230g 6 months old , help!

Outatime · Sep 17, 2023

Hey all, need a little help please, I am having troubles with my new 230g tank, after I started about six months ago with new live sand and live gulf rock. I have been testing the water and my Nitrate 75 and phosphate 0.90 flashing on my hanna. I do regular changes each 2 weeks or so but never seems to bring it down much .

Stocking level is a powder blue tang, naso tang , Picasso trigger, blue throat trigger, puffer, hawk fish and a fox face. They are messy eaters but my water never seems clear and always messy, lighting never seems great either with the three AIs I have. (2 x 2 lights and 1 x 4 light)

I have long hair algea all over the place too.

Two Nero 7s at either end of the tank, I installed a reefmat 1200 on it a couple of months ago and goes through about 32 inches a day right now and the skimmer cup fills up and I empty it each week. Middle of the sump has chaeto and a led light on a timer.

I have more dry rock curing at the moment as I know I am a little low. Will do a water change tomorrow but it never seems to change much, tank just looks drab all the time :-(. Any help or advice please?

Thank you

littlefoxx · Sep 17, 2023

Try a UV sterilizer! That helps clear the water out. As far as the high readings maybe get a different test to double check, I use fluval and red sea to double check myself! Do any of your fish seem stressed? Whats the ammonia, nitrites and Ph?

Outatime · Sep 17, 2023

Thank you , I am running UV, Ammonia is zero, PH was good but can't remember the nitrites...will check again and report back. Fish seem quite happy no issues or death..I was worried about the powder blue and Naso at first but they get along great.

littlefoxx · Sep 17, 2023

Outatime said:
Thank you , I am running UV, Ammonia is zero, PH was good but can't remember the nitrites...will check again and report back. Fish seem quite happy no issues or death..I was worried about the powder blue and Naso at first but they get along great.

For now lol, I thought that with my PBT until I came home yesterday and she was trying to kill my other fish! Had to re home :(

Reefering1 · Sep 17, 2023

Looks pretty good for 6 months. You can manually remove algea, extend fuge light duration, change water, try a couple corals. Move slow, give changes a few months to show effects. At least tank isn't overrun with algea or dinos

Outatime · Sep 19, 2023

Reefering1 said:
Looks pretty good for 6 months. You can manually remove algea, extend fuge light duration, change water, try a couple corals. Move slow, give changes a few months to show effects. At least tank isn't overrun with algea or dinos

Thank you, how long do you think my fuge light should run for?