Adding fish after the cycle

[WillieM96]

I've been searching the forums for the past couple of days and I still have a few questions. My new 50 gallon tank (cycled with 50 lb of live rock) has been up and running for about 3 weeks and completed it's cycle about 2 weeks ago. The brown cyano is starting to go away but now I'm starting to get hair algae so I think it's time to get something to eat away at the algae. My levels are: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate ~ 8.0.

Here are the fish I plan on having in the tank with some questions:

1) Royal Gramma

2) Ocellaris clownfish- can they go in as singles or should I really get a pair?

3) Orange firefish goby- again, can they be done as singles or do they really need to be in pairs? Also, can a purple firefish be kept with orange firefish?

4) Flame Angel

5) Yellow Tang- I know, I've read over and over that my tank (36"x18"x18") is too small for this fish but I have seen small yellow tangs. I know they will grow but if they are introduced when they are small, is it possible to pull it off? I REALLY want a yellow tang but I won't do it if it simply isn't humane for the fish.

6) Inverts- I haven't really come to a conclusion as to what I'm going to here but I do know I want an anemone, cleaner shrimp, and of course a clean up crew of snails.

I was hoping to start off with something cheap but I think the only fish on that list that might eat hair algae are the yellow tang and doubtfully the flame angel. Thoughts?

[John Hamilton]

When my tank cycled (six weeks) I put in a crew of snails and Emerald Crabs. The nails was really the way to go for the algae. The Turbos really did a number on the hair algae and I wish I had never introduced the crabs.

[John Hamilton]

IMO I would hold off for another two or three weeks before adding fish.

[Ninong]

Here are the fish I plan on having in the tank with some questions:

1) Royal Gramma

This will work but I think I would wait another two or three weeks.

2) Ocellaris clownfish- can they go in as singles or should I really get a pair?

I would add two. I see no good reason to keep only one clownfish. Try to find two that are slightly different in size. Most of the Ocellaris clownfish that are now available are captive-bred juveniles. Any two will do and they don't have to be different sizes but it would be better that way and speed up the gender determination process.

3) Orange firefish goby- again, can they be done as singles or do they really need to be in pairs? Also, can a purple firefish be kept with orange firefish?

I would wait at least another two or three weeks on these. I think you should stick with one species in a 50-gal tank.

4) Flame Angel

Centropyge loriculus is a fantastic fish! A 50-gal tank is about the minimum size for this fish but it would work. Be aware of the fact that they are not completely reef-aquarium safe. Sooner or later it might cause some problems with corals and/or clams. Some do and some don't.

Do NOT add a dwarf angelfish at this time. Wait AT LEAST another three months.

5) Yellow Tang- I know, I've read over and over that my tank (36"x18"x18") is too small for this fish but I have seen small yellow tangs. I know they will grow but if they are introduced when they are small, is it possible to pull it off? I REALLY want a yellow tang but I won't do it if it simply isn't humane for the fish.

Unfortunately, it won't work. This would be a serious mistake in a 50-gal tank. The size of the fish doesn't really matter as much as it's behavior. Tangs cannot survive in 50-gal tanks. The smallest possible tank for a Yellow Tang is around 75-gallons and even that is too small in my opinion.

6) Inverts- I haven't really come to a conclusion as to what I'm going to here but I do know I want an anemone, cleaner shrimp, and of course a clean up crew of snails.

You should hold off for at least 6 months to a year on an anemone and the only one you should consider for your size tank would be Entacmaea quadricolor. You could begin adding a few grazing snails now.

[WillieM96]

Thanks for the input! I'll just stick with the snails for now and give the tank another 3 weeks before adding fish. I knew the yellow tang would be too much but I figured I'd at least ask.

[DaviesPats]

yea tang and angel in the same tank wouldnt go well..not enough room...and 50 could be a little small for the angel but will work for a long time...you could however get the tang if its VERY small and trade it back in when it starts getting big...just an ideaif u were looking forward to it

[dibenni]

I am in a similar position to willie - starting to pick out what to put in my new reef. I have cycled my 55 gallon tank for about 10 weeks and have 75 lbs of live rock. All of my readings are in-line and so just yesterday I went to the lfs and bought a "cleaner crew" (30 turbo snails, 20 hermit crabs, 4 emerals crabs and a serpent star). John, way did you say that you wish you had never introduced the crabs - did I already make a mistake.

[GaryZ]

yea tang and angel in the same tank wouldnt go well..not enough room...and 50 could be a little small for the angel but will work for a long time...you could however get the tang if its VERY small and trade it back in when it starts getting big...just an ideaif u were looking forward to it

Good luck catching it.;) I've found that its ALOT easier to do a little research and pick the right fish for your tank. Unhappy and/or dead fish are a real bummer. The whole point of maintaining a reef tank, in my opinion, is to observe nature in the most natural setting possible. Cramming fish where they don't belong or giving a fish a home that you know it will eventually grow out of is inhumane, in my opinion.

[GaryZ]

I am in a similar position to willie - starting to pick out what to put in my new reef. I have cycled my 55 gallon tank for about 10 weeks and have 75 lbs of live rock. All of my readings are in-line and so just yesterday I went to the lfs and bought a "cleaner crew" (30 turbo snails, 20 hermit crabs, 4 emerals crabs and a serpent star). John, way did you say that you wish you had never introduced the crabs - did I already make a mistake.

Crabs aren't necessarily a mistake. I added some crabs initially and I don't consider it a mistake. Granted, I prefer and only purchase snails now, but the crabs that are left keep busy without doing any damage. Having said that, I have found that there is a snail for basically every duty and pretty much stick to them now.

[Ninong]

I am in a similar position to willie - starting to pick out what to put in my new reef. I have cycled my 55 gallon tank for about 10 weeks and have 75 lbs of live rock. All of my readings are in-line and so just yesterday I went to the lfs and bought a "cleaner crew" (30 turbo snails, 20 hermit crabs, 4 emerals crabs and a serpent star). John, way did you say that you wish you had never introduced the crabs - did I already make a mistake.

Hi dibenni,



I compiled anecdotal reports from other hobbyists on the feeding habits of emerald crabs (Mithrax sculptus) in a post three years ago. Perhaps you will find some of their comments helpful: emerald crabs?

I was responding to someone who wanted to know if his emerald crabs were a threat to his SPS corals. Obviously that thread is more than three years old and there have been numerous new threads on this topic since then on both this board and Reef Central. A quick search using "emerald" or "Mithrax" should yield significant results.

Which species of hermit crabs do you have? Some of these are more of a problem than others but all of them can cause a certain amount of disturbance. It all depends on what you are willing to put up with. I tried a dozen scarlet reef hermits (Paguristes cadenati) in my 120-gal tank just because I thought they were cute. I'm glad that I didn't get any more than that. I could have gotten by with just two or three. They prey on the sandbed epifauna.

You say you have 30 turbo snails in a 55-gal tank??? That seems like a lot of turbos for that size tank. Are these the large Mexican turbos? According to Dr. Ron Shimek, a molluscan expert, these snails feed primarily on diatoms. I had four of them in my 120-gal tank but two of them died after about five or six months. Trochus snails are good all-around grazers. If you have a sandbed, you may want to try about a dozen Nassarius vibex. These snails bury themselves in the upper layer of the sandbed. They're carrion eaters (meaty detritus and dead animals).

[dibenni]

Ninong,

Thanks for the feedback.

I guess I will have to just keep an eye on the emeralds once I start adding corals. Although, not sure how I would get them out even if I wanted to - I have hardly seen them since I added them as they crawl in and out of the liverock.

The hermits are an assortment of green and brown leg hermits - they are all pretty small and don't seem like they would cause much trouble.

As for the turbos - they are not the Mexican turbos. They are the more common Astrea or Florida turbos. There are a couple of larger ones - but they are pretty small.

Are there any corals you would absolutely avoid with the crabs and some that would not be a problem at all. I added a royal gramma yesterday and plan to get a goby (haven't figured out what type yet). After that I want to start adding some corals in a couple of weeks. As this is my first reef tank, I am also looking to add hardier corals to avoid unnecessary loss of life until I really get the hang of it.

[WillieM96]

Now that the tank has been up and running for over a month, I think I'm ready to get a fish. I'm going to go with the firefish but one question: Is it better to get them in pairs or can I do just one for a 50 gallon tank? What would they be happiest with?

[Ninong]

It would be better to get a pair. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done.

These fish (which were reclassified in 1986 and are now members of the Family Microdesmidae -- dartfish & wormfish) are dioecious (separate males and females). If you can get a male and a female, that would be the way to go. If you end up with two of the same gender, especially two males, they will set up separate terrorities in your tank.

I have no idea how to tell them apart. I assume the males are probably slightly larger but I'm not even sure of that. The females are reportedly more shy than the males in captivity and more likely to hide out when they feel threatened.

These fish are known jumpers, so be aware of that. Nemateleotris magnifica and N. decora are the two species that are reasonably priced. The third species, N. helfrichi, is very expensive.

[fish outa wata]

N. helfrichi is so beautiful, but man you couldn't be more right, $$$.

[Ninong]

The Marine Center in Dallas has these fish at the following prices:

$7.99 each for N. magnifica

$24.99 each for N. decora

$173.00 each for N. helfrichi

$349.00 for a pair of N. helfrichi

[WillieM96]

I'm torn between magnifica and decora. I guess I'll try to find someplace that has both so I can compare them side by side. The helfrichi is beautiful but there's no way I'm spending that kind of money on a fish...especially my first fish!