[Princess8077]

As of today I have a clean up crew! It's so cool to watch just them!
2 lettuce nudi
2 cleaner clams
1 Sally Light foot
20 scarlet hermit
20 blue leg hermits
25 turbo/astrea snails
10 Nessarius snails
5 emerald crab (omg they're so tiny)
1 coral banded shrimp (hidden now - I cant find it anywhere)
1 serpent star (very small and went into hiding which I know is normal)

When can I start to add fish and how many at a time? I have an 80 gal bowfront, 120# LR and 2-3" sand bed.

[jimw369]

How long has your tank been up and cycled?
Do you have a QT and understand how to use it?

Do you understand water chemistry? Are you testing and for what? What fish are you planning on getting? If you are going to add corals are your fish compatible with them?

IMO this is a minimal list that needs to be answered before you are ready to move on but Im sure this puts me in the minority.

Thats quite a clean up crew for an 80gal.

Originally Posted by Princess8077

As of today I have a clean up crew! It's so cool to watch just them!
2 lettuce nudi
2 cleaner clams
1 Sally Light foot
20 scarlet hermit
20 blue leg hermits
25 turbo/astrea snails
10 Nessarius snails
5 emerald crab (omg they're so tiny)
1 coral banded shrimp (hidden now - I cant find it anywhere)
1 serpent star (very small and went into hiding which I know is normal)

When can I start to add fish and how many at a time? I have an 80 gal bowfront, 120# LR and 2-3" sand bed.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Remember that your cycle is not over( the hard part may be) they can and do last for months.Every time you add a critter it adds a new dimention to the cycle.I would avoid clams,coral and anemones for about 6 months,more if you can stand it.If you want two of something add them.Then after a few weeks if you want two of something else,add them. But not all 4 at once.Take it slow and keep a good watch on your parameters.

[Princess8077]

Been up for a bit over a month now...ammonia spiked, then nitrites, then the nitrates upon which I did a water change.

I test for ammonia-0, nitrites <.03, nitrates between 0, ph 7-7.5, and kh. at this time.

I know I can't get these all at once, but here are my fish plans:

2 True Percs
1 Hawkfish
1 Goby watchman
1 Barn Blenny
1 Angel
1 Yellow Tang
1 Powder Blue Tang
3 green chromis?

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by Princess8077

Been up for a bit over a month now...ammonia spiked, then nitrites, then the nitrates upon which I did a water change.

I test for ammonia-0, nitrites <.03, nitrates between 0, ph 7-7.5, and kh. at this time.

I know I can't get these all at once, but here are my fish plans:

2 True Percs
1 Hawkfish
1 Goby watchman
1 Barn Blenny
1 Angel
1 Yellow Tang
1 Powder Blue Tang
3 green chromis?

Look over your fish choices some more. Read about each one. You might change a few choices or even delete a couple.

PH needs to come up a little and Id wait untill 0 Nitrites and 0 Nitrates. You might have a little cycling to do yet.

Any brown or green showing in the tank yet?

No need for water changes yet.

Hang in there a little longer!

[Princess8077]

my test for nitrites and nitrates are as low as it shows on the color card.

Any green or brown what? I went thru all the brown hairy stuff alreay if that's what you're talking about?

I thought I had read everything on the fish I chose - lots of contradictory info on a couple, but please tell me what it is you see wrong?

LFS says the tangs are last to go in and is long as they go in at the same time they're usually ok?

I'm here to get help, so lay it on me!

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by Princess8077

Been up for a bit over a month now...ammonia spiked, then nitrites, then the nitrates upon which I did a water change.

I test for ammonia-0, nitrites <.03, nitrates between 0, ph 7-7.5, and kh. at this time.

I know I can't get these all at once, but here are my fish plans:

2 True Percs
1 Hawkfish
1 Goby watchman
1 Barn Blenny
1 Angel
1 Yellow Tang
1 Powder Blue Tang
3 green chromis?

Some hawkfish like to eat sorted inverts
Goby needs a mature tank
Angels eventually eat corals (they seem to fancy green LPS)
Tangs are great. What can I say? But...Powder Blue argueably the fish most likely to get ich.
OK Tang(s) in last(I would recomend only one for your size tank especially with the load you list above) Large bio-load, smaller tank with a powder blue spells trouble. Get your QT running and add those fish slow. You might make it work. Risky IMHO

What are you reading if you have never heard these things? Just curious where you get your info on livestock.

What about some of the other questions. How up are you on water chemistry?

You seem like the type of person that is just chomping at the bit to really get going. Big cleaner crew, big list of fish for your tank.

Just let the tank sit a little longer. Get your water params close to perfect. Id say start looking for your first fish and get it QT. With a PB tang going in there you gotta have it good!!!

[Tonz of fun]

Does no one else think the fish choice is bad because of the size of the tank?

[Jeremy0322]

Just curious but this may help me decide on tank size. How many more fish can comfortably live in a 75 compared to a 55. I am debating between the 2 sizes.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by jimw369

Look over your fish choices some more. Read about each one. You might change a few choices or even delete a couple.

PH needs to come up a little and Id wait untill 0 Nitrites and 0 Nitrates. You might have a little cycling to do yet.

Any brown or green showing in the tank yet?

No need for water changes yet.

Hang in there a little longer!

Tonz: Yes too many fish Its already been stated.

[Princess8077]

Ok, let me back up
I fish per gallon? That sound about right? Dang I knew I should have gotten one of those 300 gallon jobbers! LOL
I AM excited - sorry
OK..no flame hawkfishes
1 Barn blenny (good choice? or better idea? I think they look neat/wierd)
2 true percs (a must)
3 green chromis?
1 Y Tang
1 PB Tang
The Tangs come last and will wait awhile at that.
I was thinking of color too.....the Angel I wanted was a midnight which are a bit harder to start out (from what I hear)
I've been reading alot from everywhere trying to get the most information...BUT
This is one of the reasons I'm in this forum - to get help and advise from those that have been there!

The original list of fish didnt necess. have to be ALL of them - but those of which I wanted.

P.S. I thought almost ALL Tangs were prone to ich and was prepared to QT them anyway

[Princess8077]

Jeremy, Get the BIGGER TANK!!! You'll regret it if you dont. Look at me! I'm already needing a 300 galloner.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Cathryn, one fish per gallon only works for sardines lol.

[rlcline76]

I would like to throw out that gallon per fish crap. I've seen 2-3 gallons per inch of full grown fish. Does not leave much for the individual fish and their quirks.

[Princess8077]

*sighs*
so 3 fish max - ok...done here
Thanks all for the advise!

[Jeremy0322]

Originally Posted by Princess8077

Jeremy, Get the BIGGER TANK!!! You'll regret it if you dont. Look at me! I'm already needing a 300 galloner.

That was kinda what i was thinking. I just know that it costs more money to set up a bigger tank. Grrr. I guess its a good thing there is christmas

[stephaniesquires]

Hang in there Cathryn!! I am redoing a tank because I've seen what setting up a tank without good research can do. You can't create a healthy ecosystem quickly. I have a 220 (can't take credit for picking it - came with the house!!) and figure it wont have its first fish till Christmas. It's been up and running for several weeks, but I need to make sure it's stable. Still have temp issues, want to change sump to fuge, and then let the LR get established. I did add 4 hermit crabs, 2 small starfish and 2 abalone as a start up cuc. I have concerns about the starfish, I may have added them too soon...
If I see the algae is too much, I will add a few more cuc critters.
Take it slowly, you can always add more...

[Princess8077]

Thanks Steph
I feel like an idiot after some of the others posts.
Good luck with your tank!

[jvharding]

Originally Posted by Princess8077

Thanks Steph
I feel like an idiot after some of the others posts.
Good luck with your tank!

Please do not feel that way the reason you are here is to learn! We will help you as much as possible. Please remember what works for one does not always work for all. This forum gives you all Opinions and none are carved in stone! So please keep an open mind. Depending on your filter system you are running, also will dictate how big a Bio load your tank will support. Powder Blue Tang is hard to keep and Likes fast water movement. A UV Sterilizer will help keep him healthy.

Your 75G will support more than 3 Fish.

[stephaniesquires]

Originally Posted by Princess8077

Thanks Steph
I feel like an idiot after some of the others posts.
Good luck with your tank!

Like he said - Dont feel that way - this is a complicated hobby. The chemistry of creating a simulated ocean environment isn't something you can just learn overnight. Just as I figure out one aspect of this hobby, I realize there are so many more things I dont know. Its much easier to take it slowly, learn things one step at a time and dont get overwhelmed.
Before this - I'd never even had a goldfish!!! Dont get discouraged - we are all here to learn!!

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by jvharding

Please do not feel that way the reason you are here is to learn! We will help you as much as possible. Please remember what works for one does not always work for all. This forum gives you all Opinions and none are carved in stone! So please keep an open mind. Depending on your filter system you are running, also will dictate how big a Bio load your tank will support. Powder Blue Tang is hard to keep and Likes fast water movement. A UV Sterilizer will help keep him healthy.

Your 75G will support more than 3 Fish.

I agree 110% with you Jack. When you have 8-10 years in the hobby you can pull a lot of stuff off some one starting out cant.

The reason I didnt say ONLY one tang is because of you. You understand how to make it work. I cant buck a mod here.LOL

[Princess8077]

ok, how 'bout 2 percs and a bta?
Thats all I have plans for now.

[Jay03GT]

I'm going through the same thing right now. Research, research, and more research. Go to the LFS and look at stuff, come home and research some more! There are so many awesome fish and other critters to choose from, it is mind boggling. At first I wanted a couple of percs and an anemone. But then I started seeing all these cool gobies, and read that gobies and an anem may not be a good idea. So now I'm thinking a couple of firefish, and yellow watchman and a few other small fish. But then there is a real cool Tomini tang at the LFS. Don't get discouraged, you've got time, and the more time you (and I) take the better.

[stephaniesquires]

I still haven't stocked my tank with fish, (I have some more stuff to do first, ie - turnign a sump into a fuge) but a couple of percs and a bta are definitely on my list. I just have to figure out which other fish I want and in what order to put them in the tank.
Figuring out what order to add livestock is yet another challenge in this hobby!!
Sooo, bta and perc's are common choices, and reasonable as long as you know which other fish you are going to have and make sure they are compatable....

I'm planning on a "mellow fish" reef tank, with several "schools" of peacefull colorful fish.

From what I've read so far, make sure you get the percs in a pair, and that your bta is established enough to withstand a little beating up by the percs.

*sigh* will I ever know enough??!!