I need help

[halamaya]

Getting very frusterated, I can't seem to get everything healthy. Lost two fish in the battle my Sunburst Anthias which seem to start everything, and my dragonet. Started having problems 3 -4 monthes ago. Ph is too low at 7.8. I get it up just over 8 for a little while. Switching buffers to this new brand Brightwells. Tanks been running hot this summer between 80 and 82. My kh is 10
nitrates, amm. 0
calcium 400 (I have to work to keep it at 400)
ph 7.8
specific gravity 1.024
Magnesium around 1100 (have to add it every week)
I lost my open cup brain coral and on my way to loosing another Trachlophyllia (sorry for the spelling to lazy to get up and get my books.) One of my Acans has a bald spot on one head also. Everything seemed to be doing better fish and all last week. Going to do a 15 gal water change today (55 gal tank.) Been doing 10 gals a week for the last month seems to be helping. I have a serious Hair algae problem also to make things worse.

Seriously feel like crying thought I was finally getting somewhere. Thanks for any help at all, I've learned so much from here.

 

[jackri]

What kind of lighting do you have and what kind of water are you using? Is it treated tap? RO? RO/DI?
What kind of filtration are you running? What's your dosing schedule? Nothing really seems that far out of whack from what I've read other than unhealthy critters but could be a lighting issue or using tap water (even treated) can really cause problems.

 

[king_neptune]

Read into baking soda dosing. Also gas exchange might help, a power head breaking the surface of the water and pointing downward might also be worth considering. And as another option...an air stone in the sump BEFORE the bubble traps.
All of the above in the previous post is very solid advice. Especially RO-DI water.

 

[veni vidi vici]

If you water parameters are out of whack and you are starting to lose animals,my advice would be to do a series of large water changes and some tank cleaning.
Its to difficult to start adding buffers,chemicals......to water to try a correct a problem that you arent sure what it is in the first place.Do a few water changes over the next few days .
Just my 2 cent

 

[halamaya]

I use only R/O water I buy from my LFS. I have a Rena filstar canister filter rated for a 75 gal tank. Hang on refugium, only 2.5 gallons but its got a gal of mineral mud and a ton of red and green macro algae in it (gotta sell some back to the pet store.) Prizm hang on skimmer also rated for a 75 gal tank. I have a BackPack skimmer on my aggressive tank and I like it a lot better. 60 lbs live rock 60 lbs sand. 3 Koralia's one of which breaks the water tension already. I have coral life compact flourecents right now. 2 65 watt 50/50 bulbs and 2 96 watts 1 actinic and the other 10,000k. Switching to
t5's in less than two weeks!! I feed spirulina mysis and brine shrimp cubes. I added a target dragonet about 3 weeks ago when I thought things were over. His tail fin started to disinigrate, but has almost fully grown back now. I started adding vita-c a couple weeks ago. I think it might help, that and the water changes. The mystery decline. So I moved my 3 gal into a ten and I'm playing with that. Bought a Yellow Assesar 2 days ago, sad to think my 10 gal is more stable than my 55 right now. 30 lbs live sand 18 lbs live rock.

 

[halamaya]

I use marine buffer about everyother day, kents liquid calcium and magnesium. Calcium everyday, magnesium about twice a week. I use selcon atleast once a week, and Kents essentials elements once every two weeks. Iodine testing is a pain and costly. Still not sure if I'm reading the test correctly but I think I'm ok there. Think I might start lowering my salinity a bit seeing as my tanks already runnig warm. Try to speed out whatever is in there.

 

[salt210]

how old are the bulbs? that could be affecting the corals. as someone mentioned you might not have enough gas exchange happening to keep the inhabitants healthy.

 

[halamaya]

the lights are about 4 monthes old.