New nano isn't doing as expected, Whats wrong?

Soccernut5824

Soccernut5824

New member
Quick overview of tank
12Gallon AIO
maxijet 1200 return pump
reef cleaners dry rock
sand
AI prime LED
Smart ATO

Fish

1 signalfin goby
2 ocellaris clowns

Coral
2 small frogspawn (4 heads total)
trumpet 2 heads
candy cane 4 heads
couple different zoas
mushrooms
devils hand leather
kenya tree
birds nest
GSP


Tank has been cycled for 3 months
First when I put coral in my light was way too strong and they didn't make it
since iv set my light to 45% during peak daylight at 17500k.

Overall my Fish seem to be happy and loving life but my coral does not seem to be living at all, rather just seems to be slowly dying. its been like this for a couple weeks now and just cannot seem to figure out how to fix it and get my coral lively again.

Tested water before and after 2 gallon water change with morning
before results (second number is after water change)
Salinity 35 35
PH 8.0 8.2
Nitrite 0.2 .2
Nitrate 50 20
Ammonia 0.0 0.0
Alk 9 dKH 9
Phos un readable(Zero) 0.0
Calcium 480 490

Everything looks good but my nitrates are way too high
water change helped Nitrate a little but it will be back up around 50 soon enough

I just can't seem to figure out why my corals arnt happy. Any input on how to improve my tank or options anyone has are appreciated.

Tank when I added first corals pieces ]
<a href="http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/socccernut5824/media/12%20nano%20build/7AAE8295-7587-4403-AB0D-93A07C459D98_zpsocehwlsm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m615/socccernut5824/12%20nano%20build/7AAE8295-7587-4403-AB0D-93A07C459D98_zpsocehwlsm.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 7AAE8295-7587-4403-AB0D-93A07C459D98_zpsocehwlsm.jpg"/></a>

When I added rest of coral
<a href="http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/socccernut5824/media/12%20nano%20build/AE12F9F0-0855-4B04-8AE3-F26504572E01_zpsa0crmlux.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m615/socccernut5824/12%20nano%20build/AE12F9F0-0855-4B04-8AE3-F26504572E01_zpsa0crmlux.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo AE12F9F0-0855-4B04-8AE3-F26504572E01_zpsa0crmlux.jpg"/></a>

Current FTS



Top down view
<a href="http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/socccernut5824/media/12%20nano%20build/0FEE64E0-F2D9-4310-ADDD-C40E42E1E13B_zps2sujr2vk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m615/socccernut5824/12%20nano%20build/0FEE64E0-F2D9-4310-ADDD-C40E42E1E13B_zps2sujr2vk.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 0FEE64E0-F2D9-4310-ADDD-C40E42E1E13B_zps2sujr2vk.jpg"/></a>
 
Add a skimmer if you can. Reef octopus has a pretty good mini skimmer that might fit in one of your back chambers. Also, I like to pull all mechanical filtration and replace with Chaeto. This effectively turns one if your chambers into a small refugium.

I find that mechanical filtration trends to trap detritus abs become nutrient sinks.

If you can make at least one of those changes it should help with nitrates.

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Is that dry rock?
Also, the high bioload is what makes the nitrates shoot up to 50. So, I'd try to either do more water changes or add a skimmer like Journeyman said. Also, if you do have the mechanical filtration, try to wash it out every couple of days. What's your water change schedule like?
 
Bugboy2020 said:
Is that dry rock?
Also, the high bioload is what makes the nitrates shoot up to 50. So, I'd try to either do more water changes or add a skimmer like Journeyman said. Also, if you do have the mechanical filtration, try to wash it out every couple of days. What's your water change schedule like?
Click to expand...



Yes it was dry rock from reef cleaners. I'd like to avoid adding a skimmer right now. Read a lot that they are almost pointless on nano tanks. Am looking into the best way to add cheato to my system.

Water changes are set at 2 gallons once a week but am going to change it to twice a week. Tuesday and Friday most likely.


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DustanT said:
Turn the lights down alot.
Click to expand...



Do you have the prime? Iv been struggling a lot with getting it set right and haven't been able to really find good information on what's working.

So you think 45% is still way too high for the corals?


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Soccernut5824 said:
12Gallon AIO
reef cleaners dry rock
sand
1 signalfin goby
2 ocellaris clowns
Tank has been cycled for 3 months

Tested water before and after 2 gallon water change with morning
before results (second number is after water change)
Nitrite 0.2 .2
Nitrate 50 20
Ammonia 0.0 0.0
Click to expand...

im my oversimplified view of the world, i'd say:
you moved too fast.
your bioload is more than what your bacteria population can handle. tank is still cycling.
you have measurable nitrites, and high nitrates. once your bacteria population catches up, nitrites will be 0, and nitrates should stay pretty low.

try to feed your fish way less for a while.

they will survive without food for a week or longer :) especially if they are fattened up right now.


J.
 
New nano isn't doing as expected, Whats wrong?

jurgenph said:
im my oversimplified view of the world, i'd say:
you moved too fast.
your bioload is more than what your bacteria population can handle. tank is still cycling.
you have measurable nitrites, and high nitrates. once your bacteria population catches up, nitrites will be 0, and nitrates should stay pretty low.

try to feed your fish way less for a while.

they will survive without food for a week or longer :) especially if they are fattened up right now.


J.
Click to expand...



I can understand this. Do you think my coral will make it thru to the point of improvement? They appear to be dying but at a very slow rate. How long can I expect it to take for my bacteria to catch up?


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Also I'm going to take the goby out I'm not a huge fan of him anyways back to the fish store he will go


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Soccernut5824 said:
I can understand this. Do you think my coral will make it thru to the point of improvement? They appear to be dying but at a very slow rate. How long can I expect it to take for my bacteria to catch up?
Click to expand...

hard to say. every tank is different. some corals are stronger than others.

do you have any Prime handy? dose some to your tank every 48 hours to detoxify the nitrites and nitrates and keep your fish happy.


J.
 
jurgenph said:
hard to say. every tank is different. some corals are stronger than others.



do you have any Prime handy? dose some to your tank every 48 hours to detoxify the nitrites and nitrates and keep your fish happy.





J.
Click to expand...



Never used prime are the directions self explanatory or is there a better way to dose ?


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You really don't have a lot of rock in there. That's fine if you use a bio media like Matrix or something similar. I would find a place to put some Matrix or live rock rubble in your filter chamber to increase the surface area for bacteria. You shouldn't have .2 nitrite. It needs to be 0. More bio media will help with that.

Good luck.
 
royy13 said:
You really don't have a lot of rock in there. That's fine if you use a bio media like Matrix or something similar. I would find a place to put some Matrix or live rock rubble in your filter chamber to increase the surface area for bacteria. You shouldn't have .2 nitrite. It needs to be 0. More bio media will help with that.

Good luck.
Click to expand...



Yes, I agree I'm not happy about the nitrite but I think that is from doing a thorough clean of the back chambers. Maybe not tho.

I have about 10lbs of dry rock in there and 15lbs of sand. That should be enough to maintain this 12 gallon nano. I would think am I wrong tho?


Since then I have been talking to my LFS owner and he suggested hanging my AI prime 3 feet above my tank and dropping my temp and salinity a bit so I have done that right now.

Light is running at 100% currently that high above the tank.
e87ab72356fd4ff262615afde6802cc8.jpg





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jurgenph said:
im my oversimplified view of the world, i'd say:
you moved too fast.
your bioload is more than what your bacteria population can handle. tank is still cycling.
you have measurable nitrites, and high nitrates. once your bacteria population catches up, nitrites will be 0, and nitrates should stay pretty low.

try to feed your fish way less for a while.

they will survive without food for a week or longer :) especially if they are fattened up right now.


J.
Click to expand...
i agree with jurgenph. I started with a 10gal and went to fast. I was chasing the chemistry and changing things to fast. Corals where dying and the tank was not happy. Now my tank is a 1 1/2 years old and everything is growing( even sps). I have a kessil 160 and I was constantly adjusting it. Now it at it most intest level it is 40%. What's seems to help the most is once a week 25% water changes.
 
Yeah, I've got a Kessil160 on my 22.....

Yeah, I've got a Kessil160 on my 22.....

it's about 6" off the surface, set to 60% intensity, 40% color for 9 hours. I'm not sure why a Prime at 45% would cause problems unless the spectrum is wrong or unless it was just too close.

I agree that you need a few more lbs of rock.

Glad to see you took out a fish. Maybe feed less. I feed 3-4x per week. Have plenty of pods in the tank so they're not going to starve. You should have some, too? As I've posted before, when I was neglecting this tank for nearly 3 years I never saw the watchman for the last 2 years, even at feeding time. He's alive and well.....and much larger than he was then.

Mostly, agree that the tank is still pretty new. Just be patient. The more stuff you change at the same time, from the flow to the feeding to the supplements to the lighting to the........harder it is to figure out what's wrong. Taking a fish out should help as you do water changes. You may be fine with that. If that doesn't work, maybe get a piece of LR or some rubble for a rear chamber to add good bacteria. Maybe nothing else.

Other than the light. :) That will need to be closer to the water!

Good luck!
 
ReefinChicago said:
it's about 6" off the surface, set to 60% intensity, 40% color for 9 hours. I'm not sure why a Prime at 45% would cause problems unless the spectrum is wrong or unless it was just too close.



I agree that you need a few more lbs of rock.



Glad to see you took out a fish. Maybe feed less. I feed 3-4x per week. Have plenty of pods in the tank so they're not going to starve. You should have some, too? As I've posted before, when I was neglecting this tank for nearly 3 years I never saw the watchman for the last 2 years, even at feeding time. He's alive and well.....and much larger than he was then.



Mostly, agree that the tank is still pretty new. Just be patient. The more stuff you change at the same time, from the flow to the feeding to the supplements to the lighting to the........harder it is to figure out what's wrong. Taking a fish out should help as you do water changes. You may be fine with that. If that doesn't work, maybe get a piece of LR or some rubble for a rear chamber to add good bacteria. Maybe nothing else.



Other than the light. :) That will need to be closer to the water!



Good luck!
Click to expand...



Idk man, today I looked at my corals and my leather was starting to extend upwards. And my Kenya tree was larger than Iv ever seen him.

Iv had the prime set at all the setting from 20% to max at 6-8 inches off the surface and never saw any of my corals showing any sign of growth or forward progress.

In going to keep my light like this for a while and see what happens.


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