Do you have any life on your live rock or in your live sand? How much of it do you want to keep? Harder the cycle the quicker you can get to overloading your system without huge problems, but the less life bought with the sand and rock that will live. Or you can go slower and save nearly all the life forms that came with your live sand and live rock. Sure if any life survives the hard , quick cycle besides bacteria it will possibly/probably repopulate over time. Say a year or so. Or you can buy replacements for what came with your rock and sand and speed the regrowth process up, if you are really anxious to fill the tank with fish and such. There are consequences for all choices. I prefer to slowly cycle the tank and do water changes while cycling. I also run lights, skimmer, full circulation, phosphate absorber and some charcoal. Then I slowly stock the tank so as to prevent recycling. Bacteria grow fast, but not if you kill most of them off but just the hardy ones. I personally am also opposed to covers unless there is at least a sump without a cover. I do not believe in heavy surface agitation of water, ripples is enough on an open top tank. Seachem makes a good product to raise your pH (Reef Buffer). Your circulation rate is the present day general recommendation for a principally SPS coral tank. I personally would do away with the Maxi Jet and eventually consider doing away with the canister filter. Yes, I am long winded. Two more days till school starts up again, Ya. As far as your pH. What are you using for water to make your marine mix? If you are using tap water and the treatment plant does lime softening of the water a low pH for a mix is not uncommon, even when using an DIO filter. Is it a new filter? Just use the Seachem Reef Buffer or equivalent to raise the pH. Do not use a buffer (Seachem Reef Builder) to raise the Alkalinity in order to raise the pH.