Reef Tank Parameters

[thekeyofb]

Okay.....I am trying to get my 75 gallon tank together and ready for a small reef. I have been having some ridiculous green hair algae outbreaks and I could use any input that you guys may have. I currently have the following:

75 gallon tank
30 gallon sump
Protein Skimmer
Lighting (2x36watt 420n) (2x54watt 12k daylight) (2x54watt Atinic)

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1.5 inch sand bed
50lbs. of live rock
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3 Domino Damsels
2 Blue Damsels
1 Yellow Tail Damsel
1 Three stripe Damsel
1 Bi-color Chromis

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Parameters: Tested on 1/20/09
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Salinity: 1.025
Temperature: 80.0F
pH: 8.2-8.4
Alkalinity: 143.2
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20ppm
Phosphate: 0-.25ppm
Calcium: 400-420ppm

 

[roka64]

Those phosphates are what's fueling your algae.
Are you planning on keeping the damsels or adding other fish?
You have some that can be pretty nasty to newcomers.

 

[thekeyofb]

I do plan on adding a few more fish, but the fish that I am going to add are bigger and the damsels will not effect them. I plan on adding a yellow tang, blue tang, and a kole tang. I also plan to add some corals such as polyps, leathers and mushrooms.

Now as far as the phosphates go, they are extremely low. How can I rid them all together? Is that possible?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I do plan on adding a few more fish, but the fish that I am going to add are bigger and the damsels will not effect them.

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Fish are like dogs... some of the smaller ones can be pretty darn mean and make St. Bernards turn and run.

Regarding your parameters, the nitrates aren't helping either. Test your source water and see if you're getting nitrates/phosphates from it. That's obviously the easiest thing to fix. Next would be to think about how much you're feeding and how often. And you can always add one of the GFO (granulated ferric oxide) phosphate removers to your tank (a low flow area) and that'll do the job on whatever phosphates you have.

 

[roka64]

I also don't think you want 3 tangs in the same tank (at least not a 75).....

 

[thekeyofb]

Why wouldn't I want 3 tangs? Also, if not 3 tangs, what would you suggest?

 

[roka64]

Yellow tang needs a bigger tank. Was advised the Yellow should be good by it's self (not a big tang fan).
Blue tang 70 g but sometimes don't play nice with other tangs.
Kole tang 70 g but they don't play well with other tangs.

 

[thekeyofb]

I will have to research that further. I thank you for your advice though.

 

[thekeyofb]

Also, I have another good question. Looking at my lighting, what corals would I be able to keep? I know that I can do some mushrooms and star polyps, but what others can I do? Any advice on that would really be appreciated as well.

 

[roka64]

On the coral stuuf I'll have to defer to the reefing pros.