New 125 - Water Help

[FishFaceScott]

Need some advice. I just setup a new 125 tank. After water, I added substrate consisting of many many small shells I have collected from beaches over the year, as well as Stress Coat. I used 100 ml of stress coat, enough to dechlor and slime coating. Immediately after those two steps (not sure which one) the tank became white cloudy murky. I has been murky for the past 2 and a half days. I assumed the murky was from the substrate, and thought from past experiences it would go away within one day. Yesterday I added two peppermint shrimp, a yellow goby, a yellowtail damsel from a 30 gallon tank I have, as well as a new piece of live rock from lfs. Today the damsel died, and the water is still murky. During the day I am running a water pump and magnum 350 to try to clear the dust. At night I turned off all filters to try to settle down the water. (Also have a nice wet dry and protein skimmer waiting to be turned on).

Any thoughts? Did I put some really bad substrate in and need to do a full water change, did I use too much stress coat, or jsut wait it out a few more days?

Thanks for your advice!

Scott.

[RVANANO]

A couple of questions. How long did you let the tank cycle before adding livestock? Why did you add the stress coat? I just read it will cause foaming in marine aquariums with skimmers.

[FishFaceScott]

It did not cycle yet. New setup, the water, substrate, and salt were in the tank for a day and a half before I added the liverock and damsel. Was using the damsel to cycle it with the rock. What is odd is the murky water has been there almost three days, and the damsel, which should be hardier than the yellow goby or shrimp, is the one that went belly up within 24 hours - the others look fine and are eating well. The murky water is really confusing me.

The stress coat was to dechlorinate. Should have just used plain dechlor.

[RVANANO]

IMO you should have waited 5-6 weeks to add any livestock when your levels are all in check. Why would you use live fish & inverts to cycle your tank? And if you use good water you shouldn't have to add any chemicals. Where did you get the water? And did you mix the salt?

[Sk8r]

You were told drastically wrong. They will all die if not gotten out to quarantine, clear water, now.

Drain the tank. Start out with clean new ro/di water with 1/2 cup salt mix per gallon, well-mixed. Fill, with live rock, and no fish, no inverts.

Start all your systems, skimmer, heater, lights-on-timer, and let it run for 4 weeks, feeding it 4-5 flakes of fishfood a day with no animals in the tank at all. During the 3rd week, start testing daily for ammonia. Once it appears, and goes away, give it another few days of feeding to prove it can dispose of fish food.

Meanwhile read all the sticky-notes at the top of the NEW TO THE HOBBY forum: they include a detailed how-to on setup of a tank, and how to introduce a fish. And mark a fill-line on your quarantine tank, topping off with fresh water to keep the salinity even as it evaporates. Test the qt tank daily, and feed your survivors, changing the filter floss for them daily. Buy a bottle of Amquel FOR THE QT and use it if your water test shows any ammonia at all. Do not use it in your display tank.

The number of things yet to learn is several days of reading and note-taking, but I've just given you the operational essentials, and wish you the best with your tank. You've had a very rough start, and never take the advice of that fish store again where it regards a marine tank. We'll walk you through this.

Note: if you can't get ro/di water, go to the supermarket kiosk: the water it sells is ro water which is the next best thing.

When you drain the tank, stir that sand up really well and use a net to get it out into a bucket or two: they should have told you to wash it in salt water. Well---that part's done.

I'm really upset for you. This is a hard startup. But only a bump in the road, once you get it running.

[RVANANO]

Well said^

I cannot believe the LFS told you all these things were good ideas. I wouldn't ever go back there either.

Impatience is not a good trait for this hobby.

[FishFaceScott]

Wow - ok. Definitely a rough start up. I will drain the tank, refill with RO water, and cycle with only live rock and flake food - that is a great idea.

Thank you for the all the help.

Quick question - do you think the murkiness was from the substrate not being rinsed off well in salt water before being introduced?

Thanks,

Scott.

[RVANANO]

I wouldn't think so since you stated they were from shells you have picked up over the years. If it was new unwashed substrate than most likely yes. The chemical you added would make me suspect. As well as newly mixed salt water. I have read a number of threads with cloudiness from precipitated salt when mixing yourself.

I would try and catch the critters asap and move them to someone else's tank ASAP. I would actually take them back to the LFS and demand my money back for terrible advice.

[tkeracer619]

I would remove the shells and get some reef sand. The shells are going to trap a lot of bad stuff that you will have a very hard time cleaning. This will end up as algae.

[Matt Dean]

The cloudiness is probably from you putting the sand in after the water. More than likely the trace elements in the substrate that are beneficial. I did the same thing and eventually drained the water and added it with the sand already in the tank. Cleared up very quickly. If you did not rinse the sand well enough it would make it worse.

Just start over as per the advice above, have patience, and read, read, read. And, of course, don't listen to the advice of that LFS. If you have a question, ask here and research before doing anything.

Good luck, and don't feel too bad. This happens to a surprising amount of people starting out with bad advice from their LFS.