SPS people!

[krowleey]

well i found a place to get frags for 12 bucks a pop, dont have any sps at this time but im ready to start adding some nice corals. any advise for the sps noob to start with? the sps will be about 18 inches from my lights...lights go as this......
duel 150 watt hqi ushio 10k's
2 55 watt actinic 03
2 36 watt 50/50 actinic 03/10k
72 bow
130 lbs LR
DSB with LS from this site
CPR duel pak
CPR fuge full of macros with a 18 watt 50/50
tanks been up for near a year
0 amonia
0 trites
0 trates
ca 420-450
0 po4

 

[kpk]

I just started myself and all I know is that the best thing to start with would be montipora. I did get some acro's because I felt like I was up for the challenge plus wanted to see if they would do well in my system. I got monti caps, digitata, pavona, acro humilis, pink birdnest, stylophora, and another acro. I have had luck for a little over a week with them, but you can't measure success in two weeks neither. I think your light will be good for some monti's and some acros higher up. I am not the best person to tell you all this since I am new, but I have researched along time for it. Maybe spsaddict, golfish, skilos, kip or someone will chime in and tell you exactly. Do you drip kalk to keep ca and alk up right?

 

[krowleey]

yes, i drip kalk with the kent IV doser, but really just started dripping it but im maintaining my CA and alk

 

[kpk]

If you are ready you could try some montis and maybe an acro. You don't want to get a huge colony yet. This is all coming from the experts on this site. It is really if you are up to the acros or not, and if you are really dedicated. HTH.
Kyle

 

[logan15]

did the sand you ordered from here have a lot of worms and pods?

 

[krowleey]

well i want to be ready! the frags i can get are about 2 inches each and i have to mount them ect. i just want to start out with the easier ones and work my way up.

 

[krowleey]

Originally posted by logan15
did the sand you ordered from here have a lot of worms and pods?

yes it did, the sand from here is awesome IMO and the price is right

 

[bdhough]

sps in general are not that hard. the hard part is just providing the conditions they need which are super expensive. i bought a bunch of frags this past summer with the intent of one day obtaining halides, i have pcs now. i couldn't pass them up they were the "friend" price. the acro is definitely the hardest, seriatopora ie birdsnest and montipora digitata or capricornus are easy. i would buy whatever you like though. maybe one every two weeks. the thing is you're going to have to start testing calcium and alkalinity almost daily until your tank stabilizes with the higher load on those two elements. of course sps require the most out of all the corals. since you have 150 halides you are not going to have the latitude to place certain sps anywhere you like. seriatopora and montipora capricornus don't need as much light as acro's so save your high spots in the tank up by the light for them.
oh one more coral, the yellow scroll coral is an sps kind of like montipora cap. i can't remember the latin name which its more commonly refered by buts i've always been fond of it and its fairly easy. i want to say turbinaria....

 

[kpk]

When I said hard I meant they need the precise conditions that we without ca reactors etc do not have. But I know what you mean . If you have the rigth equipment and environment they are all easier to keep. The monti is on of the easiest. I think you are right on the tubinaria, ruffled ridge coral (I think).
I would try what you wanted and what you feel you can deal with. Pocillapora, sylophora, birdnest, montis, would all be good starters. Thats what I am starting with, plus 3 acros.

 

[spsaddict]

Originally posted by krowleey
well i found a place to get frags for 12 bucks a pop, dont have any sps at this time but im ready to start adding some nice corals. any advise for the sps noob to start with? the sps will be about 18 inches from my lights...lights go as this......
duel 150 watt hqi ushio 10k's
2 55 watt actinic 03
2 36 watt 50/50 actinic 03/10k
72 bow
130 lbs LR
DSB with LS from this site
CPR duel pak
CPR fuge full of macros with a 18 watt 50/50
tanks been up for near a year
0 amonia
0 trites
0 trates
ca 420-450
0 po4
what species can you get, you lighting will be suffiecent for all montis (branching and plating.) birdsnest would survuve as well.. if you plan on getting acro cilanthras, nobils, humils, torts, polystomas, ect ect, place them extramly high so that they can suck up as much light as possible.
one thing you got going for you is that the 175 are hqi's.. they burn a tad brighter.... do you plan on upgrading you lights at all? maybe down the raod after youve had sucsess with the easier species

 

[spsaddict]

Originally posted by kpk
When I said hard I meant they need the precise conditions that we without ca reactors etc do not have. But I know what you mean . If you have the rigth equipment and environment they are all easier to keep. The monti is on of the easiest. I think you are right on the tubinaria, ruffled ridge coral (I think).
I would try what you wanted and what you feel you can deal with. Pocillapora, sylophora, birdnest, montis, would all be good starters. Thats what I am starting with, plus 3 acros.
and yes the ones he listed would do great.... also get a ca reactor in the future.... the intial cost is expensive but well worth it in the long run..

 

[kpk]

msn spsaddict
where you at
btw i am running 2x250 halides

 

[spsaddict]

brt

 

[krowleey]

well cant upgrade for awile, wife needs to see how cool these are before i can buy more equipment thats includes the CA reactor. I thought dripping kalk was one of the easiest ways to keep your ca/alk level up not to mention much cheaper that 600 bucks up front for the reactor ect ect that i would need.
i can get monti, acro, Pocillopora damicornis , Povona sp , Porites, all frags about two inches each. i wanted to add like 6 frags think that would be too many or??

 

[kpk]

I know what you mean there with the money . sux huh. I found a place to get a dual chamber ca reactor for $95, but you have to get all the other pieces. You can do it for awhile with the kalk alone, until they start going crazy then you could try a kalk reactor and or a ca reactor. Ca reactor is on my list.
Are you wanting to add all at once? I would definitly do the pocillopora, monti, and maybe a porities. If it were me I would have to try the acro too. What all do you like? What are your plans?

 

[krowleey]

krowleey@hotmail.com is my MSN IM add me
i love the acro's of course, but there are some monti that i like pretty good heck i like them all really but the acro's are way cool looking but i know i'll be limited to how many i can have. and yes i was going to add like 6 at the same time keep in mind they are small.

 

[krowleey]

as far as plans, i want to have as many. and colorful corals i can possibly put in my tank without stressing anything out. i am planning on a larger tank upgrade but thats wayyyy down the road

 

[spsaddict]

kalk will help maintain, i have a kalk reactor however it is on its alst leg... but drip it at night and dose ca durring the day