Too many fish - help please

[aravindk]

Alright, I made a boo-boo. A very stupid one. Based on one of my lfs's advice, I just got whole lot of fishes. I just realized I might have made a mistake and checked couple of postings here and read that I should be adding 1-2 fish a month to adjust for the bio-load.

These are the fishes I bought today:

2 percular clown
1 cardinal
1 watchman goby
1 coral beauty
1 Algae blenny
1 another fish (name I forgot, i'll post later)

I have a 72g reef ready with nearly 90 lbs of liverock with excellent water parameters. I already have two damsels and one yellow tang and 10 snails.

Now what do I do? How can I prepare myself to handle the extra bio-load? Would Changing water everyday help? Pl. help.

TIA

 

[ianrich147]

IF I WER YOU I WOULD TAKE 1/2 THE FISH BACK

 

[hackteck]

some lfs are only out to get your money i would take some of the fish back

 

[lando]

I agree. See if the LFS will take them back (at least for store credit). I strongly recommend finding a new LFS. The sudden increase in bioload will degrade your water parameters. Feed very little (once every three days, lightly) and be ready with some well aged SW to do water changes as needed.

 

[aravindk]

This stupid idea was based on my lfs advise, but I didnt buy from him. I bought them from liveaquaria.com; First i read in Paletta's book which suggested a startup list of six to seven fishes. The articles in liveaquaria.com also recommended that I can start with six fishes. Then I went to lfs with my list and he said it is okay to start with that list. Anyway, I cant return it for my stupidity.

I think I have to be careful and brace for tough days ahead. The fish that I forgot to add was Royal Gramma. The damsel keeps chasing Royal gramma and a clown fish. This guy seem pretty aggressive. Is there anyway I can discipline the damsel guy?

 

[noteworthy]

Damsel's are evil. Give them away. The tore up my maroon clowns fins.. ALL of them. took the poor guy a couple of months to recoop. He is doing great now. I gave the damsels to my LFS.

 

[Guest]

Considering the size of your tank and the fish that you aquired, you should be ok. Those fish all create small bio-loads.. While I'm not condoning the purchase of that many fish at once, I still firmly believe your tank will be fine, thus ridding the need to panic.. The only fish you have that carries any form of "real" bio-load is the tang and since its been in the tank already.. There's nothing to worry about there.. Regardless of what others may believe, I feel that if you monitor your water closely you should be fine.. If tank conditions start changing. Partial water changes may be needed.. I see no real reason for you to return your fish.. Though if it were me, I'd give the Damsels the boot,, they can be nasty when they wanna be.. Course that also depends on the type of Damsel.. Not all Damsels are nasty.. Yet some choose to categorize them as a whole.

 

[aravindk]

I am relieved by yours response(s). Thanks.

I hate the sight of damsels since one of them is causing a big havoc now. I tried for nearly an hour last night to catch one of the guys but didnt succeed. Many have suggested in this forum before it is better to get rid of it now, rather than later.
That's going to be my weekend project.

Funny when I think of it now, my lfs wanted me to get six of those but I settled for 3.

 

[neilster1]

The damsel would have been more of an ongoing problem if you were going to add more fish.. since you are really at your limit you might find that things calm down. I have a three stripe damsel that was a massive bully to new additions but once the boundaries get set in the tank he's a really interesting fish to watch.

Bottom line.. he might be ok.

 

[aravindk]

Now thats a twist.

You may be right. One of the damsels - the black one - unleashed hell on the royal gramma
and the clowns last night. My two year old girls were howling abuses at the damsel and my six year old was loading her gun. But this morning I see that they are fine. Everyone seemed to have find a cave or a crevice and made their home. The clowns are still wandering all over, but from what I hear I guess they will settle down soon.

I am still apprehensive about the damsels. Even my lfs (while selling me the damsel) warned that the damsel can get quite big and as they grow bigger they become meaner and nastier.