30 gallon salt water tank, Fish are dying. Need help!! please!

[lpfosho]

Current setup
-30 gallon tank
-10 gallon sump
-Reef octopus HOB classic 1000 protein skimmer hanging on the side of 10 gallon sump
-Refugium in sump with chaeto in it
-290 gph pump
-CPR CS90 overflow box
-Power head for water movement
-Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light
-Aquatic Life RO Buddie Three Stage Reverse Osmosis, 100-Gallon to make water
-Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Sea Salt Marine Mix
-Around 25 pounds of live rock
-CaribSea Dry Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand 15 lb
-Salinity 1.024
-Ammonia 0 ppm
-Nitrite 0 ppm
-Nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm

I have had a 30 gallon salt water tank for about 6 years now. So here is the story, I set up
the tank like 6 years ago starting with 25 Ibs of live rock and crushed shells as the sand bed.
I had a hang on the back filter, power head for water movement and a heater and I think that is it.
I didn't take too good care of it and didn't research too much about setting a salt water tank up.
About 4 months ago I bought a Reef octopus HOB protein skimmer. About 1 month ago I bought a townhouse
and had to move all of my setup over to the new house. First I got rid of the crushed shells and saved the rocks.
I transferred the live rock in a 5 gallon bucket filled with water to save all the bacteria on them.
I bought some caribsea dry aragnite special grade reef sand 15 Ib and put that on the bottom for my sand bed.
Next I set the rocks up inside the tank with no water in it yet. I made 5 gallons of water with the RO buddie before hand.
Next I added the 5 gallons of water (so some of the rocks were out of the water for a few min as I added the new water) and
Then I had to make more water which takes like 3 hours to make 5 gallons with the RO buddie. While I made water for the next few days
some of the rocks were out of the water, so parts of the rocks were out of water for a few days. I'm sure the good bacteria died on
some of the rocks. About 3 weeks later I made a sump pump with 3 chambers, one with protein skimmer next refugium, next return pump.
I made the return line and line that goes to sump out of PVC pipe. I used Oatey primer and clear cement. So about a week later I tested the water
and everything seemed to be good. Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm. I did notice the water seem just a little cloudy.
Also I forgot to mention that I have around 7 snails and 3 hermit crabs. The snails and hermit crabs have been in the tank at my old house
and went through the new change to the new house. A few days ago I bought two cheap green chromis fish to make sure I didn't waste too much money
if the fish died and test the new setup. So yesterday both fish died. And slowly for the last few weeks the snails seem to be keeling over and dying too.
I always find snails on their backs like they fell off a rock or the side of the tank. Also I forgot to mention that when I first got the LED lighting I left it on for 15 hours which is too long.
So with all that said the water parameters are staying, no sign of anything
besides low nitrates. My question is could there be something else in the water that is killing things? Such as the pvc cement and primer I put on the pvc pipe? I am not sure
why things are dyeing. Maybe I need to let it cycle longer. If you got this far, thanks for reading. Thanks in advance for your replies..

[jml1149]

What is the pH of the tank and how did you acclimate the fish?

What was in the tank for the previous 6 years?

[Sk8r]

Normal setup for a mature tank moved from one house to another, five days to cycle with everything optimum and rock kept wet. If things aren't optimum, up to 4 weeks.

OTOH, stray voltage from a cracked heater can be a killer that only gives us a mild shock. Check your equipment. If anything's alive, get it into new clean salt water in a bare glass tank and hold it there until your main tank has had time to sort out.

[lpfosho]

jml1149- I just tested the PH last night and it is 8.0. To acclimate the fish I set the plastic bag in the tank water for 30 min and then put them in the tank. I didn't use the drip method, I don't think that could be it because all my snails are dying too.

I had some snails and a couple damselfish and two of them lasted for about 6 years until one jerk damsel killed off the other, so I took him back to the fish store.

[lpfosho]

Sk8r- Thanks I will check my heater when I get home tonight. Thanks for the reply's guys..

[Nakie31]

Hello RC I'm kinda new I'm about to start my tank again but can I ask this and please don't get upset but if you added new sand wouldn't cause the cycling of the tank over? I'm just asking not giving advice it's just a question about cycling.

[lpfosho]

I was kind of wondering that too. It may start a mini cycle. But I think the fact that there are nitrates means the cycle is over, I could be wrong though

[heathlindner25]

Originally Posted by lpfosho

I was kind of wondering that too. It may start a mini cycle. But I think the fact that there are nitrates means the cycle is over, I could be wrong though

The cycle is never over ,and yes you can have an ammonia Spike.

[JoJoTheClown]

Do a 30% water change.. You probably stirred up all sorts of stuff when you moved the tank.

[lpfosho]

Ok good to know. I will have to check my ammonia again to see if I am getting ammonia spikes. And thanks I will be doing a water change this weekend.

[Cymonous]

I moved to a new house in december and upgraded from a 65 to a 100g. I tossed the old sand, got new sand that was rinsed, used rock from 65. I didn't lose any fish.

What it sounds like to me is if your new saltwater was not the same salinity/ph as your old water, then NOT doing an acclimation for your snails and new fish may of been your culprit.

Did you test salinity between old tank and new tank water? If so, what did you use and how close was it?

[lpfosho]

I don't think there was too much change in salinity as I try to keep it at about 1.024. But not acclimating them right could have had something to do with it. Thanks