SPS question ???

Whats the ideal water parameters for keeping sps growing and healthy. I test for PH, (8.3) KH, (9) Calcium (420) and salinity. I have the lighting and circulation. Just want to make sure I can take care of them any suggestions for me being in the hobby for only 2 yrs?

 

you ought to be fine. ive been in almost a year and have acropora and its doing good. i dont test, just bi-weekly water changes.

 

all that looks good, what about your basics like nitrate??? SPS will not tolerat, for the most part, nitrates over 10ppm.

 

Phosphate should be below .05ppm.

 

thanks guys looks like I will be getting more advanced with my testing any suggestions for phosphates and nitrate testing kits?

 

PO4 should be below .02 for SPS.... that is very low. The vast majority of PO4 test kits are worthless for this. You need a high resolution kit but they are exspensive. Ihave a Merck kit but at $80 not sure I will do it again. Elos has a good kit too and it is not quite as expensive. A good accurate PO4 meter is $200 so that ain't cheap either and it is only .02 resolution. (I think)

Nitrates need to be below .5.... I think most kits will do. I have Seachem... but will go Salifert for that too next time I need it.

 

I don't bother testing for phosphates as the test kits in the hobby, like said above, are worthless to be honest. If your phosphates are too high, you will usually have a hard time keeping nitrates down as they are a pretty good indicator of overall water cleanliness.

 

That's a fine point. Does not mean PO4 is where it should be, but a reasonable indicator.

 

exactly....personally I feel that it is just as accurate as most "hobby" test kits

 

thanks for the input guys will be posting my findings.