Why isn't my hammer bright green like in the lfs?

[Myka]

As sphelps said, find a used 4-bulb T5 fixture in the classifieds on CanReef. I think the one he linked to is too short for your tank as yours appears to be 36". AquaticLife make reasonably priced T5 fixtures and used ones are quite economical.

For LPS, if you use mainly blue bulbs you can push 12 months on them ime. I use T5s over my Zoa/LPS tank and really like the results. I use 3 blue plus bulbs and 1 Coral Light bulb and replace one bulb every 3 months which is only $30 every 3 months - easy to handle.

For nitrate issues, big waterchanges won't fix the problem entirely. You need to locate the source...tap water? Overfeeding? Poor skimmer? Poor water circulation allowing detritus to settle? Etc... Check out the links in my signature for advice on tank maintenance (Detritus Wars & Hair Algae).