Finally got through cycling... Adding fish question

[mpcolson]

As many of you know I have been fighting the first cycle of my 55 gal tank since I joined this forum. I finally got all leveled out!!

So I am looking at getting my first bit of fish, I want to wait on the corals a month or so to watch things so I feel comfortable.

I am looking at the following fish to aid in algea control and tank cleaning rolls. This is my list I was intending to pick up:

• Coral Beauty
• Yellow Watchman
• Cleaner Shrimp
• Peppermint Shrimp
• 10 Dove Snails

All I had in the tank was 2 blue green chromis, 3 turbo snails, 1 emerald crab, 4-5 hermits and, 2 turban snails. They were in the tank through the cycling. Will the addition of those listed fish be too much too soon??

[saltaddict]

Congrats on setting up your first tank. It is never a good idea to add that much live stock at one time. Your system must have time to balance each addition you add to the load. I would introduce the snails together and maybe the peppermint shrimp at the same time as the snails then wait a few weeks and add another creature and so on.

Are you using a quarantine system for your live stock?

[mpcolson]

I need to get a QT... Don't have one yet. That was why I was looking at these particular fish for function then I intend to get a QT going in a month or two.

This was to add function as the coral beauty will rid the algae that has grown pretty quickly and the peppermint shrimp will get a handle on the aptasia that are present. Right now there are three I can see.

Then once that is all leveled out I intend to set up a 20gal in the bed room to serve as the M*A*S*H unit. I will begin to collect corals for the main tank. I know it's a little bit sideways, but thats the plan.

[Rostr02]

If you felt like adding anything it would be some dwarf cerith snails, and maybe the 2-3 peppermints, I would still recommend to QT them. For risk of death on the peppermints part. But if you really have to, a slow drip acclimation should do well.

[saltaddict]

I would add some clean up crew and add filter media to help with what is causing the algae. I personally would not add a particular fish for its clean up ability as it may want to eat your algae and it may not.
I would get the tank in tip top shape with all algae under control and water parameters in pristine condition before even thinking of adding fish or corals. This will make your life easier in the future and it will give you time to set up and QT fish before adding them to the DT.

The "good" outcomes takes patience and time and the "BAD" happens really fast before you can change it.

[mpcolson]

Yeah, I am shopping 20 gal set-ups as we speak. I think I found a fresh water tank on craigslist I can snatch up for 15.00 on a metal stand. Thats all I need with a HOB filter and a good light. I guess I need to become a real REEFER!

No need to dress the QT tank out like the display tank. and I think I was over thinking it.

That's my standard M.O.

[CarmieJo]

+1 on the advice already given. CL tanks are great. Do check if it has been coppered. If it has the copper may leach out into the water. That doesn't matter for fish but copper is deadly to inverts. You should be aware that coral beauties may nip at corals.

[mpcolson]

How would you check if it has ever had copper used in it? Isn't copper in most freshwater Ick medications? If the tank is in a storage bay there's no way to determine copper in it is there?

About all you can do is run carbon in the filter to eliminate it .... right??

[Amphibious]

+2 on the advice already given.

I guess I need to become a real REEFER!

I prefer to ask every one to become a “Responsible Reefer” by researching methodologies (like QTing), various filtration methods, understanding the “cycle”, the importance of doing one’s own water testing, size limits, health issues, feeding properly and so much more.

Dick

[CarmieJo]

Yes, freshwater ich meds are all copper based as far as I know. I don't think I would depend on carbon to remove the copper. Instead I would use http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...CupriSorb.html.