Adding Fish After Cycle . . . Struggling with what to add first

[esther]

So, we want to add fish toward month 3 of our cycle and we can't decide what we want to add first. Part of me wants to add a tang gang first so they can deal with the algae, but since they're aggressive, is this is bad move? Is there a good website that can help with assisting us with what to add first, etc?

Also, any recommendations on companies we can place a "wish list" order with? I have a list of tangs that I'd like to get, but I'd like to buy them all at the same time so we can add them all at the same time. Is that a good/bad idea?

Need help/suggestions on how you decided to add your fish to your tanks. Thanks in advance!

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Unless the tank is quite large it is better to add tangs together as you plan, but after other fish.
It can be hard to find all you want at once. Having your LFS order them all is one way. Multiple orders from the larger o line retailers arriving near the same time is another.

 

[esther]

Unless the tank is quite large it is better to add tangs together as you plan, but after other fish.
It can be hard to find all you want at once. Having your LFS order them all is one way. Multiple orders from the larger o line retailers arriving near the same time is another.

We're adding them to a 220g tank. That's why I was thinking of adding them all at the same time. Also, I was thinking of starting with small tangs as well.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Which tangs are you wanting?

 

[halvenator]

What all are you looking to add to the tank?

I think your ideal final stocking list would also help with coming up with a plan for adding fish.

 

[esther]

Which tangs are you wanting?

Here's a list of the ones that we're looking to get. (we don't necessarily need to have all of them)

• yellow tang
• blue tang
• gem tang
• sailfin tang
• yellow eye tang
• powder blue tang
• purple tang
• chevron tang

Along with these tangs, we're looking to add:

• mated pair of clownfish
• 3-5 borbonius anthias
• 2 mandarin fish
• copperband butterfly

 

[esther]

What all are you looking to add to the tank?

I think your ideal final stocking list would also help with coming up with a plan for adding fish.

just posted. hope that helps.

 

[halvenator]

Personally I would add the clowns first and then some snails to tackle the algae.

But I am not an expert in fish stocking. Hopefully the list you provided will make it so someone else can help out!

 

[KrisReef]

• yellow tang
• blue tang
• gem tang
• sailfin tang
• yellow eye tang
• powder blue tang
• purple tang
• chevron tang
• mated pair of clownfish
• copperband butterfly

All of these fish can be called "aggressive" and it is a toss-up how many you can add before you have too many. A mated pair of clownfish can easily grow into the dominant fish in the tank but if you start small they should not be too bad in your large tank. Most people would not put copperband butterfly on the agro list, but I've seen one that killed triggerfish and all of these will have their own personality. Conflicts and resolutions to conflicts are coin toss, imo.

• 1-2 borbonius anthias, I understand that they get aggressive with conspecifics so larger groups will end up with one or two dominant fish after they figure out the pecking order.

The mandarin fish like live foods and need a lot of copepods in the tank to thrive. They are fairly timid and can be challenging to keep with aggressive fish

• 2 mandarin fish

Are you planning to quarantine any of these fish?

 

[Bluecbs]

Copperbands should go in first before the tangs, imo. Actually, all other fishes go in first before the tangs

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

CBB may struggle. It needs to be in and feeding aggressively before the tangs are added

 

[esther]

• yellow tang
• blue tang
• gem tang
• sailfin tang
• yellow eye tang
• powder blue tang
• purple tang
• chevron tang
• mated pair of clownfish
• copperband butterfly

All of these fish can be called "aggressive" and it is a toss-up how many you can add before you have too many. A mated pair of clownfish can easily grow into the dominant fish in the tank but if you start small they should not be too bad in your large tank. Most people would not put copperband butterfly on the agro list, but I've seen one that killed triggerfish and all of these will have their own personality. Conflicts and resolutions to conflicts are coin toss, imo.

• 1-2 borbonius anthias, I understand that they get aggressive with conspecifics so larger groups will end up with one or two dominant fish after they figure out the pecking order.

The mandarin fish like live foods and need a lot of copepods in the tank to thrive. They are fairly timid and can be challenging to keep with aggressive fish

• 2 mandarin fish

Are you planning to quarantine any of these fish?

planning on QTing all fish