SPS & Flow?

[Awibrandy]

For all those that do infact have SPS in their tanks! Would you be so kind as to explain in detail how much, and why flow is so important to the kind of sps you keep.
Please be specific: What sps, where in the tank, how much flow, and why, and pics if possible.
I would really love to hear from those that have the lesser demanding sps.
I am interested in the millies & pocilloporas especially!

I do have caps, & chalices that are doing just fine in my low flow tank. And I know I cannot keep acros from experience. I need to know more.

Please no "search button" post! I can very well google, and have done so. Now I want to hear from your personal experience.:hug:

 

[NYreefNoob]

Awi I Keep All Types Milli, Acros Birdsnest, Tenius, Ect And Have A Low Flow Tank, Have Noticed The Higher My Acro's Are In Tank The Better The Color, Have Great Polyps Extension Ect I Use The Hydroflow's On My Ph's To Create A Kinda Splash Of Water On Corals So They Arent Always Being Blown On And Have Had Success So Far. Alot Of The Harder Sps Need More Prestine Water Quality Also

 

[prattreef]

Awilda,
Good flow is important for all corals as it brings nutrients to and waste away from the colony. Regarding SPS, flow is even more important IMO primarily to prevent detritus from building up deep in between the branches of the colony as this often leads to infections and disease. Having said that, IMO, people go a little (a lot?) crazy with exact numbers of turn over rate etc. I think a certain amount of randomness is more important than anything else as this keeps detritus suspended more effectively. Clearly, flow plays a role in coloration, colony development, shape etc., but there is no reason if the other parameters are in line, that you can't keep all but the most demanding SPS in a moderate flow situation. Also remember that as colonies grow, they begin to block once adequate flow pretty quickly so you need to compensate either by repositioning the flow source or increasing volume.

Since you mention it, Pocillipora is an excellent choice to play around with, Stylophora too. Acro. millipora less so.

Randy

 

[ShaunW]

Flow is important because it removes waste products of metabolism, allows gas transfer, and provides large amounts of nutrients to flow across the SPS over time. It also prevents the accumulation of debris to settle on the SPS at the junctions of branches, which would otherwise cause local tissue damage.

As for the amount of flow in a strict SPS tank, I would say as much tuburlent, non-direct (vortex or tunze flow) as you can provide would be best. As a guide, look for the water to be whipping around the tank with eddy's and whirlpools and the fish having to work to swim.

Sorry for the generalizations, BUT since all SPS are different species to document their flow requirements would be difficult here.

 

[ShaunW]

:lol2: Randy jumped in right before, :banghead: . Same things said.

 

[ellebelle]

Randy and Shaun - there was a thread a little while back about polyp extension. I have read in some places that a lot of polyp extension is good. I have also ready that a lot of polyp extension indicates lack of flow/lack of light and that the coral is having difficulty getting and getting rid of nutrients. What do you think?

 

[KathyC]

Curious..what SPS are considered the most demanding?

 

[ShaunW]

Randy and Shaun - there was a thread a little while back about polyp extension. I have read in some places that a lot of polyp extension is good. I have also ready that a lot of polyp extension indicates lack of flow/lack of light and that the coral is having difficulty getting and getting rid of nutrients. What do you think?

Both statements are true.

Polyp extention during lack of flow/light is the SPS defense mechanism kicking in to uptake more oxygen and have more gas exchange. It is like us hyperventerlating (sp?).

But under good conditions, the polyps also serve for food capture so the more they are extended the better to catch prey. Also under good conditions, calcifercation occurs rapidly, so the metabolic activities of the coral are running on "all cylinders" therefore, MORE gas exchange (in and out) and more photosynthesis needs to occur to keep up. Good polyp extention promotes this.

 

[ellebelle]

So how do I tell if I have good polyp extension or bad polyp extension?

 

[ShaunW]

So how do I tell if I have good polyp extension or bad polyp extension?

I would use growth tip color and rate of increase as a guide to health. Also, nightime polyp extention which is significantly greater than day time. My SPS growth tips can extend an inch in a week when conditions are really good.

 

[prattreef]

Experience

 

[ellebelle]

Boo on experience! I want a formula.

 

[KathyC]

Curious..what SPS are considered the most demanding?

ehmmm...

 

[JLAudio]

Please no "search button" post! I can very well google, and have done so. Now I want to hear from your personal experience.:hug:[/quote]
YEA GIRL! DONT TAKE NO SH$$!

Thank you for brining this up, because Im always unsure if my flow is too much, or not enough. I currently using one 6045 tunze in my 36 corner and feel like its too much, but according to what most sps reef keepers are using 1000gph should be ok, should it be direct or off the class, always confusing stuff, but great topic

 

[Deanos]

Water Flow: Where to begin

 

[Awibrandy]

Water Flow: Where to begin

Dean always with the referrals. :fight2::tongue:
Unless you wrote it of your own personal experience I don't want to hear it.:banghead: :hug:

Thank you Randy, your answer has been the most accurate as to what I asked for!

I think I should have been more explicit! When I say low flow I mean tanks like mine. I have no PH in my reef tank for two reasons: One I don't like to see equipment in my displays, two I only have one outlet for the tank. And obviously if I go, and add 3 or 4 PH the circuit this outlet is on will NOT handle it!!!

I do understand what flow does for the corals with the delivering food, and the removal of detrius build up in between the branches.

Now what if I was willing to be a slave :lol_large, will spot feedind, and blowing on them (with lets say a turkey baster) gently a few times a day. Would I be able to keep any sps (other then caps & chalice these I have, and are doing fine)? Or should I just stay completely away from them?

 

[cali_reef]

I think flow numbers are overrated, you need motion, random motion to be exact. a straight jet of water blasting SPS will only kill it, or cause it to grow sideways if you are using a weak pump.

 

[Deanos]

Dean always with the referrals. :fight2::tongue:
Unless you wrote it of your own personal experience I don't want to hear it.:banghead: :hug:

Thank you Randy, your answer has been the most accurate as to what I asked for!

No offense to RD (of course), but the only question I see he may have answered was "why flow is important?". My link expanded on his answer (for general membership consumption) and wasn't intended to address any of the questions you asked. I'm sure by know you know how I feel about SPS corals :worm:

 

[ellebelle]

Awilda, I am by no means an experienced/expert reef keeper, but I have experimented a lot with flow in my tanks.

I won't even talk about my current tank, since I changed the lights which will effect my growth/colors of all corals.

In my 29g, I went from just using the returns, to the returns + 1 weak powerhead, to the returns +1 weak PH and 1 stronger powerhead, to the returns + 2 MJ900s alternating, to the returns + one MJ900 on all the time and one alternating + one weak powerhead. I found that ALL of my coral, after an adjustment period, started to grow faster and look better when I upped the flow on my tank (the last configuration being the best for my growth/color). Specifically for SPS, I added the weak powerhead aiming towards my small patch of SPS in my last tank. I definitely noticed a marked change in growth when I added it.

That was my experience.

 

[Awibrandy]

No offense to RD (of course), but the only question I see he may have answered was "why flow is important?". My link expanded on his answer (for general membership consumption) and wasn't intended to address any of the questions you asked. I'm sure by know you know how I feel about SPS corals :worm:

"For all those that do infact have SPS in their tanks! Would you be so kind as to explain in detail how much, and why flow is so important to the kind of sps you keep."
Randy came the closest to this question, with his explanation on the whys, and speaking on the two sps I mentioned I was interested in.
Yes, I do know how you feel about SPS. I did, and still feel almost the same. But I've seen some that I do like, and if I can keep them in the set up that I currently have I will. If not, well then I am not going to go out of my way, and convert my tank.