:bowdown: Toolman, you rock :bowdown:
Good for you, you told me! I love it when I'm wrong.
So, I'm looking at your tank and I can't tell how you're cleaning it. It looks really great! Love your rock stack and your corals. When I had my 28 gallon bow-front as my main tank I had 2 firefish and a clown. I was always fighting nitrates. Here's what I tried. I had a HOB filter, a red-prizm skimmer way more live rock than you've got and the sand. My sand was live to start with and had been seeded with GARF wondermud and IPSF goodies. Still, I was always fighting nitrates. When I moved the fish out and got the ponies, I still had nitrates. I got the nitrate sponge, added tons of macro and still had trouble. It seemed like no matter what I did, I had nitrate issues. When I moved my 28 gallon I pulled all the Live Rock out, drained the water and left the sand and about an inch of water in the tank. I got the whole thing down into my studio and realized that my sand REEKED. Not only did it reek, it stunk up my whole house. I replaced the sand and used the old water and live rock. Right now, the 28 gallon has no HOB filter, the same live rock, new sand and no macro. It also has NO nitrate problem! I've got one firefish and one clown. I change 5 gallons each week on Sundays. I think there was something up with my sand which is why I had the nitrate problems. I think I was headed to a tank crash and by moving it and changing that sand saved it. I don't know if this helps you, just thought I would tell you my experience. Instant ocean is making a nitrate reducer that I was thinking about back when I had my nitrate issues: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-Aquarium-Natural-Nitrate-Reducer/dp/B002YO4KOC]Amazon.com: NATURAL NITRATE REDUCER 250ML: Electronics[/ame] I haven't used it, don't know anyone that has used it and don't like the idea of using chemicals in my tank but at the time I was desperate to get my numbers in line. I don't know if it would have fixed my problem or if it would have masked the sand issue and made everything worse.
From your tank list, I think you've got too many fish. I don't know, I'm not good at that sort of thing. Maybe someone else will be able to comment on that. I looked up your Falco Hawkfish. Here's what it says on liveaquaria.com.
"A 30 gallon or larger aquarium with plenty of hiding places is acceptable for this hardy and aggressive fish. It should not be kept with larger more aggressive hawkfish. Although it eats small fish and shrimp, with caution, it can make an excellent reef inhabitant."
Maybe yours is more on the aggressive side? Could he have caused the damage to your wrasse? You haven't lost any more fish? No signs of parasites or ick? My best guess about your loss is that the hawkfish got him. If everyone else is looking ok, I wouldn't worry about it.
The only other thing that comes to mind is that it seems like you don't have much moving water around. My horses don't like water movement and I had 4 koralia and a HOB filter moving my water. Also, I had a wall of bubbles in the back which helped with oxygenation and my ponies like bubble massages. I don't know how much is correct so maybe someone else should comment on that too.
I hope this helps, Toolman,
Catherine