too many fish in the sea.... :/

[kirbydee3713]

I recently purchased a 30 gallon tank because the ***** I shop at just added a saltwater department and they were having major sales. I was going to just return to my freshwater hobby I had before college, but after about an hour of talking to an associate decided to to go with a saltwater tank. My tank is set up and has been running for about a week. Right now the only things in it are some live sand and live rock, have a coralife lightbulb in but I forget the specs, the levels have been stable, and salinity is looking good.
 
I was planning on getting some fish this weekend since, shocker, there's a sale. Please don't warn me about the less than amazing quality of fish at ***** as I bought every one of my freshies from ***** and they were brilliantly healthy so I'm gonna go on a leap of faith here. The problem is I don't know how many/ what fish to get.
 
Here's my wish list:
Bubble anemone
Maroon clownfish
Blue or Yellow Tang (but I'd probably pass on this one first tbh)
PJ Cardinal Fish
Camel shrimp (? yes no... maybe so?)
 
I was just going to get the one anemone, but I don't know in what quantities to get the other fish. I know there's the inch of fish to gallon rule, but I'm a bit confused. I'm very worried about overcrowded with semi-aggressive fish since I had an issue in my first fresh tank with two male mollies and the larger ended up going on a killing spree in my tank. I know if I get a tang it'd have to just be one, but other than that I'm lost on quantities.
 
I also read somewhere that you're not supposed to add more than 1-2 fish per month, does that always apply? Or is it better to just get the fish I want all at once and put them in together?
 
Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated since I don't want to mess this up

 

[gemmy]

You tank is too new for any inhabitants. A tang belongs in at least a 100 gallon tank. Anemones need a mature system with stong lighting. Maroon clownfish can be very aggressive. Has the ammonia spiked? What have you used to cycle? The inch of fish rule IMO is a joke. The type of fish, size, and personality determines the amount of fish in a tank. I would recommend skipping the fish sale, since your system is no where near ready. I had to cycle my 16 gallon for 4 weeks before I added a CUC. I would suggest doing more research.

 

[scottnlisa]

I agree with Gemmy. How long was your tank been cycling? Do you have a test kit for it? ***** just wants to sell fish and they don't care if your set-up can handle it or not. I learned that from experience. Definitely no Blue or Yellow tang. Stick with a clownfish, maybe some blue green chromis's. the inch per gallon is no good. I have a 125g FOWLR and I have 6 blue green chromis's(12 inches total), Yellow tang(4 inches), Blue Hippo Tang(4 inches), 2 clownfish(4 inches), 6-Line Wrasse(2 inches), Royal Gamma Basslet(3 inches). So I have a total of about 30 inches of fish. My tank is max for fish. For a happy tank, I shouldn't add anymore.
Take some time and read the info threads in the beginning of this thread. They helped me out alot.
It is good that you came here to get answers and there are alot of helpful people here. Ask all the questions you want. Knowledge is gold in this hobby.
Oh, BTW Welcome to the Saltwater Fish Forum.

 

[meowzer]

WELL...I'd like to welcome you to SWF.com
 
BUT....as gemmy said....you must first cycle your tank....how much sand and rock do you have?
 
What filtrations system do you have? Do you plan on getting a protein skimmer?
 
Do you have your own test kits? or are you depending on the stores results?
 
if all you have is a coralife bulb, I highly doubt you have sufficient lighting for an anemone....and your tank has to be a MINIMUM of 6 months old before you got one anyway
 
I realize you say you FW fish from ***** have been good....BUT fw and SW are night and day....SW fish need much more dedicated care....be very careful

 

[flower]

Hi,
 
Welcome to the site!
 
 
No critters are in your tank so nothing is happening. Use a raw shrimp, put it in the tank, watch for the ammonia spike, then nitrite then nitrate..When ammonia and nitrite go to 0, remove the what is left of the shrimp and your tank is ready for a fish.
It isn't fish inch per gallon...the fish you add first will determine what fish you can add with it. So do some homework on the type of fish you can keep in a 30g tank, pick your favorite and build your stock list around that..Your favorite fish might be a bully, so he will have to be added last, but still keep that fish in mind when you select his tank mates that you put in first.

Only add one fish at a time, at the most two (clowns are an example)

An anemone needs a mature tank of at least 6 months and the kind of lighting that corals need. Those are not cheap lights. I can tell you right now a coralife light bulb is PC lighting and not good enough. A tang is not suitable for that size tank.

I am also posting a picture of a book and a page from it so you can see the info it offers. This book will save you lots of money and heartaches. They even have one for inverts.
 
 
 


 

 
 
 

 

[kirbydee3713]

Thanks everyone for the input. To be honest, I had a nightmare last night. I've been waiting months on getting a husky puppy and last night (after a lengthy convo with my boyfriend about puppy proofing the house) I had a nightmare of the future where my full grown husky will accidentally bump into the tank and knock it over. Kind of makes me rethink this whole situation... And I don't know. Any doubt with something this intensive doesn't seem like something I should ignore :/

 

[meowzer]

lol...I highly doubt your dog would knock a tank over if it was on a secure stand
 
BUT
 
if you have doubts about the hibby in general..then it is best not to get into it until you are 150% sure....SW is a very expensive, and time consuming hobby

 

[reefaholic33]

Saltwater tanks are extremely heavy, with a sturdy stand your dog won't knock it over I wouldn't think. I have a 200 pound great dane and fish tanks lol.

 

[flower]

Hi,
 
 
The only problem with dogs and tanks is the hair. I have to cover my tub when I do water changes or I will have hair floating all in it, I keep a net to skim it like a swimming pool before I use it anyway. I have two German Shepherds and they seem to shed year round..I do brush them, so nobody needs to go there...LOL..I get enough hair each day to make another dog.

 

[meowzer]

LOL....cat hair does the same thing
 
I also keep a lid placed over my water, adn I use a small fish net to skim it out.....the dogs do not come in my fish room...or I'd be fishing dog and cat hair out