A bit nervous

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sampets1984

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Joined
Jul 3, 2009
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Location
Seattle
I have just recently came into the possession of some SPS. One is like a teal greenish color and the other is a maroon color. I really don't know much about them other then that for now they are doing fine. I had planned on just doing softies but some how I came into possession of these guys. both are the size of a good size softball. So the question is are these so picky about water conditions next to softies and if it may just be best to trade them and get something more suitable to my level.

If you want to know what I'm running its as followed.

90 gallon
4x 46 1/2 VHO 110 watt bulbs on a 660 ballast
Aero Cpr bak pak skimmer
Ehiem canister filter

Sorry for the spelling errors if there are any.

Thanks for your feed back :)
 
Just picked up this new Nikon camera but unfortunately the flash doesn't seem to like to turn off I suppose I have to actually read the book to figure this out and how to get it to take at least some quality pics of the sps.
 
Definetly need to trade or sale. No mention of any flow in the tank most sps require lots of good flow. And the lighting definetly on the low end for sps. Would need to keep them pretty high up in the tank until you can trade or sell them. Also they require supplements like calcium,alk,mag. JMo
 
I think your lighting is fine. VHO'S work very well for most corals as long as you keep good new bulbs in them.

Just make sure there's lots of flow around the SPS and don't point your power heads directly at them.

You'll need some Cal & Mag test kits and the additives to dose. Don't dose unless you can test for it.

I would keep them away from your softies, because depending on the type of softies you have, they secrete toxins to keep other corals from invading their space. SPS have stinger tentacles they use to keep corals out of their space.

I would highly recommend trying to figure out what type of corals you got, do lots of research and then determine if you will be able to adequetely care for them.
 
+1 with bigblue. I've seen many reefers successfully grow sps under VHO's. In addition, depending on the load of softies you have, you might want to run carbon in your canister to clean up the toxins in your tank, if you're not already doing so. Good luck!
 
+2 on bigblue and +1 on reef18ster. Your lighting is fine for most any sps. Having a good strong flow in your tank will help any sps thrive in your tank. You can see some of the most amazing sps tanks using only vho lighting. The only thing as reef18ster said run carbon if not already. If you have a bunch of leathers and some other softies, might mess with the sps via chemical warfare. Good luck and welcome to RF.

Are the sps grown in a crazy pattern and kind of spiky? Wondering if it is a green and pink birdsnest. If so those are very easy to keep out of most sps.
 
My buddy came by to take a look at it and its Pocillopora one of colonies is like a maroonish color and the other is a green / maroon color. He says I should just trade them into a store for credit because its most likely they will die in my set up. I had originally planned to just do a softy tank but I aquired them for free without knowing what they were.
 
-1 to bigblue and reef18ster. Long term that is not going to be enough light to color them up and grow them well. While it may be "possible" to keep it for a while if you put it all the way at the top of the water, and change your bulbs every 6 months without fail, that is a best case scenario if you keep all your other water parameters perfectly balanced. I would trade them in and get something hardier that will do well in your current system, because there are many many options. If the sps don't do well, and they start turning brown or dieing, it will be too late for you to trade them in. I personally would trade them in before that point comes.

Peace,
Jesse
 
I would like to see some of these SPS vhi only tanks links please.....
Click to expand...

Most of the reefers I know that run vhos are in Cali and aren't on this site. There are a few on here that I know that run vhos with sps in their tanks, but I'll give them the decision of chiming in or not. I've been reefing for a long time and back in the day before people used T5's and Halides for their tanks, they were growing their corals with vho. Now I'm not trying to steer anyone away from getting better lighting, I'm just making the point that sps can thrive under vhos. Here's a link I found for ya.

http://www.garf.org/40watt_vho.html
 
cool I never seen it done with high light demanding corals I know Monti's and also pocilipora and birdsnest will do great with it. interesting and don't get me wrong i was just interested in seeing other tank set ups with vho only not doubting you.

thanks for the link
 
I just recommend getting rid of the canister filter and looking into a sump/refugium

ugh time for work already. Happy reefing.
 
Hello,
It really depends on what soft corals you have whether or not you need to be concerned with chemical warfare. If they appear to do be doing fine and they maintain the coloration you like then you are fine keeping them.

Regards,
Kevin
 
Yeah the maroon colored one is always open and bright as all living hell and the green one is starting to show its happy but I was experimenting with a softy tank so I can get back into the whole game again. Only problem i see is that I just recently got some rock from someone and it is swarming with the lil pest anenomes and those are what worry me as well. I am working on getting a 125 where I will have all macro rock in it and basically way better water quality the 90 was an experiment to see how i would do without a sump.

But not having a sump is also frustrating since that bak pak is loading micro bubbles into the tank it just looks funky. So Ill most likely be taking the 2 sps into barrier today to get some credit hopefully and Ill get them again when I get my 125 going with halides and no pests.
 
WHAT IS IT WITH THE MISINFORMATION ON LIGHTING !!!! I HAVE RUN VHO's FOR LONGER THAN SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN ALIVE AND THERE IS NOT ONE SPS OR OTHER HIGH LIGHT INTENSITY CORAL THAT HAS NOT THRIVED IN MY TANK WITH AS MUCH COLOR AS ANY mh LIGHTED SYSTEM I'VE EVER SEEN IN OVER 27 YEARS. IF YOU LIKE mh STICK WITH IT BUT DON'T BASH SOMETHING YOU KNOW NOT THE FACTS OF. Most of the time I've traded corals from mh systems I need to shade them for several days to adjust to my lighting. I have some high-end Acros & Stylos that have increased there color in my VHO lighting. Even 22" to bottom I have Pocillopora growing fine and most LPS & zoas I need to shade a bit. Talk to some of the other "Old Salts" before you buy into this BS about needing Halide lighting systems to be able to keep SPS, Clams or ??? you may want. You definately will need some good water flow for most corals to be successfull though. There is also a couple of 'lighting' threads on this site you could read.

Your welcome to pm for a visit request to see all my imposible to keep SPS under VHO's

Todd
 
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lol wow people are testy this weekend who has misinformed someoen... no one we only recomended. No one is bashing VHO I asked for links they were posted I thought it was intresting I never seen it done then again I do not drive to everyones house to look at there tanks. unless I plan on buying something. as I will ask you for pics too. are sps easier to keep under m/h I would say Yes you would say No.... it is just like everything else in this hobby you ask for information and make your own decision. I think re-reading the post will clear things up for you, about bashing one system or another. and i will stay with my statement with recommending M/h for sps systems or t5's which are a PIA also to get th colors you like. but thats me I replace one bulb and I am done easy.
 
Here is a link to someone running t-5's with the most amazing sps tank.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-07/totm/index.php

This was from another thread on here about sps lighting. I think Brandy found this.

To be honest I kept some sps when I had my pc lighting and they grew and color was awesome! Had many softies and never ran carbon still don't and my tank is doing great. There are so many rules out there that people say you have to follow in reef keeping, but you have to go what works the best for you and your live stock not what someone else is telling you. Yeah there are a couple things to consider, but in reality every long time reefer has gotten where they are from trial and error. People say you should not keep this with that or that with this. But then you go to someone else's tank and they have just that and it has thrived and grown.

If you are really concerned about the sps you could always frag a piece for your self and trade off the rest. See how those frags do and go from there.

Just my two cents.
 
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