Adding bioload - How many fish should I add at one time?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I just placed a couple of fish orders, and they will be arriving this coming Wednesday (10 fish in all). They will be going into my 180g mixed reef DT. I will be doing QT for them, but I am curious about adding them to the tank. I've never added this many fish together before (at or near the same time). What is the best way to handle adding so many fish?

My current bioload is

• Matted filefish
• Green mandarin goby
• Carpenter's flasher wrasse
• a pair of black ice clowns
• a pair of H. malanurus wrasses
• a yellow clown goby
• a harlequin shrimp
• 2 peppermint shrimp
• an arrow crab
• a couple of hermits
• a good many snails

The fish arriving to be added are

• a Macropharyngodon bipartitus (Blue star leopard) wrasse
• A Yellowtail Tamarin wrasse
• 3 flasher wrasses
• a yellow candy hog fish
• a starry blenny
• a yellow tang
• a blue hippo tang
• a blonde naso tang

How long should I wait between additions? My current plan is to add them in the following order (groupings are to be added at the same time):

• Macropharyngodon bipartitus and yellowtail tamarin wrasse
• 3 flasher wrasses
• starry blenny, blonde naso tang, and blue hippo tang
• yellow tang and yellow candy hogfish

Do I need to break them up that much? Could I more of them at once?

Thanks for any help and suggestions!

 

[Mjpisanti]

I would just recommend adding all three tangs together instead of just the two, based on the sizes they come in just for aggression, although its a big tank theres far less risk when you just add the tangs together, and ive just never had any luck with adding tangs at different times but my tank is also not as large as yours. If they arnt more than 3 inches each id add the tangs together, everything else you said makes sense to me, just my input, great list btw!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I would just recommend adding all three tangs together instead of just the two, based on the sizes they come in just for aggression, although its a big tank theres far less risk when you just add the tangs together, and ive just never had any luck with adding tangs at different times but my tank is also not as large as yours. If they arnt more than 3 inches each id add the tangs together, everything else you said makes sense to me, just my input, great list btw!

Thanks!

The tangs are supposed to be the following sizes:

- blue hippo 1.5" - 3.5"
- Blonde naso 2.5" - 4.5"
- yellow tang 1" - 1.5" (got him smallest since zebrasomas can be aggressive and the other two generally aren't)

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

How long should I wait between adding each group?

 

[Mjpisanti]

I'd def add the tangs together then. And i'm not sure with that size tank I would estimate like one week between sets of fish but i'd look for other opinions on that from members with larger tanks

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

B-b-bump

 

[qterry22]

Great thread. I have been following because I want to increase my 65g mixed reef bio load.

 

[Reefing Madness]

With your system being mature and the fish being of such small size, I'd put them all in at the same time. If you were adding sizable fish of that many, then I'd reconsider, but, you should be just fine adding them altogether.

But if adding them altogether freaks you out, then add half now, and the other half in 2 weeks.

 

[scruggyj]

So - what did you end up doing? How did it all turn out?

 

[NC2WA]

since the lifecycle of the Ich parasites is ~28 days, I like to add fish every 4-6 weeks...this way you give time for the fish to get acclimated and if something does occur you can isolate to a particular fish.

 

[scruggyj]

I currently have 3 fish in QT - not huge but decent size. I will be putting them in my 180 and was wondering if I should just add all 3 at once or stagger them. I am leaning toward adding all 3 at once.

Here is the 180 now.
[video=youtube;RehIvnIhDB8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RehIvnIhDB8[/video]

Here are the 3 fish in QT
[video=youtube;4_cj9hFqzbU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_cj9hFqzbU[/video]
One Spot Foxface
Lieutenant tang
Kole Tang

 

[iReef86]

I love lieutenant tangs. one of my faves.

I would add all three at same time. they are doing fine in qt and I would expect that if anyone in your tank is some what aggressive, 3 will distract them enough.

 

[NC2WA]

I agree...add all 3 at once, and then wait at least one month before any other fishes are added.

 

[scruggyj]

Yeah I wouldn't add anything else before a proper QT anyway so it would be 4-6 weeks before adding anything else.

I was just more concered with bio load and didn't want to over do it.

This will just about put me at the max fish I want anyway. 11 fish in a 180. With 4 of them getting pretty big eventually.