Problems with new set up HELP PLS
 

My brother set up a neww 72 gall bow frt he put baby chromis in to cycle tank twice both times the fish died within 2 hrs he aclimated fish for 1 hrs
before intro to the tank any ideas PH is 8.0 salinity is 1.226
Kh appears to be off the scale I will go double check myself tomorrow
because he is a newb and may have done the test wrong.That is the Kh test.

Are you sure the salinity is 1.226 or 1.026. If it's 1.226 then it's too high.

Sorry I meant 1.026

Ask him if he washed it with soap, bleach, WINDEX ect before setting it up. It could be a toxin problem.[/b]

I did Ask him if he used any house hold chemical and he said NO.

Chromis don't cycle well.

Stick to non-live forms of cycling, like live rock, fish food, etc.

now, don't take this wrong but its horrible to cycle a tank with a living creature, please do not do this its extremely painfull for a fish to have to live in an ammonia atmosphere. just toss in a small piece of [dead] shrimp and there ya go. what amount of liverock is he using? what type of water? [tap,conditioned tap.ro/do].
as mentioned CHROMIS on there own are tricky to get to survive sometimes let alone cycle a tank. I never add fish to a new system ubtil at least the 3 month mark and then the hardiest first and 1 at a time.

Never heard of dumping a piece of dead shrimp in the water That is for sure more ethical :redface: .His water is ro/di I have added water from my tank to his to help the process along. When you say dead shrimp what kind and where from ?

He has about 60 lbs of tonga/fiji live rock.

Doesn't matter, that's why EmilyB said fish food - you can just toss in a small bit of mysis, or a piece of cocktail shrimp - whatever. Anything to get the cycle started and allow bacteria to multiply. Your water and a bunch of LR will certainly help that along too. You could also seed his live sand with a handful of your own.