ph help

[tcarter1936]

Sorry to open such a topic but I am having trouble raising my phone,I've HaD my 180 setup with 75 gallon custom sump w/refugium setup for 7-8 months now I keep a mixed reef ,problem isn't stability but ph is always 7.8 on my API kit.I do reverse light schedule in sump my params are
Calc-480
Dkh-10
Ph-7.8
mag-1460
Nitrates-0
Nitrite-0
Ammonia-0
Po4-.06
Salinity-1.025
I do water changes at 30 gallons every Friday ,I understand stability is key ,I just can't achieve 8.3 at any given time day or night
My primary concern is I can keep zoas alive and my zenia have shrunk to almost nothing and don't pump,ph is my only answer I can come up with,any advice will be appreciated

 

[tcarter1936]

Sorry I also am dosing oceans blend two part for a month now and have had no swings in params just steady increase in calcium and stable dkh

 

[tcarter1936]

Lighting is 3 120 watt led full spectrum fixtures also refugium is 1 65 watt flood bulb

 

[cope413]

What is your water temp? Xenia is very hardy, but can be pretty sensitive to high temps. The rest of your params look good. I find it hard to believe pH is the issue, especially 7.8.

Also, how is your dissolved oxygen?

 

[tcarter1936]

I'll get a test kit for dissolved o2 tomorrow, however my temp gauge is saying 78.5, but I just used an accurate temp probe on my work meter to find its actually 79.9,is this to high ? ,I've read conflicting accounts I'm ready to make a change frustration is setting in,thanks for your response

 

[cope413]

78--82 is fine. My guess is something else is going on.

 

[pickupman66]

Please don't dose to get your pH up. It is very counter productive. Your tank is perfectly fine at 7.8. It is the large swings in a short period that will cause harm.

Fwiw. Xenia like dirty water.

My tank hangs between 7.72 and 7.94 in a weekly basis and everything is super happy

 

[tcarter1936]

Thanks I'm not chasing numbers though,I dose two part because before my weekly water changes weren't keep calcium and alk stable tanks been super consistant lately. But my trachy/welso brain won't swell and Xenia shrunk,and all zoas are literally disappearing ,yet I'm successful at keeping a chalice ,lobo, frogspawn,stylophora,hammer,montipora and a clam also my shrimp hermits and snails are all fine

 

[mocika]

Try to bring fresh air in your skimmer. Also try to bring fresh air near your tank. I hade same problem and in one week my Ph went from 7.8 to 8.2.

 

[mainereefer]

why is 7.8 bad? and why would you need to bring it to 8.3? all your numbers look fine...
have you tried using different test kits? maybe bring a sample to the lfs and see what their tests say.

personally I think you are changing way to much water every week... you have 180 + a 75 in reality you have about 160g of water maybe less and you are changing 120g of that every month? unless the tank is way overstocked I would cut water changes back to 15g a week or 30g every 2 weeks
?

 

[pickupman66]

7.8 is not bad. here is 30 days of my tank.

 

[tcarter1936]

response

First thanks for all the great advice,I think that after many of your help full comments that I may be grasping at straws and realize that maybe ph isn't my issue,maybe the issue is as some have said that my water may be too clean for the zenia and perhaps zoas ? Any thoughts on this?just a note ,I haven't had a detectible amount of nitrate ,nitrite, or ammonia in 6 months so I ask this , may my water changes be to much at 30 gallons a week,this as a solution would be great and would only save me money as well as effort.again thanks for the input and please keep it coming

 

[pickupman66]

There is such an issue as too clean. feed your fish a bit more and taper those water changes back a bit. i feed pretty good for my 7 fish and even with the 10 gallons monthly on 80 gallon volume, I was starving my acans.