Requirements for SPS???

sps is very easy to keep actually. It's getting the tank ready for them that's hard lol. The real answer is that it depends on the specific coral. There are differences in requirements between different sps. The big keys are very clean water, good lighting, big random flow, and stability of your parameters.

It's not too hard to get the tank to the point where you can keep sps and get them growing. It's quite a bit harder to get them to color up properly.

Don't worry about too much flow. More is better. you want a lot and you want it as random as you can get it. I'm runing 2 Vortech MP40's and a Maxijet 1200 in addition to the return flow in a 90 gallong. The vortechs are both nearly maxxed out. The MP40's push about 3,000gph so I have a good bit of flow going.

Stability of your parameters is key, especially alk. If you have alk swings, even small ones, your sps won't like it very much. I'm running a CA reactor and auto topoff unit for stability. Personally I wouldn't buy anything other than a Geo CA reactor. Their design is better than any other I've seen. That has stabilized my alk, ca, mag, ph, and other params I can't even measure. I add kalk to my topoff water in addition to running the CA reactor. kalk won't do much to boost your ca but it will help stabilize alk and ph.

You'll want nitrates and phosphates at 0 or as close as you can get it. I like deep sand beds for nitrate control and I run rowaphos and carbon constantly to keep p04 at 0. I change the rowaphos every 3 weeks. Any trace of nitrates and po4 and you'll start losing colors and start seeing issues with slow growth and recession.

Did I mention stable alk? That's one of the most important things. Took me a while to get everything in balance with alk, ca, mag, and other params. I was able to keep sps and get growth but until I got my alk stable I wasn't getting much color out of them.

Keeping sps may be the most expensive option for a reef tank. Whenever I've skimped on the price I didn't get as good results.

Having a good protein skimmer helps a lot too. Upgrading to an Alpha 250 was one of the best things I did. My water became much cleaner and my corals really showed a difference.

Did I mention stable alk?

 

lolz how can you guys not blow sand up with 102X flow... In my 55, once I turn my 1250gph power head on, the sand is all over the tank in a few seconds no matter where the powerhead is pointing at...

 

What a great thread. You guys gave some good info. I've only had my tank for 8 months and only recently about two weeks ago I got some zoas and green star polyps to get into the whole coral thing.

 

I ordered 3x1400 so would i want all three of them or just use two or slowly make my way into three??

 

Alright, here it is! 70 gal reef by the way!!

1 month ago

PH 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .25
KH 6
Calcium 400

12-2-10

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .25
KH 6
Calcium 360

12-8-10

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .25
KH 9
Calcium 400
Salinity 1.024

Yesterday

PH 8.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .20
KH 8
Calcium 460
Salinity 1.024

The kalkwasser really worked!! The phosphate's are going down slowly with PhosGuard that i put in there two days ago. I am probably going put The Kent Marine Buffer in there so i can get the KH up. The SPS's are coming Tuesday so i my trying to prepare quickly! I got three more power heads , both 1400 evolution. I did a water change Monday so the water should be in ship shape. What do you think? Any suggestions are will be great!!

 

Well lets say I use instant ocean reef crystals which I do and I only have, say 2 SPS corals and keep my salinity at 1.026. The salt packaging says that keeping it like at 1.025 with RO/DI water can give right ph, magnesium, and calcium. Would I be ok for a few months with that only and water changes?

 

BTW: I got an RO/DI Searchem today for Christmas!!

 

Well, i am not very educated with reef crystals but i would say that you would be fine with only water changes. If you have a test kit, i would use it once a week or more so nothing gets too far out of your hands.

 

well yeah I'm aware of that; that's good because I was getting a little worried with dosing and whatnot; thanks!

 

Alright, here it is! 70 gal reef by the way!!

11-2-10

PH 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .25
KH 6
Calcium 400

12-2-10

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .25
KH 6
Calcium 360

12-8-10

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .25
KH 9
Calcium 400
Salinity 1.024

12-24-10

PH 8.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .20
KH 8
Calcium 460
Salinity 1.024

Today

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .15
KH 6
Calcium 420
Salinity 1.024

I am going to dose with Kent Marine Super Buffer dkh dailey till I get my KH up to 10 or 11. I got my SPS corals last month and havent really done anything cause the phosphates being so high but now that i have my GFO Reactor they should start growing again and coloring up! Any suggestions or comments are appreciated!!