SPS help

[lorenz0]

ok i am new to this whole SPS deal. I tested my water and everything is good and my calcium is at 420-430ppm

how long should my lighting periods be?? could having my lights on for to long be some sort of effect???

but they are being dosed with Pohl's coral vitalizer and a few drops of reef pure concentrated calcium suppliment each night.

so here is the story, i bought this small acro frag 3 weeks ago and it seems like it doing great. has colored up ever since i purchased the new lighting (nova extreme pro) and the monti is doing great as well. now i was told that birds nest is the easiest SPS out there but to me it seems like the polyp extension isn't that much. i did move it lower in my tank but hopefully everything pulls through till sunday cause i am going to pick up more rock so i can mount these frags higher in the tank. my real concern is this new colony that i purchased on sunday. i had it about an inche from a power head and that area of the colony looks like it is bleaching. here are a few pictures please help a fellow sps newbie out :cry:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e69/lorenz000/IMG_0017-2.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e69/lorenz000/IMG_0025-1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e69/lorenz000/IMG_0046-1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e69/lorenz000/IMG_0048.jpg

[michika]

They all look fine.

The white tips on your birdsnest are growth tips! :D

What else do you test for?

[lorenz0]

just ammonia and nitrates. my biggest concern is that white patch on that blue colony in the last picture

[marie]

...

i had it about an inche from a power head and that area of the colony looks like it is bleaching. here are a few pictures please help a fellow sps newbie out :cry: ....



So you had the acro an inch away directly in the powerheads flow? It looks like the tissue is damaged in the area and is sliming up a bit. If the acro was in direct flow you might want to move it away and let it recover. You want good chaotic flow where the polyps move back and forth.

You should also be testing for alkalinity.

[michika]

I don't think I am seeing all the photos. My last photo is the birdsnest, is there something else after it?

[lorenz0]

ya there is 4. last night i moved the power head away. so its not getting any direct flow anymore. but i will pick that test kit up asap (which is sunday). and go from there. what level's should i be looking for with that?

[marie]

you'll want anywheres from 7-10dkh

I like to keep my tanks around 9 dkh

[Ya Dude]

if you are a newbie I wouldnt be concered with any sorts of dosing,just stick to the basics for a few years.theres way to many other important things that come before coral vitalizer drip this drip that . Naa mean