All good. I'm sensitive to things like that because we've been stigmatized as a community for contributing to reef destruction, which is true, but in a completely disproportionate way compared to localized pollution and other factors. So we try to be stewards of the environment here!
That's fantastic and will give you some insight. Post back with the results.
Perfect, that ATO will take care of you. Be sure to unplug it when you change the water out so it doesn't add RODI as you're siphoning out water. It's easy right! You can get inspiration on mixing stations and other ways to make your water changes easier here on R2R. Can be as simple as getting a couple BRUTE trashcans and adding pumps.
To be honest, doesn't really matter about gizmos and flow modes. It's about the quantity and gentleness (ie not blasting the corals directly). Looks like your tank could use more flow but it's hard to tell. Flow is incredibly important for reefs as it brings nutrients to corals and takes waste away. Let's start by addressing the other issues since they don't cost money and then we can come back to flow but I have a hunch you'll need to invest in a few more powerheads to make sure you have enough flow in the tank. For example I didn't see much movement in the anemones in the video which makes me think there's not enough.
Oh yeah, a 1.022 -> 1.026 swing in salinity is no good. You want your tank at 1.026 constantly, and every water change should be at 1.026 unless you need to adjust the current salinity (should be a rare thing). That's not only what the anemones want, but all the corals and other critters in there that are accustomed to living on a reef in the wild.
I would recommend taking those covers off your overflow (depending on how you did it). Those teeth are there to help skim the surface before water gets to the sump and if you have a nasty algae outbreak or an anemone gets stuck there, the teeth get plugged up, stop draining (worst case), and then the water from the sump gets pumped to the tank without anything going back to the sump -- no good, could overflow or burn out your pump worst cases.
You can
rent one from Bulk Reef Supply. $70/week (rent the mq-510). They are very expensive to buy, not worth it IMO. They are dead easy to use and you'll feel like a legit scientist using it.
You mentioned you have a 4' deep tank. Looks awesome, but super hard to light effectively. I think I saw 4 Kessils over it. Good lights, but not enough to get all the way to the bottom. I'd suggest researching what kind of light certain corals need and then adjusting your lights to meet that criteria. In general, maybe you could achieve 250-350 PAR at the top, 150-200 towards the middle, and around 75 at the bottom area (you'll likely have very little at the actual bottom of the tank). This would allow you to have many types of corals.
I have no idea what your numbers will actually be, you'll have to test with the meter and adjust the lights and retest. It's easy and so worth your time! If you can't get high enough numbers you'll have to invest in more lights, if your numbers are too high, it's just a matter of turning them down.
Watched your video. Dude, you have a gorgeous tank and a lot of us on here wish we had your tank! About the coral and anemone losses: I'm rather certain it has to do with animals bothering your corals (esp those clownfish the buggers) and lighting issues, aside from the parameter stability. Did the maintenance guy have you buy all that equipment? Sounds pretty scammy to me, though they will help you out with a tank that big. It's just more to learn about but don't worry info for all of that is available I'd suggest asking here on R2R or Googling.
The one anemone that's looking really bad -- looks like that maroon beat the crap out of it. They do that and I'd suggest selling or returning your maroon clowns to the fish store until your anemones get HUGE and then they can come back!
And lastly I think you are definitely lacking in flow (without being able to be there in person to see); let's take care of the other stuff first though.
Oh, and ditch the fish store. They aren't giving you good advice from what I gather, and they are just trying to sell you stuff. Torches probably aren't going to randomly do better than other euphyllia that are dying in your tank, for example.
You have a lot of research ahead of you but you got this. That's an awesome tank, the rocks look great, you are successfully keeping some corals alive, now it's time to tune this thing up so it's a full blown reef tank. Welcome to the addiction, once you get a taste of success you will be coming back for more
