Hi everyone, I apologize if this is the wrong forum for this but I wanted to reach out for some advice. I've had my biocube 32 for about a year. I was given it for free and I had zero experience prior to this so I'm very much learning as I go. I am having what feels like endless issues and it's very frustrating. I've been trying to read how to tackle these issues but I think I might be creating more problems. I don't want to compound my mistakes so I wanted to ask for advice.
Water chemistry with API reef kit:
CA 460
Carbonate 6
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0-5 (difficult to tell)
Currently running filter floss, bio spheres, and recently added a UV sterilizer (read it would help with the dinos which it seems to be doing). I removed the charcoal for now.
I have always had issues with green hair algae and appear to be getting a cyano outbreak for about the 4th time, have used chemi clean before which seems to work for a few months, but it always comes back so obviously I have not figured out the root cause. I've had what I think is a dino outbreak for about the past month or two which I've been dosing with MB7, using the UV sterilizer, and manually removing as able. I bought some neophos and neonitro but have been too afraid to use it so far for fear of killing the tank.
The tank has never been pristine but I'd like to get it to a stable point where there are not constantly issues. Where do I begin? Do I need better testing equipment for at least nitrate and phosphate? Different filter setup? I'm trying to stop throwing what I feel like are half measures.
I've included a picture of how it currently looks, disregard the Coraline on the glass.
Water chemistry with API reef kit:
CA 460
Carbonate 6
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0-5 (difficult to tell)
Currently running filter floss, bio spheres, and recently added a UV sterilizer (read it would help with the dinos which it seems to be doing). I removed the charcoal for now.
I have always had issues with green hair algae and appear to be getting a cyano outbreak for about the 4th time, have used chemi clean before which seems to work for a few months, but it always comes back so obviously I have not figured out the root cause. I've had what I think is a dino outbreak for about the past month or two which I've been dosing with MB7, using the UV sterilizer, and manually removing as able. I bought some neophos and neonitro but have been too afraid to use it so far for fear of killing the tank.
The tank has never been pristine but I'd like to get it to a stable point where there are not constantly issues. Where do I begin? Do I need better testing equipment for at least nitrate and phosphate? Different filter setup? I'm trying to stop throwing what I feel like are half measures.
I've included a picture of how it currently looks, disregard the Coraline on the glass.