6 months approaches...
In a few days my tank will have been running for 6 months, thought I might summarize where things seem to be at this time. I just tested my water and came up with these numbers:
Ca++ 420
Alk 12.2 dKh
pH 8.0
NO3- 0
PO4- 0
With a bioload of 50 fish, it amazes me that I don't have any measurable nitrates or phosphates. Typically I feed my fish 8 times or so during a day with the following menu: 4 clams, 1 ounce spirulina gut loaded brine, 1 full sheet of Nori, 1 ounce of homemade glop medley, 3 cubes of hikari mega something frozen Angel formula, Several servings of Ocean Nutrition flake food, 1/2 ounce frozen plankton. Factors that contribute to my water quality include a great skimmer (BK 300), 75 gallons of fuge (55 chaeto fuge and 20 gal cryptic rubble rock fuge), Live rock that was cured for 5 months, and something like 20,000 gallons of water movement per hour., There is an insane amount of coralline algae on the LR and on the rubble substrate, I think it uses nitrates and phosphates to some degree.
All my coral frags are doing great and exhibit new growth, and most of the 60 ricordea polyps I started with have doubled.