How badly did I screw up?

shollis2814 · Jan 2, 2016

OK, today I went to get a chalk bass at a LFS, I saw a fish that I *thought* I had room for, but it wasn't a familiar one to me. I talked to the manager and he said it would be fine in my 36 gallon tank, though it may nip at corals a bit "similar to a coral beauty". I've had CBs before and thought I would give it a shot. It is a 2.5" Singapore Angel.

When I get home and do a quick search, lo and behold, recommended tank size is 3-4 times the size of my tank :-(. I took this manager's advice because I have known him for several years, and he has told me in the past that a fish I wanted wouldn't work. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

So far, the fish is out, and nipping at vermetids (yay?) and liverock. I've seen him suck at a creeping star, but it didn't eat any polys and seems to be stealing food from them, but not snacking.

Do I gamble or take him back? The plus is he seems to be going after vermetids a bit, and I am having a particularly bad outbreak at the moment. Basically, I'm watching him like the kid fellow teachers warn me about when the school year starts. He hasn't screwed up yet.

This is one part asking advice and one part publicly kicking myself for an impulse purchase. I am going to have to take all the rock out to get him, I am afraid...

jsker · Jan 2, 2016

Relax and feed the fish mysis and something else so it will not nip at the corals. It all depends on when you want to catch the fish and take it back to the store. when a fish is rated higher then you tank size is for the reason that the fish will out grow a tank and need a bigger space as it grows. Look at it this way you have a size 12 foot and you try to fit in a size 6 shoe, it will not work, but you did not always ware that 12 did you? That is fish

shollis2814 · Jan 2, 2016

Thanks. Way back when I was keeping saltwater before this tank, conventional wisdom was that pygmy angels were fine in a 20 long and up! I'm going to see how it does with the vermetids for a few days. There is an upgrade for a larger tank in the long term plan.

shollis2814 · Jan 2, 2016

And, looks like he is going back tomorrow. Caught him pecking at my Pavona. No chunks out of it, so he may be picking at the slime, but still...not worth it.

Looks like tomorrow is a 'low tide day'. Oh well, vermetids need culling anyway.

shollis2814 · Jan 2, 2016

And a final update. A valuable lesson learned the hard (and stupid way). When I saw the little guy take polyps off my hollywood stunner, I knew I had to do something. I have some jugged water for emergencies. I put some in a large plastic bin and started pulling rocks out, crushing vermetids, and cleaning until I could net the angel. I put him in the tub and plan on taking him back tomorrow.

The good news is my hurried aquascape looks better than it did. I was able to reposition some corals where I had been meaning to, I think I drastically reduced my vermetid numbers, I found a small zoa frag my urchin carried off, and I think my percula started hosting in my frogspawn.

No more impulse buys, and as much as I love pygmy angels/angels, no more with my corals.

Thanks for listening/reading.