Originally Posted by
hawkfishman
http:///forum/post/3234711
I know that adding that much at once is pretty much stupid, but none of the fish i have bought have been over 20$.
It's not the cost of the fish I was concerned about. It was the possible loss of life that worried me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an "all life is precious, save the lowly cockroach" sort of tub thumper, but I think you'll find that many of us here are pretty dedicated to long term fishkeeping. We try not to overcrowd our tanks, we don't buy naso tangs and stick 'em in a 45g tank, that sort of thing. I'm sure you feel the same way, and I hope you take the advise we're giving you with the impression that we're just trying to help YOU have a more enjoyable tank.
OK, so maybe I thumped my tub just a teeny bit there. Moving on.
Originally Posted by hawkfishman
http:///forum/post/3234711
here is my stocklist:
2x extreme misbar clownfish
1x orange skunk clownfish
1x lawnmower blenny
3x firefish goby.
OK, this isn't so bad. I had visions of triggers, tangs, and other giants rubbing fins with your two misbars. I would still say it's too much, and DEFINITELY too soon. Your thought about the skunk clown is spot on. They're fairly aggressive, and more importantly, the mix of two different clownfish species almost always ends with one of the two species being dead. Take it back to the LFS, even for credit.
Keep an eye on your lawnmower. Looks like you already have a handle on him with the algae wafers, but make sure he doesn't start getting a concave belly. Lawnmowers tend to do much better in tanks that have been up and running for a while...more variety in the salad bar, I expect.
As for your firefish: Hmmmmm, well, your LFS guy isn't telling you the WHOLE story here. Yes, they do well in small groups. SWF.com mentions that they prefer pairs. I have kept a single firefish successfully for years and I've never had a problem with him. I don't think it's absolutely necessary to keep three firefish if you don't want to. More importantly, I would consider trading a firefish or two back in to the LFS if you want to get another fish down the road. Your current count of 6 fish (minus the clown) is still pushing it. If you want to get a couple moderately active middle swimmers like flasher/fairy wrasses and/or a dwarf angel I would definitely consider removing at least one of the firefish.
Originally Posted by hawkfishman
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belive me, if i had tested the ammonia and it would have been at .25 ppm i would not have added ANY fish cause i am all too familiar of how fish handle ammonia. and yes, i know that ammonia is not the only thing to watch for......oh and i just looked at a calendar and the tank is now actually 3 weeks old not 2. and no, im not just saying that to get u guys off my back lol.
edit in: oh and the filter i am using on this tank was used on my 20 gallon SW i had up since around xmas. i added some seeded bio-balls to it to allow for a decent amount of bateria to build up in it.
OK, so the system is a little farther along than 2 weeks. That's great; it increases your chances of keeping the fish you have now. The filter that's pre-seeded from the 20g is also a good thought. That being said, I still believe you've shocked the system with the quantity of fish you added in a relatively short period of time. If you have any way of loaning some of your stock to a friend who has a mature system, that might be a good idea for now. Otherwise I would suggest you do 20% water changes twice a week for the next couple weeks. That should help offset any of the nitrite issues you may be developing...I noticed you didn't mention nitrites, and these are just as much a danger to your fish as ammonia.
So, to sum up: sell the clown, consider dropping at least one firefish, and see about getting someone to "babysit" the other fish while you wait out the rest of the cycle. Or else do more water changes. Also of course, add some more rock when you can. I'm actually a big fan of base rock being added...it will gather its own colony of beneficial bacteria in time, and will work just as well. My
seahorse tank is built with all dry tufa and miami oolite rock, with just one small piece of LR to seed the rest.
And finally, just to reiterate the point: we're not jumping down your throat, we're just trying to help you learn. Many of us (myself included) pulled stupid stunts when we got into this hobby. It's definitely a learning hobby, and the best of us know that there's never a point where you STOP learning. Heck, I learned something new just last week: I learned that you shouldn't forget about the gaping open wound on your thumb before plunging it in a saltwater tank!
OUCH!!
