starting my first sps tank!

hey guys, so I have been keeping corals for a few years now and I have multiple lps tanks, along with the classic softies thrown in and I figured it's time to try out sps. I plan on keeping it simple just for now with some easy hardy corals, monti caps, birdsnest, maybe some Digitata, I was just wondering what are the proper water parameters and temperature I should keep so these corals will be healthy? and are there any supplements that I should be using? and if you have any newbie sps tips I'd appreciate them

thank you!

 

This is an excellent read for water params.
Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

Welcome to 3reef.

Atticus posted one of my favorite links. Consistency is 90% of the battle.

If you have had experience and are seeing good coloration and growth to the LPS, sps should not be too difficult.

What size of tank do you have and lighting please.

 

I actually don't have the tanks set up yet because I wanted to make sure I got the proper facts first, but I plan on having a 30 gallon long display and a 10 gallon frag tank. that was actually a question I forgot to put into my first post. I'm not quite sure what to use for lighting on the 30g long, if you have any suggestions for a fixture that would be great.

as for the frag tank would this be sufficient? Reef Aquarium Lighting & LED Lights: Marineland Reef Capable LED Lighting System

 

Sorry I am clueless when it comes to LED.

But I will bump the thread for you.

A members that has an impressive tank with LED's is Thegrimguy. There are a few more, go to the threads on members tanks and lighting, you will have days of reading ahead of you. LOL

 

haha, okay, thank you very much!

 

Sorry but I dont believe this fixture will be sufficient to keep SPS corals under. You should look at much more intense lighting.

 

I highly recommend LEDs for lighting

However, Not the Marineland Reef Capable! since you have smaller tanks i would look into DIY from Rapidled

 

I'll definitely look into that, thanks

 

IF you do LEDs I would go the custom route. I dont think that you can ever achieve the coloration of MH/VHO combo for one simple reason. 99% of LEDS donthave UV included in their spectrum. Its documented that SPS, especially Acros produce a coloration pigment to protect them from UV light, when UV isnt present these corals usually do not produce this protecting pigmentation. Also UV Leds run about 30-35 bucks a piece, hince why they arent included in the commercially made units. Just my 2 cents