New setup QT/stocking questions

[daybreaksky]

Hi everyone!
I've been reading through the stickies and did some searches but still want to run through this in preparation. please let me know if I'm on the right track or what you would do.
setup:

50gal, brand new setup with dry rock cycled with bottle stuff for about 45+ days without critters (started pre-cycling before DT is built and shipped early December

My desired stock list but I was initially planning on starting with the clowns and adding over time but I might also get all the fish.

FIsh:

lawnmower blenny

baby Clowns x2

diamond goby

green chromis x3

fire fish

6 line wrasse

high fin goby

flasher wrasse

Inverts:

pistol shrimp

cleaner shrimp

emerald crab

various snails

fighting conch

sand sifting star

hermits yellow cucumber or similar

bubbletip anemony or similar for clowns

brittle star

feather duster Corals: GSP - LFS was gonna give me a small frag for free when ordered the rest

these critters will come directly from the wholesaler and to me on delivery so they won't touch LFS tanks.
I'm paying near wholesale if i get all of this in one shot



How do I handle this?

I can setup a couple of 10-15gal QT tanks


A) Should I toss inverts in to the DT for 74 days and order fish a couple at a time after that following proper QT with each individual fish? (inverts are claimed to be housed separately from fish at source)

B) I can probably get the clown couple, QT them in a 10gallon, treat them using one of the methods while inverts QT fishless in display? and then QT each new addition(s) as I add stock?

C) Grab 1/2 of the fish list like 2 clowns, goby, Chromis and QT them in 15 gallon while inverts QT in the DT for 74 days

D) Put inverts and part/all of the fish in to DT on arrival and roll the dice. QT if they show signs otherwise leave them be. Can they carry and not show symptoms but still be hosting indefinitely and infect future additions that were through QT process?

I just don't want to screw this up. Last time I had a tank you just went to LFS and bough your stuff and plopped it in the tanks and 90% of the time you never saw an issue.

 

[fishguy242]

hi,if you can,order all at once but qt all ..better safe than sorry,only thing ,sand sifter ,tank too young will prob not do well ,wait 6mo after adding "the group"

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I like option C.

Skip the chromis and the flasher wrasse, or at least wait until the tank is more mature. I bet half of the disease/problem responses I respond to here are due to those two species! Wait on the lawnmower blenny until there is algae for it to eat. When you say "baby clowns" get them a little larger, the tiny ones tend to get bullied.

While yes, fish can pick up diseases at the retail level, the sheer number of fish passing through a wholesaler means those have just as much of an issue. In addition, many wholesalers run their systems at low specific gravity. If you get those fish in a bag and try to acclimate them up to 1.025, you'll stress them out, possibly kill them - even drip acclimation is too fast. You need to match the SG between the bags and your tank and then acclimate for temperature and pH.

Jay

 

[daybreaksky]

I like option C.

Skip the chromis and the flasher wrasse, or at least wait until the tank is more mature. I bet half of the disease/problem responses I respond to here are due to those two species! Wait on the lawnmower blenny until there is algae for it to eat. When you say "baby clowns" get them a little larger, the tiny ones tend to get bullied.

While yes, fish can pick up diseases at the retail level, the sheer number of fish passing through a wholesaler means those have just as much of an issue. In addition, many wholesalers run their systems at low specific gravity. If you get those fish in a bag and try to acclimate them up to 1.025, you'll stress them out, possibly kill them - even drip acclimation is too fast. You need to match the SG between the bags and your tank and then acclimate for temperature and pH.

Jay

Thanks Jay!
I think this is the plan
----------------------
I will order next week or 2:
2 Clowns
Diamond goby
Fire Fish
6 line wrasse
High fin goby
-----------------------

Pistol shrimp
cleaner shrimp
emerald crab
snails
emerald crab
fighting conch
hermits
feather duster
brittle star
bubble tip anemone
-----------------------

My rock has been cycling for about a week in a brute

My display will be up and running in about 45 days so rock/media will be fully cycled at fill.
I will setup a 15g QT for fish with a bunch of PVC caves and 10G for inverts

1.Follow QT/treatment plan for the fish from stickies
2. When display arrives I will transfer the fish to DT with virgin cycled rock, it would have been in QT for at least 30 days
3. I will transfer inverts from QT to DT at 75 days. the display would be without CUC for about a month

I feel that I should get fish out of 15 and in to 50 first or will algae and stuff get out of hand without CUC?
another option is keep DT dark and critters in their QTs longer?

 

[fishguy242]

just one note poss ,wait on nem for a few months