Params in check, something's still not right

[callmesaul8889]

Hey guys,

 

I haven't been on the forums for a while as I've been very frustrated with my current tank. I started a 34 gallon Solana all-in-one almost exactly a year and a half ago. I started with 25lbs of dry rock and 10lbs of live rock from a display tank. I planned on this tank being my first SPS dominated mixed reef. I've had decent luck in the past with a 20g all in one LPS tank, but it was during college and funds were limited.

 

When I started this tank, I planned on buying quality products. I am making my own RO/DI water at 0TDS, using E.S.V. salt mix, testing salinity with a refractometer, and all of my test kits (aside from one or two) are Salifert brand. I also sold the Solana metal halide and replaced it with an AI Hydra (and then eventually upgraded to the Hydra 52 due to a lack of SPS color).

 

About six months into the tank is when I noticed I had red bugs. I was noticing poor coloration on SPS and very little polyp extension. I tried as much as I could to find Interceptor to kill the red bugs, but after no luck I resorted to using Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer as per this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1965880. I followed dosage instructions and dipped the SPS in a mixture, rinsed them as much as I could, and placed them back into the tank. Shortly after the dips, I noticed there were a lot of copepods and amphipods floating around the tank, and then eventually my skunk cleaner shrimp died. Even with a massive rinse after the red bug treatment dip, the chemicals were powerful enough to bomb my entire tank's worth of crustaceans.

 

Since treating my tank for red bugs, my SPS coloration and polyp extension has been even worse than before, hardy LPS seem to be OK but are growing very slowly, and almost no growth from zoas or mushrooms. It has been nearly a year since I treated, and since then I've kept a very light bio load. I just added a peppermint shrimp two days ago and found it dead today. My clownfish is acting fine, though. All of my parameters are spot on, and yet my corals look like crap and I'm wondering what my next step should be.

 

Any help is appreciated.

[callmesaul8889]

Params:

 

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 0

Phosphate - 0

Ammonia - 0

Calcium - 450

Alkalinity - 8.4

Magnesium - 1350

PH - 8.0

 

SG - 1.025

Temp - 78* F

 

Tunze 9002 skimmer running 24/7 (very inconsistent skimmate) and a newly added ball of chaeto. I ran Chemi-Pure Elite from day one until last week when I replaced the bag with chaeto.

 

My parameters have been the same the last 6 times I've checked in the past months.