Need help with SPS tank

[spslover123]

Hey,

I realize that this may be a stupid question but thanks for anyone who can help me

After taking down all my old tanks(because of move) and selling all my old tank mates. I am finally in the process of getting my tanks back up. The only thing is that I'm a little short on money right now and a hundred #'s of liverock can't be done for awhile. So I was wondering if I could just set up a tank with no liverock(maybe some raised eggcrate) and just start some sps frags going? Would this be possible/harder/easier without the live rock?
Ill be getting my metal halides in about a week and I already have my old tank parts ( tank skimmer pumps and etc) This may be a dumb question but this could at least give me something to do until the $$$ comes in for the LR. Thanks!

Chris Z

[spslover123]

.

[BradR]

Surest way to be even more short on money is to put SPS into a non-established tank and have them die on you.

[nemofish2217]

you don't neccessarily have to have all live rock at first...you can get some reef bones to mix with the LR. A few months down the road, you will be able to tell no difference. The LR seeds the base rock to eventually make it live. Thats what i did, got about 50 or so pounds of live rock and anbout 80 of base rock. Now it all pretty much looks the same. Thats just MO.

[yuhsuen]

ditto that nemofish. I got about 90lb of base in mine and 20lbs of LR and close to 100lb of LS and 3 months now, the base is starting to take on some coraline and the color is now bone white anymore...although the trace amounts of hair algae is not exactly pleasing, but hey, it was way cheaper.

[spslover123]

Originally posted by spslover123
I realize that this may be a stupid question but thanks for anyone who can help me

Thanks

[spslover123]

Could someone explain how they grow there coral frags in stores?
I realize that their water is established but my LFS has a huge vat with eggcrate halfway up and have their sps frags growing on it. Thanks again.

Chris

[Dantheman3]

I work at a pretty nice LFS here in SD(part-time for the discount hehe) and we usually dont "grow" them. Most of the time the egg crates are just for temporary holding until they are sold. Some people do have specific frag tanks to grow or recover a frag before adding it to the display. If it is a frag tank though with no LR in the tank it is usually in the sump/fuge they have attached to it. Some way or another you will need to establish enough bacteria to keep the water stable enough for SPS.

[spslover123]

Thanks

[ProdigalPoster]

I may be incorrect, but if you go in and add all this coral in, they decide to put in LR, doing the ammonia cycle you may damage if not kill your coral.

Am I too far off the path?

[spslover123]

That wasnt my plan. It was to have this as a seperate system. Then, once I would get the rock it would be cured in the main tank, and once it is fully cured I would move the frags over the the main display.

[spslover123]

ok so i guess not