Please help, Kessil Spectral controller on Pico tank. Everything is dying.

Nano101 · Jul 31, 2017

I have a 4g pico. Up and running for about 3 months. Have a Kessil A80 with a spectral controller (just got the controller a few days ago). I use two pumps for higher water flow. Auto aqua micro ATO. I do bi-weekly one gallon water changes. I use Red Sea coral pro salt. My sps are dead/bleached, my lps aren't looking great. I have no idea what my levels should be on the spectral controller for a 4 gallon pico. Any settings recommendations would be appreciated.

I'm really frustrated with this tank. It looked so beautiful at first and everything is going downhill. Parameters are where they should be, so I'm guessing it's light settings.

Have been contemplating a mame glass skimmer, to boost filtration. My only filtration is biological and I use chemipure blue.

Please help

K100286 · Jul 31, 2017

What is the intensity set at on your Kessil?

Branzol · Jul 31, 2017

Bring the intensity down on your Kessil. Any chance you have access to a PAR meter?

Nano101 · Jul 31, 2017

Branzol said:
Bring the intensity down on your Kessil. Any chance you have access to a PAR meter?

I do not

Branzol · Jul 31, 2017

Check your PM's

Ghxst · Jul 31, 2017

Hate to be the harbringer of doom but A 3 month old pico would very rarely keep sps alive for a long period of time ( without lots of experience and fail safes). I wouldn't blame the light. Try softies and easy to care coral that can manage the chemical and temp fluxs a 3 gallon tank does and after a year, once your biology is good try some moderate to care for corals. If you could slap a 30 gallon sump on it and you will have better luck. I tried a 5.5 gallon pico and added easy sps after 6 months and even though they lived 6 months they never looked great. I put the two rocks in my main tank and they literally took off and looked excellent.

Ghxst · Jul 31, 2017

In short it's the biology that's the downfall not your care or anything like that, so don't think I'm haten on ya . Don't give up, just go for easier coral until your biology catches up in 9 more months.

PiscesPower · Jul 31, 2017

I have a PAR meter and Kessil A80 on my 4 g pico. The only sps I have in it are 2 Stylophora and I think they do well anywhere. Anyway, PAR at the top of the tank never gets above 150, and thats really close to the surface. The Kessil A80 is not very powerful. Mine is onyl about 4" from the top of the tank. I do well with LPS, softies and some Zoas. My tank has only been running a few months but so far, so good. I have great polyp extension on everything. See my avatar pic for my tank. I really don't think they are strong enough for the sps, and I don't think you can keep the stability for them in such a small volume. Just my humble opinion on the last part. The PAR readings that I have gotten (using a Seneye reef monitor), have been checked a few times.

Other thought, 2 pumps might be a bit much. I have a 158g return pump at 3/4 power. I have a Hydor PICO that I turn on for about 15 minures a few times a week when I am feeding coral frenzy. I have no fish, just a POM POM crab, some hermits and a snail, and lots of pods. Crazy but they are my algae clean up crew. I have the tank at work and leave the lights off over the weekend. It seems to keep algae in check.

K100286 · Jul 31, 2017

All the above advice is correct. I would let it go for at least 6 mos. Sps in 3 gal. tank will be hard. Soft corals are best bet. Good luck.

Ghxst · Aug 1, 2017

I would really like to follow along and help if needed. I can even give you some sps that do great in nano tanks as long as I still have frags avail by then.

Do you have a tank build? It's a great time to make one and show Rev, he would like that. He's even giving away cool stuff for doing so.

I have seen a few locals with amazing sps/lps in 10g picos if your looking to upgrade. You could turn a standard 10 into a 6g display 4g sump AIO easily.

Nano101 · Aug 1, 2017

IM Pico 4g Reef Build

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/IM-Pico-4g-Reef-Build.307189/

Ghxst · Aug 1, 2017

Great! I reviewed it all and asked for some information on your thread. We're in the right direction

FUIceman · Aug 4, 2017

PiscesPower said:
I have a PAR meter and Kessil A80 on my 4 g pico. The only sps I have in it are 2 Stylophora and I think they do well anywhere. Anyway, PAR at the top of the tank never gets above 150, and thats really close to the surface. The Kessil A80 is not very powerful. Mine is onyl about 4" from the top of the tank. I do well with LPS, softies and some Zoas. My tank has only been running a few months but so far, so good. I have great polyp extension on everything. See my avatar pic for my tank. I really don't think they are strong enough for the sps, and I don't think you can keep the stability for them in such a small volume. Just my humble opinion on the last part. The PAR readings that I have gotten (using a Seneye reef monitor), have been checked a few times.

Other thought, 2 pumps might be a bit much. I have a 158g return pump at 3/4 power. I have a Hydor PICO that I turn on for about 15 minures a few times a week when I am feeding coral frenzy. I have no fish, just a POM POM crab, some hermits and a snail, and lots of pods. Crazy but they are my algae clean up crew. I have the tank at work and leave the lights off over the weekend. It seems to keep algae in check.

Are you using a controller, or keep lights at a constant level? What are you settings at?

PiscesPower · Aug 4, 2017

FUIceman said:
Are you using a controller, or keep lights at a constant level? What are you settings at?

I don't use a controller. I have the color set 3/4 to blues and during the days when I'm at work I manually ramp up to 100% intensity. When its just on the timer over the weekend, I keep it at about 50%. Not as visually appealing but it seems to work well and keep any algae issues at bay. The PAR I note about is with the lights at 3/4 to the blue color and 100% intensity, center of the tank, sitting on the rock when the stylo sits.

Nano101 · Aug 6, 2017

Tests results posted in Tank build thread

Nano101 · Aug 29, 2017

Switching from Red Sea coral pro salt to reef crystals has made a huge difference. The Red Sea salt is great in an established, alkalinity demanding tank, but in a pico like mine I don't think it's the best choice. My sps are gone, but everything else is bouncing back.