just beginning

[Mr. S]

I have a 20 gal tall that I want to change into a Nano reef. My goal is to grow some SPS corals (doesn't everyone have this same goal) I have read a lot on Nano's but found that actual viewer polls is more valueable to me. I would like to hear from people out there and what is working for them. Thanks.
1. Are you using 4 to 5 watts per gallon of lite for sps growth?
2. Are you only using a powerhead, besides LR and DSB?
3. How often with water changes?
4. Placement of corals in the water column. (near top, on bottom, etc.)

[Sprayin70]

i am also new at this. but i use a hang on the back nano on my 2 gallon. as far as light i use a power compact 10watt in the hood it came with. i have zenia popyps and some mushrooms. good luck and by the way i am searching for some local purple and green zoo's.

[QuAcKeR]

1. I'm using 10 watts per gallon
2. yep, powerhead only besides the LR and DSB.
3. 25% water changes every week. Top off every other day. (10 gallon tank)
4. Right now SPS is on the bottom, everything else (zoos, xenia, shrooms) is all over the place, mostly mid.

[Mr. S]

quacker, what type of sps are you growing

[QuAcKeR]

Right now my only SPS is Pocillopora. Two small frags and one medium one. Here's a pic. I'd love to get into doing some more, I just don't think I know enough about taking care of them yet.

[Prismaco]

-11 watts per gallon (soon may be 36watts per gallon, 2 250watt MH and 220watts of PC)

-2 Power Heads, 2" LS 25lbs Fiji LR

-Ever 2 weeks I do a water change

-I have shrooms on the bottom, a couple zoo's up top along withmy Xenia..

-1 Clows, 20+turbos, 1 pepermint

-No skimmer though, but my power heads have snap on filters....


-Paul

[Prismaco]

QuAcKeR - looks like a bad algea problem with that frag ??


-Paul

[QuAcKeR]

Yeah it is some big algae. That's actually what the picture was taken to show. I pulled all of that off about a week ago, but it's starting to come back now. It's only on that one little rock, but I can't remove the SPS from it, so I'm not sure what to do. If it were Xenia on the rock or something I could just remove the coral and toss the rock... I'd hate to lose my pocillopora, but I'd also hate to have this balloon algea spread.

[Sprayin70]

good morning. i forgot to add i have a small powerhead 100gph and i agree with the water change info. good luck.

[Ray1214]

On a 3 gal tank I have a 13 watt pc 50/50 bulb.

One 80 gph powerhead plus the standard eclipse HOB type filter.

shrooms, xenia, cleanup crews.

My son has a 10 gal with 40 watts (27 watts and 13 watts) with some sps but he is mostly a shroom fanatic with xenia, anthilea, capricornious on top of his rock work, several red capped gobies.

Ray

[Prismaco]

Oh yea, do you use RO/DI water ???


-Paul

[QuAcKeR]

I currently do not, but the moment I can afford to make the switch I plan to. Right now I fill a 5 gallong bucket with tap water, treat it, and aerate it for 24 hours before using it as top off. I do the same with another 3gal bucket that I mix SW in for WC's. I don't currently heat it b/c it is always within a degree or two of my tank temp. I do have a spare heater nearby just in case things change this winter.

[Mr. S]

Quacker, how long have you been growing your sps? Is anyone else doing sps corals?

[EdgeKrusher]

Oh that's not good. Even letting the water sit won't remove the bad stuff. If you haven't experienced an huge algae bloom yet, expect one. I don't have an RO unit either, that's why I go to the LFS. You can also go to the gorcery store. Either place will probably sell it for around 39 cents a gallon.

[ckreef]

I have a few sps corals in my Minibow 7. It is lit by 2 x 28watt 50/50 PC's. All sps are up as high as possible. Unfortunatly no digital camera so I don't have a recent pic.

Aqua CLear 200 w/ surface skimmer attachment.