SPS woes

[fishguy194]

Ok so, I have a 6 gallon nano with mixed corals. I have had ZERO luck with any SPS. Currently I have 3 monti's and they're all bleached and receding. I think they were doing fine until I filled my media reactors with both bio pellets and GFO. I did not know that too little phosphate was a problem! So here are my tank stats:
2x 18 watt t5 HO
500 gph aqueon circulation pump
Prizm skimmer
5 gallon sump
Dual stage BRS reactor
1.025 specific gravity
74.5 degrees
8.3 pH
0 nitrates
0 phosphates
I don't have any other test kits so I don't know any other parameters. I change 2 gallons biweekly. Am I approaching this incorrectly? Should I add phosphorous supplements? If there's anything else you need to know just let me know.

 

[XxreeffreakxX]

Hmm I think maybe you need a bigger tank, levels would fluctuate to much IMO I a small tank like that . Sps need very stable environment , which personally I dont think a 6 gallon can do

 

[Reef Bass]

My two cents - if you wish to keep stony corals, you should be concerned with keeping your levels of alkalinity, calcium and magnesium in line and stable.

While I don't run biopellets, I've heard of too much too rapidly causing large problems.

I would not supplement phosphorus. Usually any feeding of fish or corals provides more than enough.

I agree 6 gallons is a very low overall volume for sps, but he does have a 5g sump, which should definitely help.

Good luck.

 

[sponger0]

Take off the GFO and Biopellets. Go with a weekly water change, not biweekly. Then keep track of your PO4. All living things needs phosphates so if you have none, well you know the rest

 

[tripdad]

I have a ten gal. with a one gal fuge and its been up for a year with sps and lps. I dose 2 part, broken into 2 doses at 12 hr intervals, and run 1 Tbsp of GFO and 3 Tbsp of carbon. I also had to increase lighting to now having 96 watts of T5 over it to get Acro's to thrive, seems like a lot. It has been tough to keep water params stable enough to have sucess. Also what's your fishload? Limit it to 1 or 2 small so your not fighting that waste battle also, just enough to feed corals.

 

[oscar.millan]

Too small of a tank for stability in my opinion.

 

[tripdad]

Fishguy194. It is difficult to hold params steady but it can be done. Go over to the nano forum there are others doing it, perhaps you will find something that helps. Good luck