Damel Question

[rebelski]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post here, and I'm hoping someone in this forum can lend me a hand. I did a full search in my saltwater aquarium handbooks, as well as online...and I ended up more confused than when I started.
I fully admit to being a beginner...a very very new beginner. I just recebtly started up my tank and have been gathering as much information as time allows.
Anyway...my tank is fully cycled...and I currently have one Clown, one Yellow Tang and recently added one Cardinal and one Yellow-tailed damsel.
Over the past few days, I've noticed that my damsel is cowering behind a rock for enitre days. He almost NEVER comes out. He's certainly alive..and doesn't appear sickly in any way...but he just sits there.
I realized after I purchased him, that I should have possibly gotten 3...in order to keep him in a group. I went home and looked it up...and started to get some conflicting info on this. Some sources say that all damsels need to be kept in groups...and others say that only the chromis need to be in groups and the other damsels are better off alone.
Does anyone with more experience have any suggestions? Is the reason my damels keeps hiding because he's alone and needs a small school?...or is this compeltely normal behavior?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
JM

 

[col]

Hi, Welcome.
First how long has your tank been running?
How big is your tank?
It is not unusual for a new fish to be shy for a short while.

 

[rebelski]

Hey Col,
Thanks for your reply. My tank, which is 30 only gallons, has been up and running for about 6 weeks. So far, I've had no real problems occur. I've been religious about water changes and checking the water quality.
The damsel, however, has only been in there about a week. And if the reason he is so shy is because he is alone...I'm hesistant to add 2 more so soon after I added him. Isn't that too soon to add more? Yet...I'm not sure what to do about the issue.
JM

 

[locke]

First of all, a 30 gallon tank is too small for a yellow tang, and as well IMHO you have too many fish in a tank that has only been up and running for 6 weeks. It usually takes at least 6 weeks for a tank to cycle.

 

[col]

This probably is not connected to your damsel but you have too much too soon in your tank. Things may look fine at the moment but if you don't slow down it will all go wrong pretty quickly.
Don't add any more fish.
Even if you don't like the replies you are going to get, take note at least as there is a lot of experience on this board.

 

[rebelski]

Thanks. I appreciate *any* input. As a beginner, the only way I know if I am doing something right or wrong is if someone advises me. I was told in the aquarium store that a small yellow tang would be alright. Maybe not. *shrug*
As for the cycling...I waited until my nitrite level dropped off and my nitrate level climbed...and no ammonia was detected. At this point, I did a water change (as suggested, once again, by the aquarium store folks) in order to dilute the nitrate. After that was done, I deemed it acceptable to start adding. Was this a mistake? eek.
I will certainly not add any more fish for a while. Thank you for your help. Now I am concerned. Any suggestions on how to get my fish through my mistake..alive?

 

[locke]

That tang will grow to be quite large and will need at least 6ft of swimming room. He won't last in that tank for much over 6 months. Remember take what the fish store says with a grain of salt, they are part fish lovers part business men and of course they have to sell stuff to stay afloat.

 

[col]

Keep a close eye on the ammonia and nitrite level.

 

[erg59541]

I had the same problem when I started out. I bought a 29gal kit and the instructions told me I could add fish right after the salt was mixed!!! Big big big big big mistake also my instructions told me 1inch of fish per gallon of water.....Also a huge mistake....Now my tank is still overstocked.....even after some (a lot) of fish died

I have almost the same stock in my tank as you do and everybody is doing fine for now but during that first ammonia spike I had big problems. If I were you I would test the levels in your tank and if there were any problems I would try and get your fish back to the LFS or to a friend who has an empty cycled tank...not that there are good odds on that. Anyway good luck with that. Also if you can afford it you could always set up a bigger tank for your fish to move to when they get bigger, thats what I am working on.
Good luck

 

[karajay]

WELCOME

With the exception of your tang, your stock list doesn't look too bad. I think what everyone was trying to say was, you shouldn't have added all your fish at once. Usually, you should add one at a time and give your tank a few weeks to adjust to the bio-load before adding another.
With regards to the damsel, a yellow-tail is not a variety that belongs in a group. More than one damsel will generally fight.
Is it eating? Is it being harrassed? Keep an eye on it and keep an eye on your water conditions.
:happyfish

 

[erg59541]

actually that referred to an already cycled tank
The information was on the instructions of the kit that I was just setting up. It basically told me that there was no need for a cycle...no joke!