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Should I give SPS a try?

Z

zucker26

I set up my 29gal about 5 months ago with the intention of sticking to simple corals because this is my first real serious attempt at a reef. I started with some shrooms, zoos, and softies to see how well I can maintain a tank before I moved to more difficult species. I'm running 150W HQI + 2x65W actinic PCs, 10gal sump, top-off with kalk solution, phosban reactor, and a skimmer that's designed for a MUCH larger system (bought it used, got a deal I couldn't pass up). As for water, I just buy my RO/DI and pre-mixed saltwater from Tropiquarium.

Well, the shrooms and zoos seem to be doing fine, but my tree coral frags just aren't growing and don't seem to be flourishing. Every time I test, I come up with zero nitrates, nitrites, and phosphates. Ca=400-460, dKh=8-9, and temp=78-82. I feed Formula One and Two every other day, and marine snow once a week.

Is it possible that my water is too "clean" for softies? I'd love to throw a small SPS frag in and see how it does, but I don't want to spend a lot of money and then find out I'm wrong. Any suggestions?
 
Z

zucker26

So if I want to start with a small monti cap, where would you suggest I look? Tropiquarium has some very nice frags, but they are definitely out of my price range for something that'*****-or-miss.
 
S

sinkingbeach

zucker26 said:
So if I want to start with a small monti cap, where would you suggest I look? Tropiquarium has some very nice frags, but they are definitely out of my price range for something that'*****-or-miss.
Click to expand...

Someone in this club living close to you must have a decent frag of Orange Cap ;) just put the feelers out.
 
mikem

mikem

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
If you ever want to take a ride to Middletown, I have some different easy frags to give you.
 
D

DaveK

zucker26 said:
I set up my 29gal ...

Well, the shrooms and zoos seem to be doing fine, but my tree coral frags just aren't growing and don't seem to be flourishing. ...
Click to expand...

Not to put too fine a point on it, but you are having problems with some corals that are considered easy to not too difficult. Until you resolve these problems, and can keep soft corals, I recommend you avoid SPS corals. Most of them require just about perfect water conditions.

Try a few leather corals and such before you mess with SPS corals. You can always trade them in or give them away later.

There is no point in creating a tank of very dead corals.
 
Z

zucker26

DaveK, I completely agree. That's why I wanted to start with softies to begin with. However, my water quality, to the best of my knowledge, is right where it needs to be. The only explanation I can come up with for why these easy soft corals aren't flourishing is that there isn't enough nutrients in the water column. If that's the case, then accordingly, SPS should be able to do pretty good in my tank. I figure there's no harm in trying a small aquacultured frag and seeing how it does. If it dies, then I know I'm wrong and I start over. If it does well, then I know I'm on the right track and I can start trying more SPS.
 
K

KillaGoby

I was never a fan of leathers in a tank w/ SPS's or LPS's. Both species tend to compete in chemical warfare in a tank that small. I am a fan of keeping LPS's though. I tried SPS's in my old 29 gallon, but they were too demanding for me. You will need a lot of randomized flow and great water conditions. Tempature swings can cause their demise too. If you want to, go for it. Try to pick up some frags at a swap or from members. See how they do. The other option are LPS's. Personally, I prefer the LPS's. I set up my new system to run to support them. I feel if you start mixing and matching leathers, SPS's, and LPS's in a tank that small one of the species will flourish, while the others will not do so well. The system is just too small to give each what they need. Good luck!
 
D

DaveK

zucker26 said:
... The only explanation I can come up with for why these easy soft corals aren't flourishing is that there isn't enough nutrients in the water column. ...
Click to expand...

I'd be really surprised if that were the case, but you could try a SPS frag.

I do agree with KillGoby on putting leathers in an SPS tank.
 
Z

zucker26

Like DaveK, I also find it hard to believe that a rookie with a 4 month old tank has water that's too "clean" for softies (even if I am awesome at everything I try :p). A week ago I took my glass canopy off because with winter I'm not as concerned about heat, and I wouldn't mind using some of the heat from the MH to help heat the tank during the day. Last night I did some investigating and I'm starting to understand my problem a bit more.

I checked my tank before I went to bed after the lights had been off for a few hours, and my kenya tree was fully open and at least twice the size it was when I bought it a month ago. When the MH and PC's are on, it always looks half open, or just closed up completely. As for the other two tree corals, after I took the glass canopy off and moved them up higher in the tank, they started looking considerably better. Unfortunately, my kenya is already on the sand, off the side where the light is less intense, so I think I just have to give it a few weeks to accomodate to the MH.

Either way, all the softies are definitely growing at a decent rate, I just need to get my kenya to start opening up fully during the day. So nevermind with the SPS! :p
 
M

mladencovic

Where are you located? I have plenty of small frags of very hardy SPS (various species of Montipora) that you can try with. With Kenya trees, the problem might not be the water and light quality. As a matter of fact theyare much more affected by tnkmates then rest of parameters. Being placed in the path of very strong flow, fish swimming fast by it, hermit crab climbing among the branchs to extract piece of food caught among them, snails and stars brushing past them, can all induce reflex reaction of coral deflating.
 
Z

zucker26

I'm in Spring Lake (pkwy exit 98), but I work in Forked River (Pkwy exit 74). If you're nearby, I just might take you up on the offer!
 
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