Getting Ready for SPS...need some advice

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#1
I have 2 weeks before RAP and I would like to get one or two pieces of SPS. Right now I have had success with zoas, LPS, clams and nems.

I don't want to spend money on something I am going to kill...anything I can do to get the tank ready to go? Will I need to start dosing 2 part right away? Should I put Kalkwasser in my top off water? What's the best way to start at first?
 
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#2
Test every day and figure out your dosing regimen. Make sure your phosphates and nitrates are low/nonexistent. Change your bulbs if they're old. Plan and calendar your maintenance routine.

I'm new to SPS but this is working for me so far. Oh, also, ask tons of questions. (this thread is a great first step)
 
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#3
Test every day and figure out your dosing regimen. Make sure your phosphates and nitrates are low/nonexistent. Change your bulbs if they're old. Plan and calendar your maintenance routine.
I will start the testing tomorrow (Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphates, Nitrates, Alkalinity)

I should probably give a couple other specifics:

* I have two BRS dosing pumps but I have not needed to dose with them
* I am running a good skimmer
* I am running a 6 bulb T5 fixture with good bulbs
 

Six2seven

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#4
Always test before you dose. If you need to adjust something do it slowly. Stable numbers are more important than the actual numbers. What type of lighting do you have?
 

lowbudget

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#6
If you add a piece or 2 frags I won't worry too much about it sucking all your ca alk mg. it's when you get a lot an start growing. I an't no expert but. Clean water stable conditions. Alk is most important don't get over your head about ca has to be over 400 alk at 8. Mg 1350. Ask vendor selling the corals. Is it a high or low light. Flow medium high. Also when brin in new frags start from the bottom of te tank and move up. Let it adjust to your lite. There is alot more but I let others chime in. Also not one way is better then the other cause there is more then one way to skin a cat
 

wickedfish

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#7
I think the main thing is you need to test to know where your tank is at (alk, calcium and magnesium) after a water
Change, and during the week before the next one.

Why is this important? Because small polyp stony coral like balance and keeping levels tight equals that balance. One of the main factors will be alkalinity to be maintained daily at the same dkh. It will fluctuate slightly at night versus day that is normal.

What you can't do is do a WC and have 9.5 alk and then towards the end it's 7.0. That will cause issues with Sps and even death or almost worse an Sps that just looks nothing like the day the guy who took care of it, sold it to you.

Calcium follows alk or the other way around. Either way you should keep that also steady. This is if you need too to keep and maintain alkalinity or calcium:
Start with say 2 or 3 ml per day of alk juice (soda ash or whatever else part you use and the calcium chloride) equal parts. You will have to test every day and log it if you want to set up a proper dosing regimen.

What you want is to keep it exactly the same for the rest of the existence of your tank. You may find your tank likes to be at 7.5 alk and the levels are all perfect like 420 calcium and 1380 magnesium and 1.026 salinity. Or it may be higher on alk.

Find your simple center and lock it up. If you do 20 gallons every two weeks don't change that ever if you can. The tank likes to be left almost alone.

I've heard this at least 6 times this year by different people, "my tank that I don't touch is the one that is the nicest" or "I went on vacation and my tank looks the best it has."
 

Raymond

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#8
I had my tank for 8 mos. one thing I've learned with sps of the course. And talked to a lot expert( I would say) after losing thousands and thousands thru experience. High parameters is a must.
I'm running my tank at 1.027 sanilinity
Alk bet 10-12, mag 1350-1400, calcium at 450-500. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1349588675.044786.jpg [
Here is a closer look of sps before and after in 2 mos period.
Before ImageUploadedByTapatalk1349588843.138833.jpg
After ImageUploadedByTapatalk1349588865.838875.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1349588934.755253.jpg
 

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wickedfish

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#9
That looks great Ray especially for how volatile maricultured pieces can be.

I was about high levels to an old reefer today and he was like, (looked at me nuts) and said, " in the ocean alk doesn't get that high." all I could say is you're right. Then I said Tyree is doing it so it can't be too bad.
 

wickedfish

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#10
Also noticed you didn't cut the bases of those rock of the coral. You don't worry about what they make that with and eggs and what not?
 
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#11
Just make sure u have stable parameters. SPS can thrive in water with high alk, low alk (7), medium alk....just as long as its stable. Test for the next two weeks if everything is stable, then go ahead and get some SPS


Sent from my iPhone
 

wickedfish

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#12
For Shizel My Schnitzel, I know Big head Mike keeps his alkalinity in the 7's and you can see that even using Instant Ocean that is 9 alk he achieves balance. (I gotta go to his house when his Dad does the WC to see what the secrets are for my thread.) teeheeheee.
 

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