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    Thread: Any tricks from the experts for keeping SPS colorful?

    1. #1
      PatientZero is offline Registered User
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      Any tricks from the experts for keeping SPS colorful?

      In ~18 years of reefing, I feel that I've always had good luck keeping SPS alive and growing, bu I've never been great at keeping them colorful. My current tank is my first SPS dominate tank (most all tanks before were LPS dominate tanks with some SPS frags). I'm curious what some of the 'old hats' have to say on the subject.

      My current tank is a 45g 2' x 2' cube. I have a 150 S Octopus skimmer and I dose kalk with an osmolator. My lights are a 8 x 2'; ATI sunpower T5, with 4 blue+, 2 Coral plus, and 2 aqua blue special. Any thoughts on how I can improve results?

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      OhioStreetz is offline Registered User
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      I’m by far no pro but have had great success with all types of corals including sps from highend to low end and my colors of the corals are always a questioned asked by people who visit. I would start with running a more blue light schedule I run an 8 bulb Ati powermodule and I have 7 blue+ bulbs and one actinic. I also run the leds on heavy blue as well. That being said nutrients in the system plays a huge roll on corals ability to color up what are your phosphate and nitrate levels and what salt or additives do you add to your system

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      decastro is offline Registered User
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      Hey have you checked chlorine in ro water I'm having the same problem and cant figure it out just bought hanna chlorine tester I'll be sure to let u know my results

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      PatientZero is offline Registered User
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      For my tank, I am using Reef Crystals (cause I'm cheap) and sometimes Scripps water. I only add Kalk and Mg. I have a GFO reactor, but haven't been using it since I moved last year.

      I know I can get better/more expensive salt, and do more frequent water changes, what else can I dose that might help?

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      teamlounge is offline Registered User
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      You don't dose cal? You need consistent, stable, clean water parameters. Consistent, stable dosing or calc reactor. Higher flow tank. 1st class lighting.

      Different people have different preferences for 1st class lighting. I favor the T5, LED combo. ATI fixture with reefbrites is a great place to start research. Nothing here is cheap...but you asked what people think it takes.

      Once you have established the above...make sure you keep phosphate and nitrate levels in line for consistent feeding for your sps. Zero everything (as clean as it gets) actually isn't good for sps...They need trace elements for nutrition. You can establish this by simply keeping a decent fish load with daily feeding. Not overfeeding...but regular consistent feeding. You want a super clean, high flow tank with consistent water parameters and trace elements. Couple that with good lighting and you will see results.

    6. #6
      PatientZero is offline Registered User
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      I don't dose Ca directly, but I use Kalk with my ATO. As far as lights, I use a 8 bulb ATI sunpower. I bought a Reefbrite LED strip, but found it didn't make much of a difference with the bulb combo already on the tank.

      I've tried using a purple bulb in the mix before, but my red corals didn't respond very well to it. Are those still common with T5 set ups?

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      dizzyjay is offline Registered User
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      Two things I’ve started dosing that have had a noticeably positive effect on sps color & growth (as well as my nems and lps) are Fuel and acropower. (2x per wk).

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