[dbl54]

Lemme start out by saying I have a 125 gallon salt water tank. I started the tank out with 2 lion fish, a nurse shark, and a zebra moray eel. I then decided to get a clown fish a two tangs ( a blonde naso and a yellow). I then proceeded to get an anenome for the clown fish. Within two days the clown fish was dead.. next the nurse shark... then the blonde naso tang... I test my water and it is fine. The water has been merky for about a week now, you cannot see from one side of the tank to the other. I did a water change 2 days ago. I tested my water again today and both my salt and water are testing perfectly. Nothing is dead in the tank. I havent been feeding the remaining fish ( the eel and 1 lion fish) . I also put a chemi-cure in the wet/dry today and still nothing. Can ANYONE please explain to me what is going on?

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND!

As a minimum it sounds like you have a major bacteria outbreak.

Give me some idea of the timing for these additions. Let's begin here:

When did the tank get setup? (date)
When did the tank cycle? (date)
Are you using live rock for biological filtration? If not, what?
Do you have chemical filtration? (carbon?), A skimmer? A mechanical filter?
When did the first fish get added? (date)
Give the dates for each fish addition after the above first fish was added.
List the size in length of each fish.

With regards to testing:
What tests do you perform?
How do you test the water? (test kits, dip sticks, or ?)

In general:
Who is advising you on how to keep marine fishes?

Thanks.

[dbl54]

ve me some idea of the timing for these additions. Let's begin here:

When did the tank get setup? The tank was setup approx 2 months ago
When did the tank cycle? I cycled the tank for about 3 weeks before i added one live rock and 1 nurse shark and 5 damsels. The tank was clear and perfect.
Are you using live rock for biological filtration? I have one live rock apprx 15 pounds and i have put in other rock which is dead rock. With all the rocks my water was crystal clear and everything fine.
Do you have chemical filtration? (carbon?),I have a wet/dry and I am now using carbon but my water is still murky and getting worse.
When did the first fish get added? 3 weeks after the tank the nurse shark and 5 damsels.
Give the dates for each fish addition after the above first fish was added.
after the nurse shark i got 2 lion fish and a zebra moray eel. Then i added a panther grouper which i left in the tank for about a week and then decided to take him out. Then I added 2 tangs, a blonde naso and a yellow along with a clownfish. I then added a anenome (througout this time I have had 2 sand sifters and 2 star fish along with apprx 60 hermit crabs and 40 snails. The clown fish died apprx 2 days after getting him. Everything was eating perfectly in my tank. water was also perfect. Then maybe a week later the shark died, in the days following the blonde naso, one of the lion, and now the yellow tang. After the yellow tang died I did a 30 gallon water change and added carbon to my wet/dry. The water is testing perfect and my salinity is also testing perfect, but the murkiness seems to be the same if not getting worse.
With regards to testing:
What tests do you perform? I take it to the aquarium which does a nitrtate, ammonia and whatever else. They also have no idea what could be going on.
How do you test the water? (test kits, dip sticks, or ?) I personally test the water at home with dip sticks.

In general:
Who is advising you on how to keep marine fishes? Mainly store owners and the internet. I have had a couple tanks in the past just not this size and have not encountered a problem like this before.

[Ninong]

I don't think a nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is a good choice for your 125-gal tank. I believe a better minimum size would be 100,000 gallons. The maximum adult size of this fish is 14 feet.

[leebca]

Thanks for the additional information.

There are several problems (or if you prefer to call them fish 'stressors") at work here. In essence, too much is going on, too quickly. The setup of a marine system takes months before you put a fish into it, and then you only add one fish every couple of months. You might not appreciate or realize that the bottom line to good fish husbandry is maintaining happy bacteria in the system. Bacteria need time to adjust to the initial changing marine system AND time to reproduce when new fish are added.

Local fish stores make their money first by selling you equipment. Once sold, there is no ongoing sales (except maybe bulbs, food, and salt). So how do the stores remain in business? It is through the sale of live goods. If the buyer keeps losing and replacing livestock, the store makes money.

The store you are going to is either ignorant of how to setup a marine system or is less than reliable. I hope you are willing to do some reading. This tells you what and how to do it properly. Compare what is in this post to what you have done:
Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium

As Ninong has pointed out, you are not stocking your aquarium properly, even IF the aquarium was mature. While on both of these subjects, read about what a mature aquarium is all about here:
The Mature Aquarium

Read more about stocking limits and choosing the marine life suitable for your system here:
Fish Stocking Limit - for FO and FOWLR

If I were you and after having read all the above and willing to follow that advice, I would back off. Find homes for all the fishes you currently still have. Start off back in the hobby at the early stages of the post on how to setup a marine system. Obtain your own test kits and learn how to test the water by titration. Abandon the use of the dip sticks for the next few months. Lastly, I hope you will consider another approach to the hobby. That is, using a quarantine process to make sure your display and marine system remains disease-free. This is a good link to that info:
A Fish Quarantine Process

I hope you will continue in the hobby even after you learn how challenging it is. It is rewarding. There is no need to waste marine life but to prevent this from happening, go slowly and be better prepared to handle water quality on your own.

I think it is great you have reached out for help. It shows you do have a concern for doing things better and the best you can. We are here to help.

[dbl54]

If I just let the water cycle and not add anything is there any chance in a couple months or less my water will return to normal clear?

[weez1959]

It will clear before a couple of months but you have to go slow when adding fish and always quarantine them for at least 1 month before putting them in your display tank. Also choose your fish carefully, you were way overstocked even if you had a mature tank

[leebca]

Not adding anything is just part of what is needed. . .you need to remove some that is there.

With time the water will clear if you continue with water changes, maintenance and hold off on making changes. Look for and remove detritus, uneaten foods, and wastes.

[dbl54]

Finally my tank is clearing up I am left with one lion fish apprx 3.5 inches in size and one zebra moray eel apprx 8-10 inches everything seems to be happy and healthy. Now what do you mean by quarantine any new fish I get how should I do that and how long figuring my water is perfect should I wait to add another fish? And does anyone have any ideas of what species will go well I would like something colorful and vibrant thanks for everyone help

[leebca]

Others may chime in on choice of fishes. I don't recommend marine life since the choice of fish is very personal for me. It should be something you like, understand how to maintain, and are willing to provide everything the fish needs in the way of food, space, and a means to thrive (rather than just survive) in its captive life. No matter what anyone suggests RESEARCH what the fish needs and match what it needs to what you can provide. No match; no fish.

Perhaps you are still missing the point of the recommended post. Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium

Gather up all the missing equipment. Gather up all the missing test kits and testing equipment you don't as yet have. Practice with them.

Make up your own Plan. (See the THE PLAN portion of that post).

Now follow the SEQUENCE OF THE SETUP. You should start at 10. and get to number 18. in a few weeks.

Item 10 starts you on your way to establishing a quarantine system. Again, the referenced post given you includes a link to how to setup and run a quarantine process. I hope you're reading. Repeating it all isn't very efficient.

Here is the link to the quarantine process: A Fish Quarantine Process. Just follow the directions given there.