Starting over tank for many year

[trlollc]

I have had a 125 gallon tank for many years. A lot of rock and a sand base. I've been working a lot to clean it up and am ready to fill it with fish. I have a lot of snails, hermit crabs, a Queen conch and a cowrie snail. My setup includes a 30 gallon refugium.
When I test the water, it is perfect -- ammonia, nitrates, Ph and salinity all where it should be.
I can't keep any fish alive. I have had 2 sets of 3 chromis die. The longest one lived was a week.
I got a Singapore angel that lived for 3 weeks.
A lawnmower blenny lived for a month.
A royal gramma lived for about two days.
I got all of these fish at least 3 weeks apart, except for the chormis, which I bought three at a time.
I am afraid to get any more fish because I don't want them to die!!
I didn't feed any of them a lot. But, could it be something to do with the food? Maybe it was too old? Or not enough?
Any ideas about where to start figuring this out?
THanks!

 

[lmforbis]

Did you quarantine the fish?

 

[trlollc]

Did you quarantine the fish?

I didn't quarantine them. Although, honestly, most of time I was putting fish into a tank with no fish. For future reference, how would I quarantine them? And for how long?

 

[lmforbis]

I do a min of 30 days in a small bare bottom tank with some PVC pipe for hiding, a heater and a job filter.
The problem is if the first fish brought in a disease it was still there to infect the future fish.

 

[2quills]

Are you using tap water?

 

[trlollc]

I do a min of 30 days in a small bare bottom tank with some PVC pipe for hiding, a heater and a job filter.
The problem is if the first fish brought in a disease it was still there to infect the future fish.

So, how do I know if there is a disease in there?

 

[trlollc]

Are you using tap water?

No. RO filtered water

 

[lmforbis]

If everything else is good but fish die when you put them in the tank there is a good likelihood there is a disease in the tank. If not I'd suspect some sort of toxin, maybe an ammonia spike from the increased bioload. Where are you buying your fish?

 

[2quills]

It does kinda sound like disease.

However, the issue with the chromis is fairly normal. I've tried a few sets of them myself only to have them die within a week or so. They tend to pick each other off. Especially if you get them when they're small.

 

[one-fish]

Any chance of something like air fresheners carpet cleaning anything like that got in the tank doesn't have to direct airborne mists will also get absorbed into the tank

 

[trlollc]

No airborne anything -- the room is pretty stark and doesn't have carpeting. I buy at the local fish store. I wonder if I should try ordering online. Any recommendations for online shops?

 

[lmforbis]

I usually order from live aquaria' divers den.

 

[one-fish]

First fish I had were 2 FW Black Mollies I accumulated over to SW. Still have the female male jumped out 2nd night. Gave me confidence in my tank conditions and didn't spend $ only to have them die. just my.02