8. So when my alk was high from doing the exact same thing u are doing, ( I had no idea Ph buffer raises alk) I did a couple mass water changes, tested, and then dosed accordingly. I no longer use Ph buffer I just use two little fishies 2 part calc and dose once a week. My Ph maintains at 8.2 and alk maintains at 9.3-9.6. I'm getting awesome growth in my tank.
Click to expand...
Your 2 part doser is calcium and what? And I'll stop buffing now. And so now that I stop buffing should I use the 2 part doser for calcium. And how Do the Dosing pumps work? You set it to turn on and hour a day or something?
 
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rayray

rayray

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check out bulkreefsupply.com

check out this website bulkreefsupply.com the tutorial spells it out beautifully.

you may get away with b-ionic or kalkwasser in your top off and water changes with a good reef salt.

with 2 part dosing the pumps costs $$$. cheap $100 pumps wear out in a few months, so I would suggest a spectrapure or profilux pump, these run $300+ to start. most dosing pumps are peristaltic pumps that you attach to a timer. depending on your baseline levels and the concentration of what youre going to add, you estimate a total number of minutes (total number of ml) and then re test after like 2days.

large SPS tanks commonly have Ca reactors and kalkwasser reactors, and still have to dose 2 part on top of that. So if you buy pumps or reactors get the largest ones you can afford.

dont forget the measure and supplement magnesium as well
 
MikeGilliland

MikeGilliland

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http://www.marinedepot.com/Two_Little_Fishies_C_Balance_Two_Part_Calcium_Alkalinity_Additives_Supplements-Two_Little_Fishies-TL1191-FIADTP-vi.html
I tested for three weeks and noticed that I always needed to replenish the same amount so now I just dose that once a week.
 
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