New to this. Need a little advise.

[pharmrjohn]

I am new to the hobby and am getting a little frustrated with my numbers. My livestock is not suffering at all. Everything has been healthy since the wave of death that started and ended during the first three weeks (four damsels died)

I have 75g, 260W act/dl lighting (fixture is inexpensive variety), 75 lbs LR, 2 inches LS, 10g Sump w/ cheap skimmer and filter sock (I clean 2x/wk). My livestock includes 14 inches of fish (yellow tang, maroon clown, 3 damsels, lawnmower blenny, longnosed hawkfish and a coral beauty), Cleanup crew consists of 4 TS, 1 Linkia SF (Big), 1 CBS, 1 CC SF, 1 Brittle SF, 5 small HC, 1 lg HC and 1 Pink tipped SA for the clown. My total system flow rate is about 800GPH. The tank has been up for two months now. My readings are

pH 8.0, NH4 0.5, NO2 0, NO3 80, Temp 78, SG 1.020.

pH and nitrate: I figure a few healthy water changes will adjust these numbers back to 8.2 and 10ppm as they were a few weeks back. Also, I have started cleaning the filter sock 2x/week instead of 1x/2wks.

NO2: No problem

NH4: The problem here might be overstocking? Maybe? I only feed twice daily as much food as they can eat in three to five minutes. They stop, I stop. Also, I am thinking about getting a Berlin PS rated at 250g. Maybe this would help. My current PS is a piece of junk. Even I can tell. It is the $50 variety that is rated for 100g but I believe that is and unstocked 100g. It's not my fault.....it came with the aquarium....I bought the setup used.

SG: Low. I am going to slowly adjust this to 1.025 over the course of a month or so. I was reading 1.023 without accouting for temperature. The floater gave me the real reading (I presume)

Since I started the tank, the numbers have remained the same. Low NH4, zero nitrites, and nitrates that have had to be controlled with water changes. It seemed that the system was "born conditioned", as I added LS and LR immediately and slowly added livestock.

Currently, I am investigating the new PS and replacing my 10g sump with a 30g DIY refugium.

Let me know if I am on the right track. Thanks. John.

[missionsix66]

Sounds like you are on the right track to me. I'd feed less, get a good skimmer, leave the sump and add a fuge to it. I don't think that you are overstocked either.

[coral reefer]

You may want to reconsider the idea of keeping your Long-Nosed Hawkfish! They will feast on many of the inverts that you presently have! Also, Chocolate Chip Sea Stars are not reef safe, so if you decide on maintaining corals in the near future, the Star will have to go!
Best of luck to you!

[GuitarMan89]

add a fuge to it

This will help with the nitrates, are you using RO/DI water? When I first started i was using tap water, which had 20ppm nitrates in it already. I have switched over to RO water and now my nitrates are 0ppm.

[pharmrjohn]

I am indeed using tap water. This next month I am going to use my budget to purchase a good PS. I want ammonia at zero first. Next month will be the RO/DI unit and DIY refugium.

Here is another question. A few minutes ago I just setup my old Jebo PC lighting system next to my new (inexpensive...nothing to write home to mom about) PC. So now I am running 55x4 and 65x4. Is this enough to start with corals once my numbers are a little better?

[pharmrjohn]

WRT the Longnose, I was aware that my small HCs were eventually going to have to be moved. Is the Longnose reefsafe? I, somehow, was under the impression that it was. If not, then I will be forced to create another tank before it gets too big. Oh darn.

[baugherb]

Welcome to 3Reef>>>>>>>