65 Gallon Update

[Purevil21]

So, an update on the 65 gallon build. The tank has been up for a week as of today. The rock that was in the tank has been established for 6 years, the sand and water are new. My ammonia peaked out two days ago at 2ppm. As of right now the conditions were as follows:

Nitrites:0
Nitrates:0
Ammonia: .25ppm
Ph: 8.2
Salinity: 1.026- I just changed out some water to drop it.

The cycle is almost completed now, I am hoping to move over my livestock Monday. I am going to perform a check Monday afternoon, and double check at the LFS, if all checks out I will break down the 35 gallon and move everything over. My livestock to be moved are as follows:

2 Percula Clowns
2 Turbo Snails
1 Orange Knobby Starfish
4 Blue Leg Hermits

Once the fish from my old tank are established I plan on adding more snails and crabs. I only want to add two more fish, a dwarf coral beauty angel and a foxface rabbit fish. Does anyone have experience keeping dwarf angels and rabbit fish together? How well has it worked for you?

 

[melosu58]

I used to have 2 dwarf angels for 4 yrs and then they started eating my corals. They had to go. Are you planning on a reef?

 

[mr_X]

i think the foxface is going to outgrow the tank pretty quickly. can you substitute a different yellow fish instead? what about a midas blenny?

 

[XxVooDooxX]

do you have any pictures? I would really like to see your tank!

 

[Purevil21]

No, I'm not doing a reef. I know the angels have been known to pick around at corals. Yes, there are pictures on my profile of the new tank. What species would you recommend Mr. X, I'm not really overly concerned about yellow. I would just like a fish that is colorful and will remain visible. Just so long as it will coexist with the coral beauty angel, and the two perculas.

 

[Purevil21]

Would it be possible to add a blenny and the dwarf angel and still have room for one more small colorful fish? I don't want to overload the system.

 

[mr_X]

sure it is possible. what about a flame hawk? they are pretty cool. there are many to choose from but i'm not sure what you are going to like.
i just know the rabbitfish i've kept grew pretty quickly and ate like tangs.

 

[Purevil21]

I like the flame hawks, would I be able to get away with the flame hawk, coral beauty and a blenny without overloading the tank?

 

[mr_X]

i think you'll be fine with that bio load. what blenny? the midas?

 

[Purevil21]

Yeah I like the midas blenny. So if I were to go with those three fish, what would you advise as far as introducing them as it pertains to order and time in between? How long should I allow the clowns to inhabit the tank before I introduce new tank mates?

 

[mr_X]

well, i think the coral beauty is going to be the most aggressive, so i would add it last. i don't think the others matter much.
as for the clowns, i wouldn't worry about them being in the tank for very long first. i would add all of the fish slowly though....one at a time (except for the clowns) and some space in between for the bacteria colony to catch up. one a week? i don't see why that would be a problem.

 

[Purevil21]

How much time should I wait between introductions?

 

[Hinds04]

I believe they say 1 month... but do as I say not as I do

 

[Purevil21]

lol, sorry I responded before you edited. So I will introduce the clowns on Monday and allow a week to pass, I will probably introduce the hawkfish first. Then the blenny and finally the coral beauty at one week intervals. One week between each and I should be good to go?

 

[Purevil21]

Of course all of this is assuming the water checks out at the end of each week.

 

[mr_X]

I believe they say 1 month... but do as I say not as I do

lol. i never kept track of the time between additions. not in small systems. since most of my livestock purchases have been wholesale, i didn't have the ability to add slowly. you have to buy fish/inverts/corals by the box. i just always ordered the smallest specimens they had.
that's what i'll be doing in my next system. most likely adding a box of juvenile fish all at once.