I give up.

[ReskyZZ]

That's sound near to success bro, just need a little tune.. You know your tank very well rather than anyone, sure you will get it soon..

 

[Premium]

Lighting might not be strong enough. Just a guess

That's what I'm thinking not familiar with it but it's only a 20 w light

 

[VintageReefer]

That's what I'm thinking not familiar with it but it's only a 20 w light

With these settings

Blue-35%
Violet-15%
Cyan-15%
Red-10%
White-5%

 

[Knucker]

Have you tried just softies like Xenia, Anthelia, GSP?

 

[Premium]

Hey buddy hang in there this can be a very challenging hobby but that's what makes it so rewarding. I'm with @VintageReefer I'm not super familiar with Fluval lights but it's not super powerful Google search says the Nano is 20 w. I've got an IM 15g with the Kessil A80 it's a 15w light and it struggles to keep Zoas and shrooms alive. All of you efforts sound good and it seems You're keeping a good eye on things. However the longer I'm in this hobby I've learned less is more. Good flow good lights and stable parameters. That's all that there really is to this. But if you can get your hands on a par meter I think it would be valuable information. Corals main source of energy is through photosynthesis. Stay strong.

 

[Premium]

With these settings

Blue-35%
Violet-15%
Cyan-15%
Red-10%
White-5%

Yeah... Im confused if that's the levels he's programmed them at or the amount of different LEDs the light has. It's a pretty inexpensive light so I can't imagine it's got Alot of programmability. But if he's able to adjust the different spectrums then that's way too low. I've got a Kessil A80 (15w) in a 15 g and my par on my tank goes from 60s at the top to 30 in the sand bed at full intensity.

 

[Premium]

Have you tried just softies like Xenia, Anthelia, GSP?

Omg GSP you can't kill that stuff

 

[Tinnerito]

Have you tried just softies like Xenia, Anthelia, GSP?

I've tried a lot of lps, and leathers, but never a softy since I hear they proliferate at uncontrollable rates. (that is if I can keep them alive) but my tank size seems to be the only issue after reading other replies.

 

[landlubber]

due to lack of information regarding the maintenance habits or condition of the water I'm just going to offer what i wish I would have heard.
when i started, like many new reefers I bought corals months before i should have and watched them all perish. When i should have just been more patient and tried to make it work and there was no way it would have.
For best results, add your first fish after the cycle and if you're inexperienced wait 3 months to introduce your first coral which should be a zoa or soft coral. 6 months before and LPS and a year minimum for SPS.

 

[Knucker]

Trust me start off easy. Stick to softies, don't worry about how fast they spread. Just cut them back and give them to your friends. Mushrooms are also a great die hard coral

 

[Tinnerito]

due to lack of information regarding the maintenance habits or condition of the water I'm just going to offer what i wish I would have heard.
when i started, like many new reefers I bought corals months before i should have and watched them all perish. When i should have just been more patient and tried to make it work and there was no way it would have.
For best results, add your first fish after the cycle and if you're inexperienced wait 3 months to introduce your first coral which should be a zoa or soft coral. 6 months before and LPS and a year minimum for SPS.

As you read the replies, I go over more about the tank status, but it as of today is 7 months old, and I got my very first coral for it at 5 months, but previous replies led me to belive that it being a 6 gallon pico is what made it so difficult.

 

[landlubber]

As you read the replies, I go over more about the tank status, but it as of today is 7 months old, and I got my very first coral for it at 5 months, but previous replies led me to belive that it being a 6 gallon pico is what made it so difficult.

I don't know how i missed the other pages but i've skimmed them them now.
A Pico is definitely going to represent a stability challenging but at end of the day the same rules apply and one glaring issue i see from a post just from Wednesday of last week where you have a reading for an ammonia test... a 7 month old tank should NOT have readable ammonia.
Having ammonia present is an indication that your denitrifying bacteria (otherwise known as a cycle) are not doing their job and its completely toxic to corals and fish.
To me this is probably a combination of too much water being changed and likely not enough baserock for them to colonize on.

 

[Biff0rz]

honestly, this hobby is NOT cheap. I too started young and struggled. I then left the hobby and came back to it when I could afford it more. My advice, which someone gave, just keep fish for now. When you're in a better spot and know more about the hobby, then try corals again (just go slow).

 

[Tinnerito]

I don't know how i missed the other pages but i've skimmed them them now.
A Pico is definitely going to represent a stability challenging but at end of the day the same rules apply and one glaring issue i see from a post just from Wednesday of last week where you have a reading for an ammonia test... a 7 month old tank should NOT have readable ammonia.
Having ammonia present is an indication that your denitrifying bacteria (otherwise known as a cycle) are not doing their job and its completely toxic to corals and fish.
To me this is probably a combination of too much water being changed and likely not enough baserock for them to colonize on.

That surprises me. It's read at about 0.2ppm for every time I've tested since I added the first fish, to which it tested as 0 previously. I though it was no big deal as I now have 3 fish, and a lot of invertebrates and macroalgae that seem to thrive and are growing well.

 

[Tinnerito]

honestly, this hobby is NOT cheap. I too started young and struggled. I then left the hobby and came back to it when I could afford it more. My advice, which someone gave, just keep fish for now. When you're in a better spot and know more about the hobby, then try corals again (just go slow).

Fish and macros look just as beautiful anyways.

 

[landlubber]

That surprises me. It's read at about 0.2ppm for every time I've tested since I added the first fish, to which it tested as 0 previously. I though it was no big deal as I now have 3 fish, and a lot of invertebrates and macroalgae that seem to thrive and are growing well.

if it were my tank i'd be hammering a piece of rock apart, cycle it in a separate pail for the next month and add it in.
While i'm really feeling honest... success in this hobby is a very validating feeling and will more than likely renew your confidence. You'd mentioned previously that you're starting the hard way using a Pico.... well around where i live an empty standard 20 gallon is very inexpensive... like $30.
You might consider buying one, filling it with some freshly made saltwater, that additional rock you need to cycle and doing a little upgrade! You'll get the benefit of stability, open the door different fish/corals, more room for a bit of a creative aquascape and I feel like it'd validate that you do know what you're doing.
Just a thought

 

[Reef.Blue]

Hi everyone. I've been trying to keep corals for a long time now, and after each attempt, and after every new knowledge, and experiences I gain, I can't seem to stop failing. And as a 15 year old teenage reefer, buying new corals time and time again after deep consideration and research following the previous fails, costs a ton of pocket money which takes me years to save. I've been reading books, watching videos, and speaking to professionals in person on every specific of captive marine aquaria since I was 11, but to this day regardless of how many mistakes I may fix, or how many precautions or measures I take, corals always seem to die on me.



I just spent the last of my money on my third attempt at keeping a coral after 5 months prior to the previous faliure, speaking to more reefers, watching more videos, and reading more books and yet...



What the reefing community considers to be the easiest coral in the world to keep, is dying on me. I've been trying everything I can like multiple dips, different acclimation and quarentine methods, dosing nutrients and minerals, changing light, flow, parameters, and simply leaving the coral alone for self resolution, but nothing seems to work. I am told waiting awhile is the solution but my corals die so rapidly it seems like there's nothing that I can do anymore. I've never had a coral survive for more than 2 months, and I've definitely never seen any of my corals grow.



Fortunately, every saltwater aquarium that I own has a variety of fish, anemones, macroalgaes, sea sponges, crustaceans, and mollusks that all thrive and grow under my care. So I guess these years of research aren't for nothing. But if I ever try to inch toward keeping a coral again, I'm bound to get the same end result. And now, my bank account is empty, and I officially give up on corals... for now; until I am old enough to get a job, and maybe my own place to try again.



Any advice?

I was in the exact same spot as you. I am a 16 year old reefer and I started about 3 years ago. I understand the struggle of spending all your money just for everything to die. I am still struggling in some ways now, but once I started to dedicate more of my time, and stay extremely consistent with tank maintenance and care, I started to see that my corals and fish were doing great. Are there common problems arise in your tank? Parameters, flow, lighting, nutrients, etc.

 

[Tinnerito]

if it were my tank i'd be hammering a piece of rock apart, cycle it in a separate pail for the next month and add it in.
While i'm really feeling honest... success in this hobby is a very validating feeling and will more than likely renew your confidence. You'd mentioned previously that you're starting the hard way using a Pico.... well around where i live an empty standard 20 gallon is very inexpensive... like $30.
You might consider buying one, filling it with some freshly made saltwater, that additional rock you need to cycle and doing a little upgrade! You'll get the benefit of stability, open the door different fish/corals, more room for a bit of a creative aquascape and I feel like it'd validate that you do know what you're doing.
Just a thought

I'm out of room for more tanks, however when I try at corals again. I will be adding them to my largest tank.