SPS and PC's

I also tried a LTA out but if refused to attach so he went to a new home and i did some surgurey to my big BTA and got the little one you see in the pic. (this is about a week after the procedure)....here's the rest...

 

BTW the mushroom rock next to the big green shroom is about 4" across for size reference.

 

Well, I have had personal experience with sps under pc. I would stick with montipora under pc, they seem to do best. But shrooms usually don't like current and light that sps require, so I would not be so sure that you wouldn't want to get more flow in the tank. Plus sps like a cleaner environment than shrooms, so I would assume your nutrient level "MAY" be too high for sps. But besides that, try some digitata and some capricornis, and I am sure you will be suprised at how well they do under pc.

-Mac

 

cool...i wish i could get my rose bta to get the bubble tips....i know i know...it dont mean its unhappy but i like the look of them...does ur large one still have them?

 

Not to be an A** but perhaps we could start a new thread.
SeA_SpLeNdEr I know this is your thread but the subject is SPS with PCs. and Star polyps, RBTAs and Gobies are neither SPS or PCs.
Great pics but I would start a new thread so that others can enjoy them.

J

 

I've had the 5 gal (minus the volume consumed by the 4 lbs of lr and 4"of ls) under 26 watts of pc for some time now (before i got the shrooms) and by tank depth/ watts per gallon its getting major lighting already. The shrooms i have seem to perfer higher light....especially the green monstersvalthough the less colorfull shrooms seem to like low light. I am looking for the capricornis in some desirable color....particularly the green morph with red polyps. I also already have 2 PH's on an occilator so the currents have been high scine the tank began. I agree with the M but i also want an acro. The conditions are set for high alternating current and intense light. The last additions will be going in soon....definatley a digita as you suggested and an M. cap. You hit my first 2 selections dead on.

 

Here is the only problem I see. You keep mentioning watts/gallon which is COMPLETELY irrelivent. If watts per gallon was an accurate way to measure light intensity then I should not have been able to grow anything in my 180 when I was running 3-250W DE bulbs with 4-39W T5's. In my 180 I was only running 5.03 wpg. Now in your tank you are running 5.2, you have nowhere near the light I was running.

I can assure you that most acros need more light, more flow and better water quality than you can provide at this current time. Plus, I did not see mention on an auto top off (and in 5g, salinity fluctuations happen quickly) or dosing of calcium or alk chemicals that would be required. Now you may have 2 power heads, but what kind are they? What is the flow rate? I was running 2 powerheads in my 180 (actually not powerheads but Tunze streams) that put out over 3000 gph each, plus my main return of 1400gph. At over 7400 gph in my 180 or 41 turn overs per hour, I still did not have enough flow and was planning on adding another 10,000 gph. Thankfully, I came to my senses and realized the tank was not economical at all and tore it down.

Plus most sps don't like the "jet flow" that most power heads produced. You want the polyps to move in the current and if you blast it with a powerhead, sometimes the flesh will fall right off. Now if you use something like a Tunze or a SEIO, where they have high volume but low velocity, you would be much better off.

HTH,
-Mac

 

Thats the info I was looking for. Thanks Mac...now how much are those Tunze's? I keep adding powerheads to acheive maximum bot endup blasting the hell out of everything. These Tunze's have larger exaust ports I take it.

Jay

 

That is correct. They produce a wide stream flow in high volumes. Now Tunze's are VERY expensive. I paid like $800 for two of them with the multi controller. You can get the SEIO pumps and they range from 620-1500 gph. Depending on your tank size will depend which to get. I plan on getting two 1100 gph for my 54 corner tank. Or may be two 820's. SEIO pumps are more affordable, under $70 for the 1500gph unit and there is talk of a controller coming out for them.

-Mac

 

[quote author=MacnReef link=board=Coral;num=1105587738;start=15#16 date=01/24/05 at 08:31:41]Here is the only problem I see.  You keep mentioning watts/gallon which is COMPLETELY irrelivent.  If watts per gallon was an accurate way to measure light intensity then I should not have been able to grow anything in my 180 when I was running 3-250W DE bulbs with 4-39W T5's.  In my 180 I was only running 5.03 wpg.  Now in your tank you are running 5.2, you have nowhere near the light I was running.

I can assure you that most acros need more light, more flow and better water quality than you can provide at this current time.  Plus, I did not see mention on an auto top off (and in 5g, salinity fluctuations happen quickly) or dosing of calcium or alk chemicals that would be required.  Now you may have 2 power heads, but what kind are they?  What is the flow rate?  I was running 2 powerheads in my 180 (actually not powerheads but Tunze streams) that put out over 3000 gph each, plus my main return of 1400gph.  At over 7400 gph in my 180 or 41 turn overs per hour, I still did not have enough flow and was planning on adding another 10,000 gph.  Thankfully, I came to my senses and realized the tank was not economical at all and tore it down.

Plus most sps don't like the "jet flow" that most power heads produced.  You want the polyps to move in the current and if you blast it with a powerhead, sometimes the flesh will fall right off.  Now if you use something like a Tunze or a SEIO, where they have high volume but low velocity, you would be much better off.

HTH,
-Mac[/quote]
THe depth at which my corals WILL be sitting is about 3".....it is quite laughable that would asay watts per gal is irrelevant. It is completltey relavant but you must also factor in depth. My phs have wide angle nozzle instead of a .4" hole to create a "JET". I will not be drawn into a battle.  WAtts per gallon is relavant when depth and distance from the source is factored in. Ive been working with corals scince i was about 6........I am looking for personal experience on the subjcct of keeping sps under pcs....I have all the water flow and light issues covered and just wanted 2nd and 3rd opinions. I usded boyant fishing line to find dead spots and overkiill spots of current in the tank and adjusted my phs as necessary to get good flow. I can control the salinity in my tank alot better than most will ever do in a large tank, the top is sealed and i do weekly water changes....Im not tyring to be arregant but am still sore at u macn for things youve said to me and i guess reading your "problems" with my system made me a bit flustered. SO heres what i have in detail to be clear:
 2 PH's (used for the reptirapids waterfall by zoomed) set at about 15 GPH each with dispertion nozzels to avoid a whirl pool or concentrated stream, They each are on for 3mins in random order. One high one low. They cost about $8 for me so if they go out no biggie i buy new ones. I tried a kalk drip and is just to small of a system to get consistancy as i get very very little evaporation. So i dose .5 ML of calcium everyother day and stontium every eight along with a 1/2 recomended dosage of iodine (proportionally). My Ca levels have been at about 460 for 2 months and i underdose on iodine and stontium so i test for that bimonthly, CA tests with every water change (weekly). I feed the clown fish everyother day with 2 large flakes (one brine and one prime reef formula of Ocean nutrition) and a tiny pice of frozen food (been working on a cube for just under 2 weeks). The yashia goby sifts for pods and thus there is no added food for him, he is to be sustained by the microfauna alone so he adds little to no stress on water quality + he is 2 years old and barley over an 1". My LR runs top to bottom into a 4" sand bed of 1 part black beauty and 3 parts LS. Theres also an additonal mechanical filter  (duetto 50) to remove any particulates that may bother the polyps of the corals, i wraped the blue sponge with a sub-micron filter floss. Nitrates are nill to 10 for over 4 months and Ph/alk/dkh are all in check. The only problem i have is cleaning, I need to get suction clips to hold the PH cables to the wall as they are easily disloged by me. Im sure ill run into heat issues if i dont get My iceprobe hooked up by spring. i see what you mean by the watt/gal....but i factor in that + depth combined with the surface area the light is reaching. The way my light is angled the top is very brightly illuminated and the botom get less. I had to alter my post as i got a bit snippy.....okay i was irate that you posted Macn after what you said to me, but cooled off and have since moved on. K im breathing again.... . Ne who, so that is my ocd micro-reef ina nutshell.