[bandofseven]

I have a 55gal reef tank I started up a little over a year ago and I've had ups and downs with in regards to both fish and corals. I purchased all the test kits for High PH range, calcium, phospate and Carbonate hardness and the hydrometer as well. I always maintain my salinity around 1.023-1.026. My ph is usually around 8.0-8.2. My calcium levels always read at about 500 ppg for some reason and I rarely add calcium to the tank therefore. For some reason though everytime I add freshwater to top of saltwater(evaporated) my ph goes down a little bit. I really strive to keep it at least 8.2 but I always have to add reef buffer sporadically to keep it up. I also have a film algae growth problem that I constantly have to scrape off also. Also, as my water evaporates and I top off with fresh/saltwaterMany of my corals such as my hammerhead frogspawn, xenia, kenya tree and sometimes my polyps retract an stay that way for some time. Ive also had very little luck with keeping emerald crabs and bubble-tip anemones as my ph seems to lower on its own always and I have to add buffer everytime is this normal? well as Butterfly fish. I do have copepods in the tank that I've added for my Mandarin Goby and other fish and luckily my Mandarin Goby has been doing fine thus far. Would my high calcium levels be a cause of my ph instability?
Lighting- Oddyssea T5 lighting with two 10k bulbs and two actinic bulbs as well as built-in lunars.
All lights come on at 10:15am and come off at 7:57pm and Lunars stay on all night.
Sand bedding, 2 Hydor powerheads, Skimmer, Marineland Emperor 400 filter
25% water change every 2 weeks with proper measured additives such as Strontium, Trace Elements, Iodine, and Calcium

 

[james30ct]

Welcome to TRT. Stop with the additives asap. Water changes with good salt will give you everything you need. If you have a skimmer ditch the filter. Go with 10% weekly water changes with ro/di water. Top off with fresh ro/di water preferably through an ato. Also when you change water siphon the sand bed.

 

[bdial438]

Ok at your last param tests what were your params? Are you using ro water? The ph in the tank fluctuates on its own accord. You just think it stays between 0 and 2 when in reality it's probably between 7.9 and 8.5. Also a hydrometer is not always accurate. You should invest in a refractometer. They are more reliable. What are you using in the hob filter? Do you clean it often? Have you thought bout going sump?

 

[bdial438]

Oh and welcome to TRT!! :wavey:

 

[deputyo]

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6/reefkeeping-made-easy-what-was-not-explained-160389.html

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

Top ones long but got a lot of info, second one is shorter but may have the answers that you seek.

 

[bandofseven]

@James - Remove water filter? How will this help? I thought it was intended to clean the water. I also thought the additives were necessary.

@bdial -I use carbon media in the filter, I clean it usually every two weeks along with the 20% water change. The params were from the last test and that was yesterday. No I don't use ro water