Adding fish

[LagunaGlide]

So my system is ready to go. I have fish that a buddy has been keeping for me since I bought the system complete. There are 6 total. 3 clowns and 3 tangs. 2 of the tangs are pretty big. The clowns are going in tonight. How long should I wait to put in the other 3? I was thinking a week, but my buddy wants me to get them out so he can add to his. 240Gal DT with about 70Gal sump.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Before you do anything, are they currently in a quarantine system or in your buddys display tank? If they're in his display tank I would strongly urge getting a quarantine tank. Just in case he has anything in his tank that you don't want brought into your brand new tank. Nothing sucks more then having to catch all your fish due to an ich or valvet or brook outbreak because you didn't qt first

 

[mtfish]

Hard to answer without more information. How good is your biological filter system (how much live rock)? Were you ghost feeding at all with no fish to begin to colonize your bacteria levels? As you add fish, the bacteria will increase in numbers. I would have added a couple of tangs first as they are big poopers. You can always keep checking water parameters to make sure you do not go through a mini-cycle. One thing you have going for you is the large water volume.

 

[LagunaGlide]

Before you do anything, are they currently in a quarantine system or in your buddys display tank? If they're in his display tank I would strongly urge getting a quarantine tank. Just in case he has anything in his tank that you don't want brought into your brand new tank. Nothing sucks more then having to catch all your fish due to an ich or valvet or brook outbreak because you didn't qt first

Ya that's where they have been the entire time. My fish are the only fish in there, and have been the entire time. No signs of any illness or ich.

Hard to answer without more information. How good is your biological filter system (how much live rock)? Were you ghost feeding at all with no fish to begin to colonize your bacteria levels? As you add fish, the bacteria will increase in numbers. I would have added a couple of tangs first as they are big poopers. You can always keep checking water parameters to make sure you do not go through a mini-cycle. One thing you have going for you is the large water volume.

Touche... There is about 200 lbs of rock in the tank, and another 100 or so in the sump. I have been ghost feeding the rock regularly since December. When the sand and rock was added I also added a bottle of Tims one and only. Chaeto is in sump as well. I know the bacteria will increase just curious how quickly really.

 

[mtfish]

If that is the case then I would just put all the fish in there now. Others may disagree, but I believe if the system needs to catch up, it would be really quick.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Ya that's where they have been the entire time. My fish are the only fish in there, and have been the entire time. No signs of any illness or ich.



Touche... There is about 200 lbs of rock in the tank, and another 100 or so in the sump. I have been ghost feeding the rock regularly since December. When the sand and rock was added I also added a bottle of Tims one and only. Chaeto is in sump as well. I know the bacteria will increase just curious how quickly really.

There may not be any signs of illness or ich, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. When a fish is stress free and well nourished, they're normally able to fight off the parasites and not show any symptoms. But something stressfull such as being caught, transported, and put into another system, can weaken their immune system that the parasite is able to take over. As someone who lost his entire livestock when I was still a newbie, I would still strongly suggest quarantine them in your own system.

 

[LagunaGlide]

There may not be any signs of illness or ich, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. When a fish is stress free and well nourished, they're normally able to fight off the parasites and not show any symptoms. But something stressfull such as being caught, transported, and put into another system, can weaken their immune system that the parasite is able to take over. As someone who lost his entire livestock when I was still a newbie, I would still strongly suggest quarantine them in your own system.

Ok. These fish were caught, transported, put in tubs at my house. Caught less than 24 hours later, transported, and put into an empty QT at my friends house. Then caught a week later, and put into a different QT at his house where they have been since December. Not sure what more you want here. They have been stressed numerous times, and have been together with no additions for months with no signs of illness. This isn't even the question. I appreciate the concern, but if this final time of being caught, and transferred is what triggers ich etc into a system that has been fish free since December then I will be stunned, and rack it up to divine intervention.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Ok. These fish were caught, transported, put in tubs at my house. Caught less than 24 hours later, transported, and put into an empty QT at my friends house. Then caught a week later, and put into a different QT at his house where they have been since December. Not sure what more you want here. They have been stressed numerous times, and have been together with no additions for months with no signs of illness. This isn't even the question. I appreciate the concern, but if this final time of being caught, and transferred is what triggers ich etc into a system that has been fish free since December then I will be stunned, and rack it up to divine intervention.

Ok, sounds good. Looks like you've got it covered then

 

[norfolkgarden]

Tangs especially are known ich magnets.

Just add some Herbtana to the tank to knock it back to imperceptible levels.

Latest 7/8" SKINNY blue hippo tang showed a few spots 2 days after adding to the tank (no QT, just 15-20 minutes observation including eating at the LFS).
2 capfuls in a 75 gallon tank cleared it up in 8 hours.
No problem since.
3 weeks later it is almost as fat as its supposed to be.

Herbtana by Microblift is as close to a magical fantasy cure for visible symptoms of ich as I've ever seen.