jolt Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 So, I am very new to SPS keeping, 5 months in. I have some frags that appear super happy (encrustation, growth, polyp extension, color), and some that are not (little to no PE, but at least slow encrustation), and some in between. At this point I think I am probably spending too much time moving little sticks around and picking them up from the sandbed when knocked down by CUC. This is complicated by tweaking flow and PAR since my tank is new. I'm not worried about the ones that are supper happy I think they are ready to be glued down to the rocks. But I am wondering how long to wait for the others since moving and being knocked down probably aggravates the situation for them. So, when do you experienced SPS keepers commit to gluing down a frag onto the rocks and what minimum do you use to decide it is a good enough place for a given frag ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 When your water quality parameters are stable for a few weeks AND it looks happy is when it stays put. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard L Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 +1 on what Victoly said. I've found that glueing frags to live rock creates a fairly weak bond. It's the encrusting onto live rock which creates the real bond. So for the first few weeks if flow or light is not working you can usually pop a frag off without damaging it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Keep in mind not everything will be happy in your tank and it can, on occasion, take a long time for a new frag to acclimate to your tank before it starts to show good growth and expansion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Try where you want the frag to be and glue it there, and if it doesn't seem to be happy there or look good there, in about 3-4 weeks time, I will try relocating it somewhere else. It's just trial and error. Have lots of epoxy and super glue on hand and make the glue sandwich I was talking about... super glue, epoxy, then super glue, and then press it quickly into the live rock. Sent via Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 When your water quality parameters are stable for a few weeks AND it looks happy is when it stays put. I *think* my parameters are pretty stable. I use BRS 2 part dosing with BRS dosing pumps set to run hourly for 10 seconds. I measure same day and time each week (6pm weds). Been measuring weekly since feb, and the info below summarizes stability for the last 60 days. I see variations week-to-week as follows temp: 78.5 +/- 0.1 salinity: 35.0 +/- 0.2 (reef angel probe and veegee refractometer) alkalinity: 8.7 +/- 0.3 (red sea titration test) calcium: 430 +/- 10 (red sea titration test) mag: 1580 +/- 20 (red sea titration, I know this is high, testing my IO salt freshly mixed shows ~ 1600 and I do not dose mag) phosphate: 0 always with Hanna low range checker, yet I have a little too much hair algae for my own comfort, currently GFO is OFF RODI TDS: 0 running 1/4 cup GAC in a bag in sump replaced monthly Thanks for any feedback! -jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I'd switch to Hanna Alk checker for more resolution. Alk is by far the most important geochemical parameter. I'm still evaluating the way I test phosphate, but my gut says that the way we are measuring phosphate isn't giving us the full picture. Specifically I believe that the Hanna ulr phosphate doesn't give good enough information to be useful in our measurement range. By we I mean sps keepers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Those are really stable. Realistically, it's pretty much alk and PO4 you have to worry about. I try to put a frag where I want it to end up unless I know it needs to light acclimate. I've had best results not moving stuff around as much as possible. The exception being seriatoporas which randomly get upset no matter how long they've been in the tank or where they're located at. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 Those are really stable. Realistically, it's pretty much alk and PO4 you have to worry about. I try to put a frag where I want it to end up unless I know it needs to light acclimate. I've had best results not moving stuff around as much as possible. The exception being seriatoporas which randomly get upset no matter how long they've been in the tank or where they're located at. Thanks for the feedback. I have two birdsnests that are in the 'happy' category for now. I read about your experiences with them being randomly PO'd and have been watching them for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAM Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Jim it's all about getting to know your tank. Unless you place the frags in a designated separate acclamation grow out tank. I don't spend much time before gluing them down. As you know, even when I glue them down I still move them at time. That's just how I am. Sometimes I move them for color coordination, sometimes for flow, sometimes for size, etc. I personally believe this is one of the fun part of this hobby. You are working on your tank and make it look better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 Jim it's all about getting to know your tank. Unless you place the frags in a designated separate acclamation grow out tank. I don't spend much time before gluing them down. As you know, even when I glue them down I still move them at time. That's just how I am. Sometimes I move them for color coordination, sometimes for flow, sometimes for size, etc. I personally believe this is one of the fun part of this hobby. You are working on your tank and make it look better. I do enjoy that a lot. I can spend hours just staring at things and trying to figure out the perfect arrangement LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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