Assuming the hydrometer is correct and not giving you false readings we can assume the salinity is correct. Maybe get your LFS to check a sample and you test it with your hydrometer as well. If the results are similar it isn't the salinity.
I re-calibrated my refractometer about three weeks ago.
When did you last do a water change on the tank and how much do you change?
I'm not totally sure, but I think about 2 weeks ago, 20%
However, since I just added a coral and a feather duster (bad me!) I had to take out water and I'm slowly replaceing it. I didn't want to add all the new SW at once, just incase it is the RO water.
A 50% water would dilute any toxins in the water and would add depleted elements (calcium, carbonates, etc) to the water making the environment more stabile.
Perhaps even do a couple of water changes per week for a couple of weeks. This should get the water into perfect condition and remove water quality problems from the issue.
Like I said, I'm afraid to do a water change because it might be the RO water.
I noticed you use Windex, window and glass cleaner around the house. If you use algae cleaning magnets and there is Windex residue on the aquarium glass, when you have finished with the magnets and put them together in the fish bucket (or wherever you keep them), there is a possibility the Windex that has gotten onto the outside magnet from the glass, will rub off on the inside magnet. Then when you use the magnets next time you put the contaminated magnet cleaner inside the tank and the Windex residue washes off into the tank and poisons things. It might only be a small amount but could be killing the inverts.
I keep the magfloat in the tank. My tank is covered with eggcrate, though, so any chemicals getting in there isn't too far fatched. I usually am very careful though.
Make sure you don't have any soap, grease, moisturising cream, etc on your hands when working on or in the tank, or when feeding the fish.
Make sure there are no paint fumes, perfumes, deodorants, smoke, etc in the room.
Well the smoke is kinda unavoidable, 'cause both my parents smoke...
Perhaps add some activated carbon to the filter to help remove any chemical contaminants that may be in there. Remove the carbon after a couple of weeks and throw it away. See how the fish do after that.
I have tons of activated carbon lying around, but no filters of any kind to put them in.
Monitor the ammonia levels shortly after feeding the fish and make sure the filters are removing it all within an hour (30 minutes is a better time). The longer ammonia is in the water them more damage it does to the inhabitants.
Yeah I cut down on my feeding about two weeks ago. I feed formula one flakes every other day and put each flake in seperately so I can see the fish eat it. When I'm not feeding the flake I feed some kind of frozen. Half the cube, twice a day. It's usually mysis or spirulina brine shrimp.
Thanks for the post. Off to test pH and ammonia again.
