SPS help!

H

harbar2

New member
I have a couple SPS colonies that are starting to bleach, I can't get a good picture. What are some needs of SPS? I know that they need strong lighting and high flow but what else do they need, like certain levels of magnesium, phosphate, etc. Any help will be appreciated.
 
They need stability. Temp swings & alk swings can cause bad issues. Have you tested Ca, Alk, nitrates, phosphates...?
 
I haven't tested anything yet, I was going to pick up a test kit this weekend. What would be the ideal parameters for them? And it looks like RTN.
 
Ideal parameters for SPS are
CA-420-450
Alk - 7-9dKH
Mg- 1250-1350
Temp. around 78 degrees
Most important is stability as said in above post.
Next time do some research before buying corals or fish, looks like you jumped into SPS without any knowledge what they need. Also they need strong light and flow. Good luck.
 
My friends tank crashed really bad and they started to lose color than, so he gave me them so he could stabilize his tank and try saving them. And I know a lot of people have different opinions on how to care for them so I just wanted to get a little bit of everyone's ideas to bring them together. I appreciate it the feedback.
 
What type of lighting do you have over the tank, and how long has your tank been up and running?
 
harbar2 said:
I haven't tested anything yet, I was going to pick up a test kit this weekend. What would be the ideal parameters for them? And it looks like RTN.
Click to expand...

this means you werent ready for sps.

based on you have no idea where your params are and your tank is fairly immature my best guess is combination of alkalinty and phos issues. the SPS are likely toast at this point, you probably wont be able to fix the issues to be able to save them
 
Yep...I wouldn't bother with any more sps until your tank is straight. Sorry, but nobody can help you without you knowing your tank first. I'd suggest testing Ca, Alk, Mg, nitrates & phosphates and then reporting back if they're still alive. We could provide guidance moving forward but it's not likely that the existing damage can be undone. SPS are fickle...
 
I have a very established SPS tank and even when something goes wrong and a coral starts to go south, it's very tough to reverse it. I've had luck with some frags and colonies, but alot of times by the time you fix it, the "fixing" further stresses SPS out and it's a goner.
 
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