SPS Calcium Workout

[tangs_in_pacifica]

OK,
I never really meant to have SPSs, but I've now got a bunch as a result of hitch-hikers on really good rock. I've had them for about 1.5 years and one or two small frags have turned into SPSs all over. I've really got to introduce some new SPSs, els I'll have one type filling my whole tank.
Anyhow, I'm amazed at how readily they react to Calcium. I don't dose, I just add Calcium and other additives directly to my tank (I know... I just ordered a cheapo dosing pump). Anyhow, this is the system I've used on all of my tanks for years with acceptable results. I've noticed that my SPSs react very noticeably to the introduction of Calcium to my system. It goes as follows:
1. -SPSs flowering, open and happy
2. -Introduce Calcium
3. -SPSs hiding in their holes for a day or two
4. -Notoce that the "stoney" part of the colony expands while polyps are receded
5. -Polyps re-apear after about two days
6. -Colony is substantially larger... really
I feel as if I can really watch the coral growing. So much growth in two days. My little SPS frag is now colonies all over my tank. I've even got SPSs growing way down on my sand and I've only got 4-96W PCs on a 100 gallon.
Ao, naturally, I can't wait to see what kind of growth I'll be getting with a dosing system.

 

[burnnspy]

A picture would be nice.
I am interested in what SPS coral it is.
It maybe reacting to a jump in pH and not the calcium itself. The polyps on my Acropora only close when feeding or lights are turned off.
BurnNSpy

 

[tangs_in_pacifica]

Hmmm... maybe it is the PH?
The SPSs in question are the brownish ones in the top-middle, slightly left-center and in the LS in the center. Again, all of these started as a forked frag a tad bigger than my pinky.

 

[adrian]

I pretty sure your SPS are Montipora digitata, but its hard to tell from that far away , which is common on good LR. They are very fast growers, mine lay down close to 2" a month and Im constantly fragging them out. I have noticed that they will hit a growth spurt whenever Ca is added, that is if it was low to begin with. You will notice a huge difference when you get your Ca stable, the will not hit spurts of growth every now and then, but just grow, and grow, and grow. Very cool sps, under intense lighting the skeleton turns a nice purple, pink, orange, or green. If you want some other types of sps, Im assuming your not running halides, I would suggest some of the other species of Monipora, capricornis is one of my favs, grwos similar to a scroll(Turbinaria). But if your going to get into other types of sps, then metal halides would really make them thrive. HTH

 

[tangs_in_pacifica]

Here's a closeup of one of the colonies in question. Can anyone ID these guys? What are their reqts? As I said earlier, they seem to thrive W/O much light.

 

[adrian]

Montipora digitata, and im pretty positive with that ID

 

[burnnspy]

Nice looking tank yo.
I can't identify the coral yet, but I will get back to you tomorrow.
What do you add for calcium?
BurnNSpy