Quote:
Originally Posted by santorini  But, why the deaths of the inverts? Could the dying corals poison the water? If so, should I do more aggressive water changes?
Why would the calcium drop so much in the first place? How does Iodine fit into the mix?
And why the algae? |
The dying corals can put off toxins as well as nitrates/trites, ammonia etc, hence the algae.
I missed the reactor part, that makes more sense for the higher Ca levels.
As far as dying corals, as much as it sucks, your best bet if you know they're dying is to remove them to help stabilize your tank. Maybe set up a small QT to try and nurse them back, but at least if they die your not going to continue to pollute your tank.
Also, I think you need to address the low Ca levels. If you have a reactor, as well as top off with limewater, something is is not functioning properly. Also, with a reactor, that could be the source of high and low Alk. Softies and inverts can especially be sensitive to PH and Alk changes.
Iodine is not an essential element for reef aquariums. A lot of people dose for xenia, but other than that there should be plenty in IO or any commercial salt. Also, remember, iodine is very toxic.
Here's a great article on iodine,
Chemistry and the Aquarium
Unfortunately, it sounds like you have several things happening at once. I wish you the best getting through all this.