Overstock?

[lexluethar]

I've had my tank setup for about 2 months now, and i've had fish in it for about 3 weeks. I cycled and everything went well.
It is a 29 gallon tank
24x turnover
salinity 1.024
Am 0
Ni 0
Na .25 - whatever the measurement above zero is, it is an orangish tint, sorry i'm at work and do not have the instruments in from of me
I have three damsels, three hermit crabs, and a peppermint shrimp, an emerald crab, and 30 lbs of live rock. I have a pengiun 200 (i think) hang on filter.
Would it be too much to add two clowns of the same type in this setup? I wouldn't do it at once, i'm just worried about overcrowding. I plan on adding some snails at some point and maybe another shrimp.
Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks!
mike

 

[baloo6969]

IMO if you have 3 dams...that's all your going to get in unless you get luckey and add a nasty clown...take out 1or2 of the dams, and rearrange the rockwork, this may make things better.

 

[m0nk]

Well, I wouldn't neccessarily say that 2 more small fish would overstock (probably borderline, 4 fish in that setup is better), but I wouldn't house 2 clowns with 3 damsels. The damsels will most likely become aggressive and team up to kill the clowns. And although it's not a bad idea to add the clowns separately, the best solution is to add them at the same time. You'd want a larger one and a smaller one; the larger will become the dominant female and the smaller will become the male. If you add them separately and accidentally get a second one that's smaller than the first, the original one in the tank could be aggressive and territorial toward your new fish.

 

[rbaldino]

Five fish may be pushing it. It would help if we knew what sort of damsels you have now and what kind of clowns you want to get. As stated before, if you do get two clowns, add them at the same time. Getting a skimmer will also improve your chances of having more fish.

 

[trigger11]

If you are going to add two clowns I would agree to add them at the same time. That way you can get a pair. Or at the very least see how they interact with each other at the LFS. Adding the clowns would put you at the stock limit or be just a bit over IMO. (This would depend on how big the damsels are now, and how big the clowns you get would be of course). I also agree about the liklihood of the damsels getting too aggressive. I personally saw a damsel I had do this to a clown that I added. If I hadnt removed the damsel it would have killed the clown. Soooo, if you decide to do this I would be prepared to take out any damsels that are too aggressive. (To do so you will likely have to remove every rock in there). Honestly, at this point if it were my tank I would remove the damsels completely, get the 2 clownfish that you want. Then can wait a few weeks and get some other kind of small fish that has some color to him and isnt so aggressive by nature. As an example, I have 3 clowns and 4 green chromis in my tank and they all school around together. A nip here and there but never any major aggression.

 

[spanko]

Yes lose the Damsels which is easier said than done. If you have nothing else in there remove the rocks, drain down the water into bucket(s) and then get them. Then you can do this quickly, and you get to rescape the tank.
Damsels are the devil.

 

[lexluethar]

baloo6969 I don't understand what rearranging my rockwork will do for adding new fish - i realize if i can't catch the damsels i will have to take apart the rocks.
Currently i have a domino damsel, a Three striped damsel, and a yellow tailed damsel. The only agressive one is the domino, the others are very dosile and don't pick at eachother - just the domino picks on them. They all are small, the domino is the largest, but it is only an inch big or so, the striped a few mm smaller, and the yellow is maybe half and inch to 3/4 inch.
So i was thinking about taking out the domino anyways b/c it is a little

[hr]
, the others don't pick at eachother or the domino.
Maybe take the domino out, see how aggressive the other two are - then if they aren't aggressive add both clowns at the same time? I was thinking percula clowns. I know to get two different sizes, larger will probably be female, smaller is a juvi or male.
Thanks for all of your input and advise!!!

 

[alix]

Originally Posted by LexLuethar
I don't understand what rearranging my rockwork will do for adding new fish - i realize if i can't catch the damsels i will have to take apart the rocks.
the damsels will feel as if theyre in a new tank where they have no territory... that way the clowns wont be on their "turf"

 

[1journeyman]

Clowns are also in Damsel family... 5 damsels in a crowded area=bad things.
You will have WWIII at some point in your tank. This is further complicated by the fact that you would need to add smaller, less agressive clowns for your bioload to work.
Don't think it is a good idea at all.