PLEASE READ: SPS thread ideas for this forum

[dukes707]

well this is just an ingenious idea.
some common topics i think a majority would benefit from would be:

1. basic SPS requirements;
-Lighting > could be its own topic. par relative to what lighting system (MH 150/250/400> T5>VHO>PC) or a combination of them, pros and cons. and distance of light to water. what works for who and why they chose that system.
-Flow >again own topic. type of system (not necessarily brand) powerheads/wavebox/surge system. again pros and cons of what and why they chose that system for their setup. as well as placement of their flow system, ie.powerheads realtive to corals and water movement from them.
-Parameters >big 6 ie. cal/alk/phos/pH/nitrates/temp. how to manage and what works for who and why. again its own topic

2. Dosing: who doses what, for what and how. ie. reactors for calcium/phos/carbon, liquid/dry supplements; which and why, as well as how they came to that decision for their system. could go from basic to more advanced.

3. common pitfalls of acros: one i wish i would have been started a long time ago. (could have saved me lots of time/money/and grief). things to watch for, like new tank syndrome and when is the right time to add acros to a new system/ or when a system is stable enough to support acros. common diseases and treatment of those diseases, ie. redbugs>interceptor, AEFW>dipping/FW, exit things like that. STN/RTN: causes, cures, and experiences with them.

4. coral placement: taking into accout everyones system is different, but a relative guide like low light corals and high light corals. experiences with said species and reactions of corals in what lighting and flow conditions.

5. i know there is a list somewhere, i think melev has a comprehensive list that i can never seem to find it when i need an id, but common hitch hikers, the good, the bad, and the ugly. which to keep and which to chuk, why, and the best way to get them outta your critters.

just a few topics i wish would have been around when i first started in this hobby. or better yet consolidated into a few solid threads instead of having to use the search function which never works for me. lookin forward to some good topics in the future.
are these gonna be tabbed or stickied or somthing so we dont gotta go searching for them when we need them?

[kev apsley]

everyone of these idea's is awesome! I feel the more information I can attain from other successful hobbyist and apply to my own practices, it can only help to better achieve a more universal understanding of these magnificent creatures. We can only read so many "please ID threads" a lot of the hardcore people on here are seeking knowledge and what is better than shared knowledge? We, as stated in earlier post could have our own TOTM section where it's voted by the folks in the SPS forum. Then, pictures, husbandry, lighting, flow, placement of certain acro's, monti's within the tank are explained...

Joe,
as usual you have hit the nail on the head with this one!

[Kip]

while i dont have any subjects to contribute to the list, i will simply applaud the efforts and forethoughts.

this forum has definitely changed over the last few years. i wont say good or bad... i will just say changed

It'd be great to see some of names of the "old salts" popping back up here and there. Better than the names, their wealth of knowledge.

I said I didnt have a subject, but I guess I do.

"After 11 yrs in the hobby, how do you stay interested when crashes, diseases, pests, and other maladies are running rampant these days?"

or

"How do you keep up with the demands of a stony system when you are now working twice as many hours on your job, have a wife, and kid, and another on the way!"

[MJAnderson]

Originally posted by kenettson1
I really like a lot of the ideas here. There are a few that interest me most:

1. Threads on the care of specific SPS species. (Aquaguru)
2. Best Practices of SPS Pros (prop-frags)
3. You could have a weekly tank talk featuring one tank of an "sps expert." Where that person answers questions about how they got the results that they did. Kinda like some recent threads like Acropora Nut's.

Nos. 2 and 3 are what I was getting at.

[DaddyJax]

Originally posted by prop-frags
Great lead on this Joe; it's just the kind of thing we need from our mods to get more value from RC.
Here are a few ideas:

* Best Practices of SPS pros: things that experienced sps keepers have added to their "toolkit" over time. This would include common mistakes to avoid, lessons learned, etc. In order to avoid too broad a discussion, you could narrow it to categories such as:
tips for testing and managing water quality,
tips for placement and pruning of sps,
tips for quarantine and prevention of pests or disease in sps

* Aquascaping for that TOTM look: This would include planning an effective and asthetically-pleasing layout, live rock selection, placement techniques, integrating water flow into rock work, coral mounting techniques, etc.

* Planning the SPS show tank: much as you select fish that co-exist, this topic would include planning and choosing SPS that align with a theme or the overall look you want to achieve, and corals with complementary growth forms and colors. Another thing to include might be maintenance as you incorporate new sps colonies or frags, how to maintain light and adequate flow as colonies grow in, etc.

I like these and Kennetison's ideas as well.
Good stuff everyone!!

[nwrogers]

I know it has been mentioned already but I came up with a good title for the thread about the basic requirements for starting out with SPS. I am always seeing people starting thread asking can I keep SPS with this equipment or that? Maybe a good thread would be titled “Let's talk about what it takes to keep SPS.” It could be a primer for people new to SPS and lead into the more detailed threads about water movement, water quality, and lighting. Just a thought…

[cashman95]

How about a Caution Thread, like what can happen if, or better yet if (this) has happened and then why? Kinda like trouble shooting page in an instruction maunal.
Example:

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES
Coral Bleaching - Too much light, excessive phosban, ETC


Many times I have had a problem and found myself searching for hours only to sorta find my answer. I, like many others, rely on you guys for answers, so I think this topic is great!

[Nanook]

Joe, thanks for taking the time to start this thread

In the early days of RC, this forum was very near and dear to my heart. Over the last couple of years, it has become somewhat of a "show and tell" for new SPS hobbyists, instead of the informative atmosphere of old. We are only as good as the information we learn and then pass on.

Looking forward to partcipating and seeing some of the more experienced SPS freaks return to help.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I want to see some educational and informative ID threads. Not just post a picture and then say "granulosa", but I want to hear "granulosa because..." blah blah whatever. "Sometimes they are easily confused with ______ but you can tell its not because..... "

[xtm]

I like topics that provoke heated discussions involving people who are VERY knowledgeable but have differing views. As long as people are not 'crossing the line' with insults, etc. I think this can get very informative. JMO

How about:

Let's talk about the Pros and Cons of DSB, SSB, and BB.

Let's talk about Polyp Extension and its purpose - If any.

Let's talk about Commensal Crabs

[ThaNgBOm321]

another topic just came in mind... one on sps types/name, there care lvl and needs,and most importantly how to ID them ( cant care too good for a coral if you dont know what it is)

YzGyz

[Justin74]

Add me to the list wanting to discuss placement. Soo many corals are ignorantly placed near each other or kept near the top or on the bottom that have no place for being there. An aquarist struggle can easily get confused and sidetracked thinking his lights are not enough, or too much,or spinnin their wheels on water chemistry when in reality there water is fine and the coral is just getting too much light, or not enough flow, etc. depending on where that particular corals originally was or was collected from in the wild.

Some acroporids can be found naturally in the wild amongst large soft coral colonies, and can be to an extent tolerant. While some others have no business being around leathers or other softies and have no tolerance whatsoever to exposure.

Some acroporids come from deeper or cooler waters, or both. Simply knowing this would allow the aquarist to accomodate it and make acclimation to ones system that much easier, or less brown anyway

Great thread JBNY, just what the noobs and novice's alike need


-Justin

[SDguy]

Originally posted by xtm

Let's talk about Polyp Extension and its purpose - If any.

Oooo, I like that one...along with what the polyps will and can actually eat that we can provide, and what benefits, if any, they derive from it.

[acro bat]

How about a thread from the experts and very successful reef keepers that the title of the thread start"My secrets of how I do it"or why their tanks with only 1000 dls vs. 15.000 dls in equipment is doing much better than yours.
C'mon guys tell us the truth!

Vina del Mar.

[TIMMYE]

I think a good onewould be the practice of getting new SPS corals. From the dipping, QT, acclimation (lighting & flow), and just getting them used to new tank params. I think alot of people start off on the wrong foot when it comes to SPS and it leads them down the long bad road. Just my .02

[gary faulkner]

Lots of good ideas.

Originally posted by TIMMYE
I think a good onewould be the practice of getting new SPS corals. From the dipping, QT, acclimation (lighting & flow), and just getting them used to new tank params. I think alot of people start off on the wrong foot when it comes to SPS and it leads them down the long bad road. Just my .02

I like this idea because it's like, first things first.

So when do we get started?

I'm ready for something new to read.

[drives300]

i think an important one is understanding nutrients and their relation to color and growth. I have found that starving corals is just as detrimental if not more so than having too much.

[kev apsley]

Originally posted by drives300
i think an important one is understanding nutrients and their relation to color and growth. I have found that starving corals is just as detrimental if not more so than having too much.

This is an excellent suggestion!

[fishdoc11]

Nice thread Joe

I look forward to the discussions!

Chris

[Sk8r]

I'm delighted with the idea. I'd suggest another thread, too:

Sps For Rank Beginners,

ie, people who want to keep sps, but haven't a basic clue what par is and are only just on top of water quality. There is a tendency to have people drift through mushrooms to lps to sps, which means generally a tank that's got some specimens in it that have to be gotten out. So they've bought pricey lighting, but it's not the best. They've got an adequate skimmer, but...etc. IMHO there's a way to start out as a newbie headed for sps, and to get into sps with the easier species and not come into it with live rock loaded with hitchhiker mushrooms. There are some traps you could avoid with a little better startup advice.

And if the mod-gods could sticky these threads for a while, so they were always available, that would be a bennie.

[Aquaguru]

I like all of these ideas just from all of the suggested topics I and alot of others could learn so much more.

[piercho]

It seems the folks with all these years of reefkeeping are no longer with us

Or at least are no longer participating on RC. Time on RC is time you are not spending on your tank, your work, your family. I see a big difference from 6 years ago when it was easier to have a productive conversation here and people were more civil, honest, and respectful.

Minimizing base recession. I've had problems with base recession in Poc/Stylos. Not all but some. I'm not sold that the problem is always inadequate flow.

Aquascaping - of the coral, not the rock. I've never gotten past having a menagerie, a collection. I'd like to learn to group coral like FW tank people group plants, so that they grow out to make a natural-looking display intstead of just pieces stuck here and there.

Another issue for me has been system design simplicity, ruggedness, and automation. I get 5 week field assignments one or more times a year and its not easy to keep a system running unattended that long. And I'd like to make the thing run on as few watts as practical. It seems hypocritical to fret about wild reefs bleaching while I contribute so much CO2 annually to run my tank.

[JB NY]

Wow. Great topics and suggestions.

So here are my thoughts.

I would like to have guest people do threads. But I think that that will have to be in the future. I would like to get some basic topics covered and get everyone used to these kinds of threads, so hopefully we can get more people involved as time goes on.

My other thought is to start with some basics and work our way to some of the more advanced ideas that were presented in this thread. In this hobby, people who do the best are those that plan things out and has a firm understanding of the basics. IMO this is one hobby that you can not run before you learn how to walk. So let's do some easier ones before we move to the more advanced ideas.

Lastly I think I am going to moderate these discussions more heavily than others. This way we can keep things on topic. I'll post some rules at the beginning of the thread and we can move from there. But basically it will be that flaming will have your post removed, and basic posts like " I use XXX, it's the best!!!" will be removed. The idea is to have the people post not only what they do but their reasoning behind it.

Anyway. I'm going to do the first discussion about alk, calcium and magnesium. They are three important aspects (that are interdependent of each other) in a reef tank that I think we should cover.

Feel free to comment in this thread for more suggestions as I will be referring back to this thread often to get new ideas.

Thanks everyone.

[Flint&Eric]

i see many great pictures here, with amazing specimens...but then you see the FTS and it can be a big let down with cramed corals and poor aquscaping. the best FTS i see, whether the owner realizes it or not has great color balance and spacing.

how about an SPS "art class" covering aquascaping and placement in terms of ideal for the coral but also in terms of growth, color, spacing and the other corals in the tank. look at totm tanks, and ask why they really look so good. this can include nutrients and coloring up of corals too.

jmo.

[Lobster]

I've been around here a long time, and the signal-to-noise ratio has certainly changed. I too miss certain knowledgeable users that have moved on. I think many of them burned out answering basic questions over and over and over.

The problem I see is that most people fail to read basic reference information about the hobby that is readily accessible and has existed for years. Every SPS tank is about maintaining light, flow, and water quality. Do it any way you'd like, but if you cover these simple basics, your tank will be successful. The information is out there, and it is not difficult.

Online forums are great, but there is a lot of misinformation and bad advice out there. In fact, many people practically beg for bad advice by posting "what's wrong with this coral?" type threads. People want a quick fix, and this is the wrong hobby for that. A person cannot help another without fully understanding his system, and that is very hard to do over an internet forum. Its also too easy for a beginner to read "miracle threads" about intermediate topics like carbon dosing, amino acids, potassium, etc and believing they are a solution to basic husbandry deficiencies.

Ultimately, YOU need to grasp the basics on your own. YOU must understand the requirements of your animals and YOU must understand the method you chose to satisfy those requirements. You (or anyone) cannot possibly diagnose your problems without knowing how your system functions or is supposed to function. I honestly believe many people would benefit immensely by logging out and reading a few basic reefkeeping books. Combining bits and pieces of various methods is not an easy approach for a beginner. Books provide structure and clarity of basic principles.

That said, I think the forum would benefit from a stickied FAQ thread that at least: 1) explains basic requirements of SPS, 2) explains how to recognize and troubleshoot problems with those basic requirements, 3) list basic "starter corals" and impress how important it is to be able to keep these before progressing, 4) suggest several tried-and-true "recipe for success" methods that are known to work, and 5) provide a list of required reading (books and threads).

If such a thread existed, 90% of threads could simply be answered by "read the FAQ". It enforces established successful methods, rather than throw random suggestions at a user whose tank we do not understand. I have learned that I am the best person to help myself with my own tank. We should teach people how to do that. I believe it will lead to improved discussion here.