SPS Newb Question (1 Viewer)

[New HTXReef]

Bought 5 SPS frags yesterday from a fellow member. These are my first SPS by the way. Dipped and placed on frag rack in tank. I’m only getting polyp extension on two of the acros in the direction of my light and PHs. Should I go ahead and place on rock under my T5 fixture where they get full light and flow. Or leave them on the rack for a little longer?

 

[Bullitt519]

If you are observing them before placement leave them alone for a day or two. If you are good and ready to place them I would go ahead. It will usually shock corals moving to a new system and they might but not always close up due to stress or a new environment. Should open back up in a day or two possibly longer if you dipped them. I still have one that I dipped that is not happy and it’s been a few weeks and just now opening up.

 

[Luman01]

Personally what I do, is leave my frags on my frag rack. I raise up the rack gradually to the level I want the frags on my scape. It depends on what light they where under before. I do about 1-2 inches every 2 weeks. Then I’ll leave it at that level for another 2 weeks. It’s a lot easier to have them on a rack to observe them then on the rocks. The number 1 thing that I learned is that patience is a must. It may take a few weeks to get them on the rock, but the outcome should be better.
That’s just what I do, at least leave them on the rack wait about 1 week for them to acclimate to your system and you can go from there!
Good luck!

 

[New HTXReef]

Thank you both for the insight. I just thought it was a little weird that the polyps were extended for half of the two acros. And that both of them don’t have the polyps extending on the same half. I’ll give them a while and see what they do. The Bubblegum digi opened up within an hour of going into the tank and looks awesome. I’m fighting the urge to go buy more. I don’t think even I could kill them in 24 hours.

 

[Bullitt519]

Whats your setup? Dosing?

 

[Luman01]

I’ve killed acros within 6hrs ( I dipped them in rodi when I started idk where I read that a fw dip would help, DO NOT DIP IN FW) I know it’s very tempting to get more but I would hold off a week see how everything goes. Like I said paitence is key! How big is your tank?

 

[decimal]

Looks like a Red Sea of some kind. I love the way RS tanks look and will definitely be on my list when upgrade..

congrats on the corals. Look very nice.

 

[New HTXReef]

Whats your setup? Dosing?

72 Bowfront
2x Sicce XStream 1720gph PH
4xT5 3blue+ 1 coral+
77.9-78.8 temp
1.026SG
8.3 PH
8.3 kh
470 calcium
1320 mg
Nitrate undetectable
Haven’t tested phosphate this week ran out of reagent

 

[New HTXReef]

Dos seachem 2 part manually daily

 

[New HTXReef]

I’ve killed acros within 6hrs ( I dipped them in rodi when I started idk where I read that a fw dip would help) I know it’s very tempting to get more but I would hold off a week see how everything goes. Like I said paitence is key! How big is your tank?

I dip in the new Bayer you buy at Lowe’s. Tank is 72 gallon. Definitely good to know about the FW dip

 

[decimal]

72 Bowfront
2x Sicce XStream 1720gph PH
4xT5 3blue+ 1 coral+
77.9-78.8 temp
1.026SG
8.3 PH
8.3 kh
470 calcium
1320 mg
Nitrate undetectable
Haven’t tested phosphate this week ran out of reagent

lol goes to show how much I know Looks super nice.

 

[Luman01]

So 1 thing to keep in mind most sps and @Reefahholic and @Cody and others will tell u I’m sure. Is that having nitrates undetectable is a some what bad. Most sps like acros need nitrates a good range is 2-10ppm. I’m currently dosing sodium nitrate to bring up my nitrates cause 2 of my “long time” acros ( both around 2 months old) are starting to lose color in there skin, 1 showed signs of stn but it has slowed I think. But other than that your good. I’d still def wait at least a week before adding more prob better if u wait more tho.

 

[New HTXReef]

Nitrates is the one I am not confident on the reading. It’s the only one I haven’t upgraded from the API kit. My Refugium is overgrown with caulerpa and I remove about half every other week. I run the fuge light 12 hours a day. Can I back the time down a little bit to try and get the nitrates up a little. I should also note that I only do 20 gallon water changes every 2 months and my numbers have stayed about the same for the past four months. It seems every time I change the water I get a diatom bloom

 

[Luman01]

I would def upgrade test kits I use and standby salifert. I haven’t ran a fuge in a long time. But you can prob cut back a few hrs. But first I would say get some new test kits

 

[New HTXReef]

I use salifert for everything but nitrates. I’m heading to TNT Monday to pick up a new phosphate test and will get a nitrate kit also

 

[TriggerFan]

I dip in the new Bayer you buy at Lowe’s. Tank is 72 gallon. Definitely good to know about the FW dip

DO NOT FW DIP ANY CORAL! - Undetectable nutrients = Perfect environment for Dinoflagellates.

 

[Luman01]

yea no I sorry If I diddnt make that clear never fw dip corals, that’s how u waste money. I was a total noob back then, and was fed some misinformation, back before I was a member on Marsh.

 

[New HTXReef]

DO NOT FW DIP ANY CORAL! - Undetectable nutrients = Perfect environment for Dinoflagellates.

That was definitely the first thing I learned when I bought my first coral

 

[Reefahholic]

I use salifert for everything but nitrates. I’m heading to TNT Monday to pick up a new phosphate test and will get a nitrate kit also

Get a nyos for nitrate. If you keep your nitrates low....the first card is accurate. 1-8ppm it's spot on. Over 10 and Salifert is good.

 

[New HTXReef]

Get a nyos for nitrate. If you keep your nitrates low....the first card is accurate. 1-8ppm it's spot on. Over 10 and Salifert is good.

I will look into that then. I know I have some nutrients because there is still a little cyano in a few spots.