sps in a biocube

[epaulette2]

i am getting a little frag of birdnest tonight i am curious if my biocubes PC lighting is enough for sps. let me know what you guys think. this will be our first shot at a real sps if we get it not sure if i want to do it without knowing if its good enough lighting.

 

[Tgunz127]

I had someone give me a piece of birdsnest a long time ago and it's still living in my biocube 29g.... Just brown lol

 

[Cubbies]

No! Not at all. . . .

 

[epaulette2]

so sps in a biocube is a bad idea?

 

[epaulette2]

tgunz has yours grown since you got it?

 

[Cubbies]

Well if it is browned out it's not healthy.

 

[epaulette2]

so would i be correct if i said you cant have healthy sps in a biocube without using a different light source than PCs?

 

[FishBeard]

I have a couple cheap acro frags in a 14 biocube, literally inches from the surface, with indirect flow from a 425 koralia nano, its my project tank now, and the frags are nothing special. Aside from losing a little vibrance, they still show good polyp extension. Just run a skimmer if possible and be faithful on your water changes, and don't expect a lot of vibrant color. I kept a thin branch ora green birdsnest in the tank before, and it grew like a weed in there just as much as it does now with my LED in the 60g tank.

 

[Tgunz127]

It wouldn't have been healthy in the garbage either....... But on the other hand .... Very little growth ..

 

[epaulette2]

so keep it near the top and it is possible to do sps without it turning brown? if i dont run a skimmer on my biocube yet should i start?

 

[Tgunz127]

Mine has crazy polyp extension too... Most likely cause it wants more light... I can send u a pic of mine thru email or text i can't figure out how to post pics from iPhone

 

[FishBeard]

In my tank, they don't have any crazier polyp extension than they do in a properly lit environment. Just not as much color as they should.

 

[poidog]

Birds nests are one of the least demanding SPS corals. I kept an ORA green birds nets in my nanocube, under PC lighting, before I upgraded to MH. It grew to the point I had to frag it and held it's color. I would say if you have a birds nest up top you'd be fine.

 

[epaulette2]

eric did you have a skimmer running with your bird nest in your biocube?

 

[poidog]

Not at that time. I started skimming when I went MH and stocked acros.

 

[Tgunz127]

I do not run a skimmer either

 

[SkullV]

Never ran a skimmer in my SPS nanocube either. Just Chemipure Elite, filter floss, and a weekly 10% water change.

 

[Cubbies]

Well I guess experience counts more. I wouldn't do it and never did in my BC but hey who am I to go against experience. GL Hope it works out for ya

 

[KiLaGo]

I moved my birdnest from my BC 29 led lighting to a BC 14 with PC lighting. I bought a frag rack and keep it up near the top with some other SPS. I run Chemi-pure Elite, a refugium, and purigen in the BC 14. I actually seem to be getting good growth from all of my SPS which I was shocked by.

 

[epaulette2]

well i guess it is possible then. i was going to get a frag of birdsnest but instead we picked up a nice piece of trumpet coral and a rock full of bright orange zoas. but it is good to know that it is possible to have a sps in a biocube.