Unsure whats wrong

[MrNice]

So I setup my fluval evo 13.5 almost 3 months ago, cycled and have now added a yellow watchman goby and a clean up crew. Also added a toadstool leather and a GSP. My parameters seem good to me but unsure if my nutrients are to low.
I changed the stock pump to jeabo dcs1200 and added an rfg so flow seems fairly strong although I have considered adding a wave maker. My toadstool opens each day but the polpys are not fully opening and I'm yet to see the GSP open at all (4days old) .
My parameters
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 3
Phosphate 0
Salinity 1.026
Ph 8.2
Alkalinity 8
Any ideas why my corals are struggling so much? I have been over feeding recently to try and raise nutrients.

 

[Pickle_soup]

You have no nutrients, that's pretty much it. The flow might be a bit too strong too. It's almost 20 times the water volume, which is okay ( personally I prefer 10x water volume/ph), just don't have it blasting at the corals. With that said, GSP can handle pretty much anything. I use the same set up for my invert Qt, and have my GSP mid tank, with no direct flow at it, and it's doing well.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I had a 13.5 with syncra silent 1.0 with RFG kit installed and MP10 set around 40% and had it s flow aimed towards the black panel.

What light are you running? And yes add some Neophos as the corals will thank you. Aim for .04-.03

 

[MrNice]

I had a 13.5 with syncra silent 1.0 with RFG kit installed and MP10 set around 40% and had it s flow aimed towards the black panel.

What light are you running? And yes add some Neophos as the corals will thank you. Aim for .04-.03

Still have the stock light running, unsure weather to replace with ai blade or fluval marine 3.0 as I want to keep the lid. I have the GSP placed low and noticed at lights out it is opening.......

 

[MrNice]

You have no nutrients, that's pretty much it. The flow might be a bit too strong too. It's almost 20 times the water volume, which is okay ( personally I prefer 10x water volume/ph), just don't have it blasting at the corals. With that said, GSP can handle pretty much anything. I use the same set up for my invert Qt, and have my GSP mid tank, with no direct flow at it, and it's doing well.

What's a good way to raise nutrients naturally? I don't really want to mess with water chemistry this early. Jeabo dc 1200 is pulling through 2 media baskets so I think flow is much more like x10 to be honest.

 

[hunterallen40]

What's a good way to raise nutrients naturally? I don't really want to mess with water chemistry this early. Jeabo dc 1200 is pulling through 2 media baskets so I think flow is much more like x10 to be honest.

I completely understand the desire to do things naturally here, but you have an un-natural phosphate sync in your system. This is because it is a new system, and will go away once the rock and sand saturate.

I think a DIY phosphate solution is a good idea, personally (using something like sodium phosphate dibasic). Neophos works too if you don't want to mess with the phosphate mix (understandable), but it is far less economical.

Cheers, and welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Still have the stock light running, unsure weather to replace with ai blade or fluval marine 3.0 as I want to keep the lid. I have the GSP placed low and noticed at lights out it is opening.......

I know for a fact that the Fluval Marine 3.0 light will fit your factory hood. It can be done cleanly and look like it belongs in place. As for the AI blade I have no idea if it will fit within the hood. If you do decide on the Fluval light hit me up and I can direct you on what modification needs to be done to keep it aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

I was able to place a frag of forest fire montipora right on the sand bed in the tank and have it grow under that light. I also added two separate 12" 453nm 21ledusa light bars under the Hood for fill light which worked amazingly well.

And I understand you want to naturally bring up your phosphate but naturally means feeding more and you're just going to pollute the tank and that's why some of us are recommending a phosphate additive.

 

[MrNice]

Thanks for the reply. The Ai blade fits the hood just as well as the fluval marine 3.0 but I have heard many people have an issue with uneven white lights at each end of the blade. I'm not opposed to using a phosphate additive but I can't seem to find the right thing to dose phosphate here in rural Ireland. I went round the pharmacies today looking for sodium phosphate but could find any and can't order from Amazon from here. I can order something from LFS tomorrow.

 

[ehull71]

I had a 13.5 with syncra silent 1.0 with RFG kit installed and MP10 set around 40% and had it s flow aimed towards the black panel.

What light are you running? And yes add some Neophos as the corals will thank you. Aim for .04-.03

I know for a fact that the Fluval Marine 3.0 light will fit your factory hood. It can be done cleanly and look like it belongs in place. As for the AI blade I have no idea if it will fit within the hood. If you do decide on the Fluval light hit me up and I can direct you on what modification needs to be done to keep it aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

I was able to place a frag of forest fire montipora right on the sand bed in the tank and have it grow under that light. I also added two separate 12" 453nm 21ledusa light bars under the Hood for fill light which worked amazingly well.

And I understand you want to naturally bring up your phosphate but naturally means feeding more and you're just going to pollute the tank and that's why some of us are recommending a phosphate additive.

How did you mod the hood to fit the fluval 3.0 marine light

 

[Salty_Northerner]

How did you mod the hood to fit the fluval 3.0 marine light

I just cut the right side plastic piece so it fit and had the same height across the top. It'll also allow you to slip it between the AIO rear chambers plastic cover. the left side of the light I just extended it to the feeding hole and thats it.

 

[ehull71]

I just cut the right side plastic piece so it fit and had the same height across the top. It'll also allow you to slip it between the AIO rear chambers plastic cover. the left side of the light I just extended it to the feeding hole and thats it.

So you now remove the lid to feed right?
I'm trying to decide between this light and the AI blade

 

[ehull71]

I just cut the right side plastic piece so it fit and had the same height across the top. It'll also allow you to slip it between the AIO rear chambers plastic cover. the left side of the light I just extended it to the feeding hole and thats it.

I'm also hoping I can get this pump in there to replace original
Jebao DCW SINE DC Controllable Water Pump (DCW-1500)