First Additions

[SaltwaterVirgin]

My cylce is finally complete (7/28) and I'm ready to add fish. I did a water change 3 days ago and added to my 75 gallon

10 blue leg hermits
2 scarlett hermits
6 turbo snails

I would like to add the following fish this weekend

2 percula clowns
1 royal grammas
5 peppermint shrimp
? hermits/snails

1. Is this too much to add at once? If so, what should I add first, second...etc.?
2. Should I add more of a clean up crew before adding the fish?
3. What food should I get for the fish above? There are a variety of things on swf.com to choose from. What food is best for the fish/shrimp above?
4. What other tank parameters should I monitor once the fish are in the tank?

I would really appreciate as much feedback as possible. Thanks.

 

[steve-s]

I would like to add the following fish this weekend

2 percula clowns
1 royal grammas
5 peppermint shrimp
? hermits/snails

1. Is this too much to add at once? If so, what should I add first, second...etc.?

I would start with just the 2 clownes first. After properly -QTing them, then you can move to the next addition in another 3-4 weeks. The pepps and snails would be fine but IMO, skip the hermits. Any particular reason for 5 pepps?

2. Should I add more of a clean up crew before adding the fish?

The crew can be added at anytime and will add little to the bio load.

3. What food should I get for the fish above? There are a variety of things on swf.com to choose from. What food is best for the fish/shrimp above?

Fortified flakes, pellets and some non-meaty frozen preparations would be best. meaty foods are not that necessary and should be used moreso as a treat. If you do use meat, try sticking with mysis shrimp. I has much more to offer than brine. You can even try your hand a Reeflady's Blender mush.

4. What other tank parameters should I monitor once the fish are in the tank?

After new fish have been properly QT'd and acclimated, the normal NH3, NO2 and NO3 should be watched for possible increases as well as signs of "normal" behavour from the fish themselves.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SaltwaterVirgin]

Thanks so much for your detailed reply, Steve.

I was going to add the 5 peppermint shrimp because I heard they like to be in groups. Do you think I should only add 1 or 2? Also, I have these very tiny feather duster looking things on my LR--about 6 of them. I am a little concerned that they are Aptasia. They open for a little while and then close.

So, it looks like I should get more snails, 1 or 2 peppermint shrimp, and 2 perculas first.

 

[steve-s]

The aiptasia would look similar to this:

They could by the sounds of it also be a type of sedentary polychaete worm. Looks like a duster but bores into rock rather that growing it's own tube.

Five pepps would be fine, personally I would start with 3 and see how things work out. More can easily be added later and the three should be enough for breeding purposes as well as aiptasia control. Keep in mind though pepps have an affinity for snacking on "dusters" as well.

Snails are always a good choice as long as the quantity does not excede the food source. Start with about 20-30 mixed types. Nassarius, cerith and nerite would be a good starting choice.

Cheers
Steve

 

[two11devan]

I agree with steve, thats too many fish to try to add at once. I don't think you will be able to QT that many fish....I started by adding 2 clowns and a yellow tang to my tank and was told even that was too many....i didn't QT them and the tang got sick....i will certainly be QTing any new additions in the future

 

[SaltwaterVirgin]

Thanks a lot for your responses. I'll only add 2 percula clowns.

 

[Salt4Us]

I got 2 Peppermints you can have Mine like to destroy some of my corals

 

[SaltwaterVirgin]

Thanks for the offer but I ended up getting 2 ocellarius(sp.) clowns and 1 cleaner shrimp from my LFS. The clowns are doing wonderful. The cleaner scared me half to death today! My husband thought it was dead until he realized it molted and was doing fine upside down under my LR! Other than that, the cleaner is good too.

Thanks for all of your responses. They saved me from what could have been a disaster. I'll probably add another fish or invertebrate in about a month.

 

[fishfreek]

Congrads and good luck.



Cleaners can do that for those not expecting to see a molt. Its very amazing how the molt can be an almost complete empty shell of the shrimp complete with faint coloration.

 

[SaltwaterVirgin]

Well, I wish I could know if the cleaner shrimp is getting enough to eat. Today he's been the most visible sicce I put him in the tank but I can tell if he is eating or not. I added brine shrimp to my tank and the clowns had a ball! The shrimp dance around like he was trying to get food but it didn't seem like he could hold on to it. Maybe I just can't tell that he's eating. :? Is there a special way to feed cleaner shrimp? I don't want him to starve.

 

[steve-s]

Cleaners like any other shrimp are scavengers by nature. They will "clean up" the way any hermit or snail would. If you are being especially carefull of the amounts of food you feed the clowns, you may opt for some sinking pellets once or twice a week.

I would also not suggest brine for any fish. They may like it but it has almost no nutritional value. It's much like feeding candy bars to kids. I would instead suggest fortified flakes, pellet foods and possibley your own >>blender mush<<.

Cheers
Steve

 

[bizzybeas]

My hermits have molted too! I thought they were dead until I accounted for all of them.