ready for SPS...or am I?

[christyf5]

you're fine for lighting and will probably get some nice blues out of those SPS you select that lean towards blue colors. I'd go with the species Brad suggested and maybe some el cheapo brown frags, don't spend too much until you know what your system can handle. Definitely run carbon as the chemical warfare might be too much for either the SPS or the softies (although your softies are pretty large so I'd imagine the SPS would have issues first if that were the case).

Good luck and don't forget the photos!!

[Myka]

FYI, things like frogspawn and Galaxea that you have mentioned are LPS, not softies. If it has a skeleton it is a hard coral. When a hard coral dies it leaves it's skeleton behind, if a soft coral dies it won't leave a skeleton behind.

Many leathers corals are chemically aggressive releasing toxins into the water to defend their territory. These chemicals can inhibit color and growth of any other coral, but SPS would be more sensitive than LPS or other softies. Using lots of carbon will help to absorb these chemicals, and a reactor will make the carbon more effective.

I wouldn't re-home your Devil's Hand yet, unless it is very large. Try some easy SPS like Montipora digitata (aka branching Monti) or Montipora Capricornis (aka Monti Cap). If you have had them for 6 months, all your water parameters are perfect, and your lighting is sufficient, but the Montis remain brown then I would look at reducing the number of chemically aggressive corals.

[ickmagnet]

So, I tried keeping a piece of cheap sps and unfortunately, it is dead. Strange, because water parameters (including Kh and Ca) appear to be good. I only use rodi water and have ample lighting.

I'm thinking that maybe the chemical warfare has begun between the lps,softies, and the sps. You guys mentioned carbon to help prevent this. ummm..how do I add this exactly? Should I just throw some of that carbon media from freshwater canister aquarium pumps into the sump?

[ickmagnet]

Anybdy? I know you guys got this one. I'm gonna head over to jl today so any answers are appreciated

[Aquattro]

First, the one piece (frag?) may have just died because sometimes they like to do that. If you added it, and it quickly perished, then probably due to some other reason.
To use carbon, you can just add some to a media bag and throw it in the sump, or you can use a media reactor and run water through it (at a slow rate so as not to grind the carbon up).