Adding tankmates

Now that my recent fish emergency is behind me (see the 'quarantine tank' thread for details and for the great advice I got from the forum), I'm looking forward to adding new fish.

I'm brainstorming ways to reduce the level of friction between my current fish and any new additions I make. I have a powder brown tang and a couple of percula clowns in a 90 gallon tank. There are no corals yet, but I intend to experiment with some frags at some point.

I would like to add a diamond goby, a bicolor blenny, a yellow coris, and a royal gramma. I've kept all of those fish before, so I don't foresee any problems between the tang and those fish, but I would also like to add another larger fish as well. I'd like to get some variety of dwarf angel, or possibly a heniochus, or even another tang of some sort.

To reduce the level of territorial friction, I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to add to / change the rock scape just before introducing the new fish. That way, everyone is essentially adjusting to a new landscape and staking out new territory. I'm working from the theory that new fish that would compete for territory or dominance should be introduced at the same time.

My other thought is to isolate the tang or a few days before transferring the new fish from quarantine, and then re-introducing him either at the same time or a few days after I introduce the new fish. But I don't want to do that if it will cause the tang undue stress (especially after what he just went through to recover from the recent ****** outbreak).

Any suggestions on conflict-reducing methods for introducing new fish?
Any suggestions of other fish that might work well / better with the combination I have in mind?
 

mr. limpid

Active Member
The way I introduce fish is, I do it early in the morning before lights come on. I acclimate the new fish the same way as I do into QT, just before add the fish I add nori on a clip to the other side of the tank (all my fish eat nori even the trigger) then I let them lose or just feed them. Full fish are happy fish. There will always be some aggression on the new fish, just watch to make sure they are not killing it. It takes a couple of days but the aggression should pass. If not then rearrange the rocks. Last resort would be to remove the aggressor to the QT for a month then return them. As for adding another tang all tang are aggressive, try to choose one from another family and different body shape. Good luck
 
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