Ok the water change is good in size but you are letting build too long (pollutants) before you drop them…for example
Week 1 nitrate 10ppm
Week 2 nitrate 20ppm
Week 3 nitrate 30ppm water change and back down to 5ppm
Water changes don’t really reduce nitrates completely …the water chemistry book I have explains even with good maintenance it still gradually builds so doing these water changes you need to once in a while do a very large water change.
Still change that water change schedule to 10% change a week. That will keep nitrates and phosphates down all the time..you are letting them build up with the schedule you provided. Mature tanks you can get away with it(some tanks). But your tank is not mature yet..its only 4 months old and it can take up to a year to fully mature.
The sand: It came from a fuge…Fuges are low flow for a good reason to allow detritus to settle in them and break down and feed the macro algae…the sand itself is saturated with detritus. So if the majority of your sand is from his fuge…that is not good sand for the display. Its ok to use a cup full added to like 30lbs of new sand to seed it. But as a sand base entirely …that is a source of pollution that feeds algae or cyano. My advise: remove most of it and add new Carib sea aragonite sand. Keep some of the old sand to seed the new. A cup full is all.
New tanks don’t need dosing. I recommend stop with the dosing. And dose only after you test for that specific dosing. I dont know about the garlic Ill read more before commenting on that specifically. But you dont need it at this time. Future dosing like alk,calc,mag, ..test before you add anything. you dont want to add what you already have at good levels. Just hold off on the garlic for now.
Feeding: It’s a bit on the heavy side without the proper maintenance. When you feed the food should be gone in 5 min or less. You see debris floating around 5 min later ..You over fed. Its ok to feed often if you feed very little. *if i didn't misread the post you feed twice a day????"
I recommend this feeding schedule: Feed flakes (Pinch of it) daily…randomly add the frozen foods through the week but don’t add flake. Either or .. not both. Remember that 5 min rule on the foods.
As for coral feeding 2 times a week of one of the things you use… Cyclopleeze I don’t use. I use the oyster eggs myself or Rotifers. You can even target feed to lower pollution but ensuring they get ample food. You may want to target feed for now till things clear up.
Root of your problems: I believe it’s the feeding schedule combined with the water change schedule. And being a young tank doesn’t help any either.
PS your friend didn’t have algae problems probably because he maintained a good schedule. Good feeding habbits. And he had a skimmer plus fuge. These two things keep nitrates down and phosphates down *Fuge does that*. So he could feed more than a tank without a fuge.
Your set up is young and lacks the natural nutrients export system (fuge). So you have to feed lighter.
Up those water changes to weekly and add a phosban reactor …it’s a cheap add on that pays for itself 10fold.
SPS coral: You say thriving? Don’t mistaken extending polyps as thriving. It can also mean starving and really reaching out trying to feed more. The 162 watts over a 72 gallon is very low …actinics promote some growth but sps really depend on the lower K spectrum for growth.
Trust me on the lighting…if you want a reef in there change those actinics for 10ks and no higher than 14ks if you want blues in the tank. I find actinics useless for sps tanks.Not completely but when it comes to growth and health..useless.
SPS are the most sensitive to water parameters. Your tank is not in good condition…its something I would be worried about with the sps.
CORRECTION: Your feeding once day ok thats good..just remember 5 min rule.
Root problem water change once every 3 weeks...I believe its that.
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