I'm no expert but I think I would lose the sand. When you say you battled diatom blooms the whole time with your last tank is the clue. Like I say I'm no expert on this, but I think your no-name brand sand might be your problem.
Maybe others out there can shed some light on this.
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Hey! I never "LEFT" the hobby, just doing fresh water now. Which is still listed as part of Canreef if I'm not mistaken. 
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