Scale back or quit?

[agame2021]

Well I feel like there are a few options for you. If you truly love fish you can make it challenging by trying a one species only tank. I hear that sometimes makes it fun again. You could keep your live stock you have and maybe add a bigger CUC.
Or if you are tired of testing all the time automate the stuff you don’t want to deal with. Get a controller or a test kit that have probes you will only have to mess with 1 time a month at most. There are tons of stuff you can do with that although it does cost more money.

personally I have found I am not ready to settle down and do a mixed reef. I don’t want to try and hone it in and make it perfect because that is just not in my nature. So my game plan is to get the gist of this hobby with FOWLR for a while and just get down the whole getting rid of algae and bacteria blooms(which I have to say are kicking my butt rn…) but anyways I am aiming for a long term clownfish harem. After I have that for a couple of years I might start a small collection of middle grade corals and see if I will even like that.
Hope this helps!

 

[Rmckoy]

Multiply phosphorus by 3.066 and then divide by 1000 to get ppm phosphates

 

[Chrisv.]

Reef tanks are too much work to be anything but a joy. I've been keeping reefs ever since 1997, with the exception of 1.5 years while my wife and I were preparing for/adapting to our first child. It was so hard to take down the tank, but it was the right choice at the time for both the fish and for my family. Now I have two tanks. I'm back at it and having more fun than ever. My reboot has been epic.

So my thought is that it's okay to take a break. You will be back.

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

If it's a drag then stop doing it. Life is too short to waste your time on a hobby that isn't fun.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Part of the issue is your PO4 and by chance is tank at or near a window?
Additionally , what test kit(s)are you using?
I personally would turn white lights off for a week and add liquid vibrant and a pouch of chemipure elite.
With these, your nitrate and phosphates will be reduced and kept in check, food source for algae will be diminished and your water will be crystal clear

 

[Tired]

https://www.hannainst.com/hubfs/006-finished-content/Aquarium/phosphorus-to-phosphate-conversion-table--hanna-instruments.pdf

The Hanna phosphorus checker measures in ppb
Converted to ppm phosphates .
above is a chart I use from Hanna .

Oh, they're measuring phos/phorus/, not phos/phate/. That makes sense now, thanks. I was confused because 50ppb phosphate is definitely 0.05ppm phosphate.