How should I add fish to my tank?

I have a 75 gal, that had a bad bout of ich along with temp flucts, and all of my fish died.. I have treated my tank for 2 weeks with no fish, and have done two 20% water changes. After waiting 2 weeks I added one Back Perc and one Orange to my tank today; was supposed to be 2 black, and an orange, but one that was on hold for me was sold by mistake. My question is this.. how should I add the fish that I have on order to my tank with the least stress possible to help lower ther risk of ick/ too much stress on my fish?? I have ordered a Sixline Wrass, Lawnmower Blenny, Neon Gobie, Coral Beauty Angel, and a Mandarin Dragonet( I finally have a nice load of Anthropods, and Copapods to support his appetite.) I was planning on adding him next. They will have my other Black Perc in 2 days, last time my 2 black ones were best friends, but they were added together. I don't want this one to get picked on.. Should I add him with another anemone?? That would make 3 clowns and 2 Anemones. Suggestions??

 

GO SLOW ---- add one fish every couple of months. Not till water params have stabilized for while after adding last fish.

Ick, or worse is guaranteed loading up a new tank with lots of fish in a relatively short period of time...

:-/

 

Okay, first off thank you for asking this before you added your fish. Second off if your LFS is aware of your intentions and they are still allowing you to do this then find another one immediately, because you have the slimiest of the slime there my friend.

1) Clowns should only ever be kept in singles or pairs, any LFS employee should know this. The reason your other black clowns were buddies was because they were the same type. Since your other black one is being ordered in take your orange back and trade them. If your LFS gives you any crap about it you can ask them why they let you plan to put 3 clowns in the same tank. Clowns may get along as juveniles, but once the pair (there will never be a trio) decides they are sexually mature they will kill the third. You might have a warning, but it will most likely happen overnight and you will wake up to a dead orange clown.

2)Don't bother getting another anemone. 1 in the tank would be plenty.

3) Are you planning on adding all of these fish at once? Big no-no. Since these are smaller fish you can add two at a time (except I would add the coral beauty by itself, and in all honesty if it were me I'd buy them one at a time) Also since you say you treated the tank, I'm assuming your LFS sold you something to 'medicate' the tank which probably did a number on your bacteria. Make sure you test your water constantly as your bio load will be more of a kick since the bacteria are still building back up.

4) As for order you don't really have anything to aggressive (although I would add the second clown as one of the last fish just in case it pairs up with your other really soon and they become territorial to any new fish) Honestly, your clown pair will probably become the most aggressive fish in that tank. I'd do something along the lines of mandarin & blenny, then six-line & goby, then second clown, then angel.

Is the temperature fluctuation problem fixed? And I have a hunch that your LFS let you add all your fish to quickly last time and that's what caused your ich outbreak. How far apart were they added?

I should have put this first but make sure you have great water quality before you add any fish. If you're getting it tested at the store, don't settle for 'it's fine'. Ask for the numbers. If your ammonia and nitrites are anything but 0, don't add fish. If pH isn't 8.0-8.4 don't add fish. If nitrates are above ~15 don't add fish. Your salinity should be 1.023-1.025.

Keep us updated.

 

Water params are right on track.. I'm a vet-tech, and have and use refractimeters, hydrometers, test strips, ect. I test it myself.. Question. My orange(med-to large sized clown) has already 'claimed' my bta. Would it be possible to add another orange, and another black, so that they are in pairs?? I had trouble with an aggressive Clarki clown before but the Percs have seemed pretty amlicable. The reason I ask is that my blacks never attached to an anemone, and you KNOW how awesome it is when you get a pair that do.. ... I will take your advise and add very slowly and cautiously, but is there any way of having my black percs and orange, even if i have to get them in pairs??

 

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but your going to have to pick which type you want in your tank. You can only have one. Even in a 75 it would be a bloodshed if there were 2 pairs.

 

Will the Black Pers likely attach to a certain type of anemone?? They would be my pick if I have to choose, right now I have a green bta, I was researching, and it said that they MIGHT host with Heteractis Magnifica... Any ideas, or experiance with getting Black Percs to host?? I just LOVE to see the clowns attach to anemones.. It's such a truley amazing thing you don't see too much in nature, ya know?

 

If your percs host any anemone, I would lay money on the bta being the winner.

 

Thanks guy's. Hate that Orange Perc is going to have to go back to the LFS, don't want to have any fights, and especially any deaths just to get the clowns I like, or the mixture of clowns I should say. Thanks again, would it be safe to add the Mandarin Goby, and the 2nd Black Perc within the next few days?? together?

 

If you just got through an ICK out break I'd be cautious to put anything back in there in just two weeks. What did you treat the tank with? I've read that the justation(sp?) period in ick can be over a month and while the eggs/cysts are dormant I don't think the medication affects them. Maybe your does!?!?

 

I would add the Percs 2nd to last, with the Angel last. Sixline would be 3rd from last.

My order would be Dragonet, Goby, Blenny, Six Line, Percs, Coral Beauty. Also, I would have waited more than 4 weeks to add anything as that's about the life-cycle of ich.

Ich in Saltwater Fish: Treatment and Prevention