Starting of a Tank

happyvac

happyvac

Member
Hi. I'm curious about the general constraints for starting a tank. Should I just throw in my "pre-cured" LR and test daily for an ammonia spike with all equipment but lights running? And then, after said spike, how should I go about adding my fish? Should I acclimate my cleaning crew first and then after a week or so acclimate my first fish?
Here is my stocking list:
1 Yellow Tang
2 Percula Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Pink Watchman Goby
Is there a particular order that should be followed? In addition to this, how should I run my refugium with my tank at its start?
Thanks :)
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
what size tank do you have? I am a member of the tang police.
if you have an adequate size tank, you should add the goby, gramma, clowns, and tang, in that order, about 2-3 weeks apart.
 
merredeth

merredeth

Active Member
Originally Posted by Pontius
what size tank do you have? I am a member of the tang police.
LMAO! :jumping:
Someone actually admits to being a member of the tang police.
That was a good one.
Pontius, I just point out when a tank is too small for the tangs. How about making an avitar that says Tang Police so we can all put a badge on?
Ya made me smile...
Denise M.
 
mikeyjer

mikeyjer

Active Member
He's got a 90 gallon tank if you read his other posts. I dislike tang police!!! No offense... Yes go ahead and acclimate your cleanup crews first, you should QT your new fish for at least a month before adding to your display tank. I don't QT though, I usually watch'em for a month before purchase or I would purchase ahead and have'em keep it for 2 weeks before bringing it home, my LFS keeps them for 2 weeks. Depending on what parameters you have in your display tank and your main tank(Should get them as close as possible) you may need to re-acclimate them to your display tank once they're ready to move in. Your fish list looks fine to me!! Good Luck!!! :happyfish
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
if he's got a 90 gallon, he's good to go with the fish list that he has.
you dislike the tang police? other people dislike the regular police, but right is right, and keeping a tang in a 30 gallon tank ain't right.
I see about making an avatar, not too good with photoshop, but I'll see.
 
crazyaqua

crazyaqua

Member
I agree that a tang shouldnt be a in 30 but the police have freaked out about a kole or yellow being in a 55
 
merredeth

merredeth

Active Member
Originally Posted by Pontius
you dislike the tang police? other people dislike the regular police, but right is right, and keeping a tang in a 30 gallon tank ain't right.
I see about making an avatar, not too good with photoshop, but I'll see.
Make sure you make that avatar available for all that want to wear the badge of "Tang Police" with pride.
As for Mike not liking the tang police, not too many like police on their ass, period.
Denise M.
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
Originally Posted by crazyaqua
I agree that a tang shouldnt be a in 30 but the police have freaked out about a kole or yellow being in a 55
an expert in saltwater fish, Michael Scott, says that no tang should be kept in less than 75 gallons.
 
merredeth

merredeth

Active Member
Originally Posted by Pontius
an expert in saltwater fish, Michael Scott, says that no tang should be kept in less than 75 gallons.
So does Pontius, now! hahahaha!
Denise M.

(you really need to work on that badge)
 
happyvac

happyvac

Member
Thanks for the help guys :)
How do I QT the Tang? My QT tank is just going to be a 20g with a HOB and some PVC :notsure:
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
you QT a tang like any other fish. "black ich" (not true ich) is very common in yellow tangs, so you'll need to do formalin baths if that problem arises (Beth has a thread on this in the disease forum).
 
pallan

pallan

Member
Originally Posted by Pontius
you QT a tang like any other fish. "black ich" (not true ich) is very common in yellow tangs, so you'll need to do formalin baths if that problem arises (Beth has a thread on this in the disease forum).
never heard of doing a formalin bath why wouldn't you do hypo in the QT instead wouldnt that be safer i belive the main ingiedient for formalin is formaldihyde i think and to me that is scary.
I ask cause since ive started reading here we are preached at to never use chemicals i have been lucky and not had an ich outbreak but was planning on if it ever did happen to do hypo. Just curious.
LFS has always recomended freshwater baths for ICH just been lucky enough have not had to deal with it.
 
pallan

pallan

Member
Originally Posted by HappyVac
Thanks for the advice, but my question was regarding the size of the 20g in relation to the Tang.
for temp purposes a QT tank size is not genrally need to be as large as the display tank size. so a 20 gallon for a Tang in QT is ok. Kinda like you in a hospital room for a week no one likes it but it is necissary
 
happyvac

happyvac

Member
So to run a QT I would set it up and, like a normal tank, wait for a spike? Then maintain as pertaining to a normal tank, only less frequently?
Now on to the Refugium. How do I go about starting it?
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
Originally Posted by Pallan
never heard of doing a formalin bath why wouldn't you do hypo in the QT instead wouldnt that be safer i belive the main ingiedient for formalin is formaldihyde i think and to me that is scary.
I ask cause since ive started reading here we are preached at to never use chemicals i have been lucky and not had an ich outbreak but was planning on if it ever did happen to do hypo. Just curious.
LFS has always recomended freshwater baths for ICH just been lucky enough have not had to deal with it.
black ich is NOT true ich, it is completely different. formalin baths is the treatment for black ich (I know from personal experience). you don't do formalin baths in the QT, you remove the fish into a 5 gallon bucket for 45 minutes a day and treat there, then return the fish to the QT. then repeat the process everyday until the black ich is gone.
 
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