# Questions about new fish



## walnutr113 (Sep 20, 2012)

I am about to start a salt water aquarium. 90 gallons. I want to add the following fish:
1. Two clownfish
2. yellow tang
3. longnose butterfly
4, foxface
5. flame angelfish

Is this a decent lineup?

1. Can I add two tangs at the same time? Say a different kind of tang than a yellow one? Or will they fight?
2. In general, am I limited to one kind of fish ? In other words could I add other butterfly or angelfish at the same time?
3. Could I add a Royal Gamma or is that too ambitious? Will they mess up everyone else?
4. Would Emeral Crabs and Peppermint Shrimp be ok in this tank?

Thanks for all your advice!


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The fish you suggest are all compatible. The royall gramma may be the easiest and cheapest. I would not start your tank with all of them or any of them except royall gramma.If you cycle with fish you stand the chance of fish death.Only the royall gramma is cheap enough and hardy enough to survive the cycle(flame angle,any butterfly) rarely will survive the water quality that goes with cycle.Butterfly can be diffacult to feed also.Many here use fishless cycle to get tank ready(aprox. 4 weeks + /-) then add fish slowly so filter can acclimate to increasing bio-load. Please read about it.I have all the fish you listed except fox face, and recently lost flame to popeye that was back and fourth for 2 months.Don't cycle with expensive fish;it's a waste of money and fish.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

The fish you suggested will work. Also, you can add more than one Tang to the tank, it just can't be the of the same. Tank is to small for the same species tang. Your invert list is also very good.


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## walnutr113 (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks some more follow questions sorry to be so needy!
1. Aquarium store guy said that die off wont occur with stability chemical? Any truth to that? I was going to introduct clown fish first then each fish once a month thereafter.
2. Thats good to know that other kind of Tangs can be added.
3. Will a Royal Gamma not be too aggresive if you add him first?
4. Is it ok to get fish and live rock from online sources like Saltwaterfish.com are the stores better?

Thanks again.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

unless you know your LFS to good and true then I would hold there answers with the pile of misc. advice.Chemicals from the start are bunk.Starting you all wrong. I don't think the royall gramma is aggressive at all.Opens his mouth alot, but thats it(my dogs bark). The clown could survive "fish in cycle" and your one addition a month is the proper approach.If you only add 1 or 2 fish to cycle I would not use any treatment throughout cycling process except water changes as necessary.


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## Bawl (Aug 15, 2012)

walnutr113 said:


> Thanks some more follow questions sorry to be so needy!
> 1. Aquarium store guy said that die off wont occur with stability chemical? Any truth to that? I was going to introduct clown fish first then each fish once a month thereafter.
> 2. Thats good to know that other kind of Tangs can be added.
> 3. Will a Royal Gamma not be too aggresive if you add him first?
> ...


1. I'd say he's just trying to get ten more dollars outta your pocket.
2. Tangs get fairly large, more than one could be a bit much once they're grown.
3. If it were me I'd just cycle the tank without fish and hold the gamma and clown for last. Clowns especially I've had problems with them claiming the tank as their own and bullying new fish.
4. Most of my rock I've gotten from liveaquaria, true it took longer to cure but it was of excellent quality, and certainly better than the lifeless boulders that pass for live rock at the local stores.


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## walnutr113 (Sep 20, 2012)

Cycling the tank refers the process of placing live rock in and checking the water after two to four weeks correct?


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## walnutr113 (Sep 20, 2012)

Seems like there are so many different opinions! So what fish should I add first after my water is good?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

cycling is the process of building beneficial bacteria that eliminate the toxins(waste ,ammonia) from your water.It takes aprox. 4 weeks.Live rock will help alot but you still need to monitor water throughout the cycling process.Having fish in tank during cycle is more risky than cycling with out fish.Please read and learn about the cycle.That being said;fish go in the tank most passive first and most aggressive last.A fish doesn't have to be listed as aggressive to be considered "more aggressive" than other tankmates.Placing most peaceful fish first lets them become familiar to tank without running for their life.Some fish although peaceful claim territory,making it more diffacult for smaller or more peaceful to become part of the community.


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## walnutr113 (Sep 20, 2012)

OK so does adding live rock start the proceess?

Also of the fish I mentioned, which would be considered the most and least aggressive?

Sorry to be a pest!


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

adding live rock is good.Search "fishless cycle" I found cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishlesscycling.php. It listed recipe for adding ammonia to tank to activate cycle and explained.Ammonia from store(100% with no dyes,perfumes or surfactints)add to tank to get ammonia up to 5ppm.Maintain this level until nitrite spike then cut dose in half and continue until nitrites read 0.after that your ammonia will go up again.Do fifty % water change and your ready. None of your fish are aggressive except towards there own kind so ,clowns would be tuffest, then angel or tang.I have never had foxface so not sure ,butterfly should be introduced to tank with food in it(pods,small bugs)as there mouth is small and is very particular and needing of "special " feeding.Small mouthed fish are generally harder to feed(they want the real thing).Please read about cycling (it is the secret of KEEPING fish) as you will be able to judge for yourself the condition of tank(before it's to late).Liquid API test kit are a must have , and without them or understanding of what they tell you ;you might as well close your eyes.


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## walnutr113 (Sep 20, 2012)

OK great thanks! Im starting to get a handle on this now. Couple of quick things-

1. It is ok to have live rock in when you do the ammounia thing?
2. When you say the Tangs and Angels fight their own kind do you mean their own specific kind (like yellow tang fights yellow tang) or their own kind in general (like yellow tang fights any kind of tang?)

This is a great forum!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

A Yellow Tang will fight another Yellow Tang, in a small sytem such as yours. Same with Angel Fish. you should only put one Pygmy Angel in a small tank.
Its best to put all the Live Rock in at the start, or beginning. The Live Rock will cycle your tank (Nitrogen Cycle) for you, no need to jepordize any fish here. Sand and Rock are all you need to get going. Saltwaterfish.com ois ok to use, but might I throw out a fe others for yoiu to think about. You also do not need to use Live Rock, but would be just fine with using a 5lb piece of Live Rock and the rest Macro Rock.
http://www.marcorocks.com/
Bulk Dry Live Rock - Bulk Reef Supply
Saltwater Fish: Marine Aquarium Fish for Saltwater Aquariums
How does nitrogen cycle in saltwater aquarium works?


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