I wouldn't worry about the live rock and substrate, as long as you can get some new salt and good water relatively quickly.

Did you try any buffers?

Whatever place sold you the tank and is keeping your deposit, they should apply that money for when you do buy the tank in the future. Mind sharing who that is?

I guess i don't lose the dposit, but i ...they will hold it, but because i won't have the money when we agreed there is a penalty fee...It's a acrylic place in the states...my uncle was dealing with them for me.

If he has high alk already, he SHOULD NOT add more buffer.

i was thinking for the low Ph.

yeah i was just going to add ph buffer...but i think what i might do is mix up some saltwater, Thanks again for the salt neal.....mix up some salt put the live rock in the bucket heat it powerhead it...and drain 90 or so percent of the old water and make up some new.....this sound like a good idea?
since all the worms are dying...even my urchin is dying...
whats weird is i made up some fresh saltwater to put the fishes in for neal to take...the water was fresh and went cloudy in like 10 minutes after the fish went in...(i know never put fish in fresh mix salt, but i was worried, figure it was better than the watter they were in....it was cloudy, but their breathing wasn't as labored...but it was so cloudy you could not see the fish looking into the top...
i am still kind of unsure what to do....plus i have to write part of my philosophy paper tonight...sheesh

also would it be safe to store the liverock in freshly made saltwater...if i put a powerhead and heater in there? since even the worms are dying in the main tank i probably can't hurt. Feather duster is still going strong as well as emerald crab....hermit has slowed and the urchin is lethargic...could be cause he poked me while i was trying to get the clows out and i dropped a rock on him :(

From The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/chem.htm

"A buffer is something that helps minimize pH changes in the presence of added acid or base. No buffer can completely stop the pH from changing when acid or base is added. The change in pH, however, is made smaller when an appropriate buffer is used."

Reading Low pH: Causes and Cures may be helpful in this situation:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

Remove the rock to water that is known to be safe. Make sure the new water is close to the same temp as the tank. Aerate the heck out of the new water and keep it aerated the entire time the rock is in the new water. Yes, also keep a heater in with the rock. You want to keep the water as close to tank temps as possible.

I'm thinking about what may have caused the sad meltdown of your tank:

1. You did not use a dechlorinator and livestock, including LR, are dying because of the chlorine.

2. The new saltwater you used had not been properly aerated (at least for a couple of hours, overnight is better) and heated, and the shock of the vastly different temps, pH, and other gases in the tapwater were enough to begin a cascade of dying organisms.

Whatever happened, it's a terrible shame to lose so much livestock all at once like this :cry:

I think it is the salt, he mixed a new batch and it went cloudy in 10 minutes, that is just wrong!

re meltdown
 

hey everyone
just thought i would add a good note
the clowns appear to be doing fine in my invert tank
weird though, when i started adding my tank water to the bag of water they came in to acclimatize, the water became less cloudy and material started to solidify
i dunno what this means..
i don't think that salt would start to solidify again..
unless
wait..what is ur salt content? maybe ur Hydrometer is out..
how much salt are u putting in per gallon?
Shoot..should've tested the water with my refractometer before dumping it?
maybe that has something to do with it..
maybe way too salty?
i dunno..
Hopefully my salt will work for ya
way too weird