ready for SPS...or am I?

ickmagnet · #1 12-19-2010, 04:33 AM

So, my new pump for my calcium reactor should be in a few days. I have my pH controller all ready to go. I returned to RODI use as of about a month ago. I plan on running a mixed reef tank and wanted to add a few SPS pieces to compliment my soft coral tank.

I heard that there are some hard and soft corals that do not get along. Does anyone have a list of any particularly mean soft corals that may kill off my SPS? I do have a devil's hand and I heard that one might be a bad one. If this is a badone, I guess I have a Devil's Hand for sale/trade. I have some leathers, a bunch of zoanthids, a galaxy, a frogspawn, a few others, and a clam.

Also, can anyone suggest some easy SPS to keep?

Aquattro · #2 12-19-2010, 04:38 AM

A lot of different soft corals will leach a toxin to kill competitors. You can offset this a bit with carbon changed regularly. See how it goes, and you may decide to go all one or the other.
Good starter SPS would be many of the montipora species (digitata, capricornis), hydnophora, scroll corals. You can try some acros, maybe buy some cheap browned out corals and see how they do.

fishytime · #3 12-19-2010, 04:01 PM

what are you running for lighting???

ickmagnet · #4 12-19-2010, 07:12 PM

Lighting should be ok but maybe a bit cool (14k). I'm running 250w x 3 mH

christyf5 · #5 12-19-2010, 09:31 PM

you're fine for lighting and will probably get some nice blues out of those SPS you select that lean towards blue colors. I'd go with the species Brad suggested and maybe some el cheapo brown frags, don't spend too much until you know what your system can handle. Definitely run carbon as the chemical warfare might be too much for either the SPS or the softies (although your softies are pretty large so I'd imagine the SPS would have issues first if that were the case).

Good luck and don't forget the photos!!

Myka · #6 12-24-2010, 06:58 PM

FYI, things like frogspawn and Galaxea that you have mentioned are LPS, not softies. If it has a skeleton it is a hard coral. When a hard coral dies it leaves it's skeleton behind, if a soft coral dies it won't leave a skeleton behind.

Many leathers corals are chemically aggressive releasing toxins into the water to defend their territory. These chemicals can inhibit color and growth of any other coral, but SPS would be more sensitive than LPS or other softies. Using lots of carbon will help to absorb these chemicals, and a reactor will make the carbon more effective.

I wouldn't re-home your Devil's Hand yet, unless it is very large. Try some easy SPS like Montipora digitata (aka branching Monti) or Montipora Capricornis (aka Monti Cap). If you have had them for 6 months, all your water parameters are perfect, and your lighting is sufficient, but the Montis remain brown then I would look at reducing the number of chemically aggressive corals.

ickmagnet · #7 01-15-2011, 08:39 PM

So, I tried keeping a piece of cheap sps and unfortunately, it is dead. Strange, because water parameters (including Kh and Ca) appear to be good. I only use rodi water and have ample lighting.

I'm thinking that maybe the chemical warfare has begun between the lps,softies, and the sps. You guys mentioned carbon to help prevent this. ummm..how do I add this exactly? Should I just throw some of that carbon media from freshwater canister aquarium pumps into the sump?

ickmagnet · #8 01-16-2011, 04:28 PM

Anybdy? I know you guys got this one. I'm gonna head over to jl today so any answers are appreciated

Aquattro · #9 01-16-2011, 04:31 PM

First, the one piece (frag?) may have just died because sometimes they like to do that. If you added it, and it quickly perished, then probably due to some other reason.
To use carbon, you can just add some to a media bag and throw it in the sump, or you can use a media reactor and run water through it (at a slow rate so as not to grind the carbon up).

daniella3d · #10 01-16-2011, 04:46 PM

I have tons of soft, LSP and SPS together and no one bother anyone.

You are probably more ready than I was when I first started with little frags of sps. I did not thought they would survive because I had a PC light and they did get brownish in color but they survived. I have a coral that was given to me the size of a little green pea 9 months ago and now it's the size of a tennis ball and with full glory color under my 250 watt 14k metal halide.

When I started with sps I did not test for calcium or did not dose anything. I did not even do many water change, just once per month. Did not lose a single sps.

I have xenia, mushroom, kenya tree, ricordea, duncan, dendro, frogspaw, hammer, clove polyps, zoanthids, palythoas and all doing well with my SPS. SPS are acropora, pociliopora, montipora digitata and cap, birdnest pink and yellow and a few others that I am not sure of the name.

I say go for it, but don't buy large and expensive colonie at first, just buy little frag like I did...as they grown fast

250w x 3 mH at 14k will be absolutely awesome for SPS..it's the best for coral growth and color. 20k will slow down the growth.

Personaly I have more problem keeping zoanthids healthy than SPS. I find SPS very hardy and easy to care for...my easiest coral so far.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ickmagnet

So, my new pump for my calcium reactor should be in a few days. I have my pH controller all ready to go. I returned to RODI use as of about a month ago. I plan on running a mixed reef tank and wanted to add a few SPS pieces to compliment my soft coral tank.

I heard that there are some hard and soft corals that do not get along. Does anyone have a list of any particularly mean soft corals that may kill off my SPS? I do have a devil's hand and I heard that one might be a bad one. If this is a badone, I guess I have a Devil's Hand for sale/trade. I have some leathers, a bunch of zoanthids, a galaxy, a frogspawn, a few others, and a clam.

Also, can anyone suggest some easy SPS to keep?