My nano is on a downward spiral...

[jennln]

Help please! I thought I was having a problem with my candycane coral ... now it seems like I may be on the way to a problem with my whole tank. Maybe the decline of the candycane started the decline in the tank. I don't know. Instead of typing the whole story out again, I'll just link you here...
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/353390/candycane-in-trouble
I want to reverse the problems as quickly as I can so I don't lose anything else, but I can't figure out what the problem is. Any advice/comments you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

 

[coastie5685]

what type of water are you using for the water changes?.... is there anything you can think of that you have done different in the past few days?
are you dosing purple up because it loooks like you are..
i would keep up with the water changes and stop dosing everything... your premixed saltwater will come with every nutrient they will need.

 

[jennln]

I use RO water that I get from the LFS. Not using purple up, but I have dosed part 1/2 (cal/alk) when needed (more often than not it was alk but it's not a constant thing). Ive also dosed iodine. All of these things have been the norm since the tank was up and running with no ill effects.
The ONLY thing that has been different that I can come up with is that I have always used Instant Ocean ... LFS was using Instant Ocean for their salted RO too which I sometimes would use if I didn't have time/space to mix it myself before needed. I found out the other day that about a week ago LFS switched to Reef Crystals. Now I can't see any reason why the salt being used would make a difference, but again, it is absolutely the only different thing that has been introduced to the tank. The only thing I can come up with in that regard is that maybe Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals have some sort of levels that are so different from each other that the new salt contradicted something in my tank? Again, purely speculation because as far as I can see all of my levels are good. Maybe the demise of the candycane coral had something to do with the ill effects on the others? But again, something had to contribute to such a quick reaction on the part of the candycane in the first place right? I'm completely stumped.
The only thing that I haven't tested is the RO water that I get from the LFS. They were closed today and I do need to get over there tomorrow to pick up more water. All of the water changes I've done over the past few days has depleted my supply on hand. I'm going to test the water and pick up Instant Ocean to mix the water myself....other than that I have no ideas.

 

[geoj]

Those pic on your thread look like the corals were retracting because of salt burn. Make sure all salts are dissolved completely. Salt mixes and additives

 

[spanko]

You said you dose Iodine. Do you test for it? Seems like it is one of those things that can accumulate over time, don't take that for gospel though, it just seems like I remember reading that. However if you are not testing for it you should not be adding it.

 

[jennln]

I usually test for it every other week or so...I've never noticed too much fluctuation. However, I'm starting to wonder if it's possible with the unknown switch in salt I may have overdosed on something. I'm trying to find out now what the particular levels are in the different brands of salt to see if something I was accustomed to doing with the salt I was using somehow conflicted with the use of the new salt.