aquarium stabilization

[D_0827]

I posted this morning under the wrong forum.

Hi, my tank is currently 4 months old. It’s a RSR Reefer 170.
I’m currently struggling to keep the tank stabilized, I understand it’s normal for new tanks.

I’m including my parameters and as you can see PH is low and alkalinity is high. The highest PH has been is 7.6. Should I increase water changes from 3 weeks to weekly?
I have a skimmer that I have to dial all the time since I don’t have an auto top off system yet.

Also, what’s an ideal number for nitrates and phos? Any tips on how I can improve my current parameters? I’m aware I shouldn’t chase numbers im just insure why I continue to have such high alk and low ph. I am currently not dosing anything since when I have dosed PH in the past with Balance it seems to trigger an Alk increase as well.

Many questions I know, I would appreciate any help.

 

[jda]

For now, don't worry about nitrate or phoshpate - they will shake out as the aragonite binds a bit.

The pH test is probably not accurate - most probes drift and are not reliable. If you really want to worry about pH, then a good pH pen is a good tool. When you get more growth in your tank, the photosynthetic boost is about .2 when the lights are on. Otherwise, low pH is nearly always a product of too much co2 in your home - if you let enough fresh air into your home, the real pH should be over 8.0 no problem. The only way to know if your air is good is to have an indoor co2 meter.