Where do I go from here?

[Nu2Reefs]

Hi two all and thanks in advance for all the help.
Ive been reading here for about a week.

Here's what I have:
2 30" Coralife PC hoods with 10,000k and blue lights
overflw box w/v tube?
sump with bio balls and Eheim pump
(No idea on specs sump is about 24x8x14 two compartments)
1 802 power head
2 smaller power head ( no numbers on them eather)
Aquaruim Systems skimmer (Seaclone?) with Maxi Jet 1200

Tomato Clown
Picasso Trigger
Lunar Wrasse
Bursa Trigger
Dragon Wrasse (juvi)
Lawnmower blenny
Clown Trigger
Sixline Wrasse
Blue leg Hermit (started with 6 saw at least 5 last week)
Nerite snales ( Had 30 but the triggers think they're dessert, maybe 5-6)

So... here come the questions please dont quit on me now!

Is my tank over loaded?

Do I have enought flow/ turn over rate?

With my current livestock can I do anything to get a functioning sand bed?
I cant see any little critters day or night. ( no tunnels in the sand)
Nitrates and Phosphates were off the charts when I started.
Still in the process of bringing those down
currently 20-30 & .4-.6

I put in a nitrate sponge 2 days ago this seemed to help a lot but I removed it this AM in case it was exhausted ( packageing said 2 days to 1 week)
can this be regenerated like adsorption resin or do I just throw it out and repurchase?

Is the resin the same thing?

Oh! There is a shallow sand bottom 1-3" and Live Rock
Im not sure how much by Lb it spans the tank about 51"x12" high with lots of caves and holes.

Ok I think thats enought to put everyone into a comma so I stop here for now
Sorry its so long

[Nu2Reefs]

One more quick question.

My Nitrates test between 10 and 20 with Aquarium systems fasTest and are reading 80+ on my test strip. Can strips really be that far off? Which one do I trust? OK thats 2 but...

Nearest lfs is an hour away (not so local)

[Bifferwine]

Test kits (especially nitrate, in my experience) can be tempermental. And the strips are not always accurate. How long has your tank been running, how long before you added all the animals, how long since you added the animals?

[Nu2Reefs]

Tanks been running with the sand for about two years, before that it had a crushed coral bottem. Most of the fish have been in it since then. Heput all the fish and live rock in a 100 gallon cooler when he switched the bottem. We were moving the tank so it went completely empty but I think he saved some of the CC to mix with the sand. Tank has been running for??? 10+years but very poorly maintained. Clown fish 8+ years, Blenny 1yr. Clown Trigger and six line b-day present for my daughter in Sept. Everything else somewhere in between.

[yote]

Hello Nu2reefs Lived in Baytown for 4 years myself. Helped build the Fred Hartman bridge.

[Nu2Reefs]

Cool! I drove the tunnel for years. Thanks!!!

[jhnrb]

With the fish you have I would recommend upgrading your skimmer and add more water movement to keep things is suspension. you might also try blowing things around with a small pump to create like a storm to get some of the detritus back into suspension. Boy, where to start. 1st I would recommend a by weekly if not weekly water change of at least 20 percent, good chaotic water movement inside the tank, dont blow off the fishes scales but good currents through out the tank, test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, as a minimum and if algae problems for phosphates, silica. Test your ph and alkalinity. post all here and Im sure some will weigh in to help. need more information. you probably may be overloaded depending on your equipment and feeding regiment, but, try the water changes, better circulation, and better protein skimming to start and see where you are at then. welcome to the site.

[Bifferwine]

The Sea Clone is probably one of the worst quality skimmers out there (sorry). If you want a good one, I would look into the Aqua C Remora. I used to have a Sea Clone but recently upgraded to the Remora, from what everyone said it was one of the best hang-on back skimmers available, and wasn't too expensive compared to other stuff out there. You will be amazed by how much more gunk you get out using the Remora than the Sea Clone.

[Nu2Reefs]

Ok I kind of suspected that. What about the sand bed?
Is there any hope or are the triggers and wrasses just going to eat anything I put in there?
Water movement? more powerheads or something else?
Budget is a big issue as it is Christmas time

Nitrite-0
Am-0
Phosphates-.4-.6
Nitrates ??( see above) 20? or 80?
Ca- 420
Alk 3.0
I dont have a ph test other than the strip seem to be between 7.8-8.0
Have done about 40 gal water change over the past 2 weeks
Scrubbed all rock in fresh salt water
Disconnected the sump and flushed about 10 or15 gal through to try and remove sediment in the bottem

I still have quite a bit of sediment settling on the rocks

How much is too much for that many fish?

I usually give them 1 frozen cube and about the same amount of frozen brine shrimp per day (alternate formula1, 2, and trigger formula.

[jhnrb]

Blow around weekly if you still have detritus accumilation on rocks ect. keep it up until you do not get much then bi weekly and then monthly. eventually this will help with the nitrates. I have no recommendations for you on substrait cleaners/stirrers that would be safe with the triggers. good luck.