Adding fish to a tank

[dskrezyna]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to order my first fish from liveaquaria sometime next week.

I have a 20 long with 45# of LR and LS. Only hermit crabs occupy the tank. I was looking to buy a pair of clowns, a goby, 6-line or pseudochromis, and maybe 3 chromis. Stock list may change.

My question is how many fish can I add at once/initially safely?


Thanks

 

[Lorenz725]

How old is your tank? If the cycle is done then I would not add more then just 1 fish at a time. Might be able to get away with the pair of clowns. Do you plan on QTing your fish before you add them to your tank? I feel your pain when it comes to ordering fish online you want to get them all at once to save money.

 

[ange062]

I'd start with one small fish, wait a few weeks then add another. If you plan to add a pair of clowns, I wouldn't make it your first addition since it's a lot of bioload.

As lorenz said, you have to make sure your cycle is complete so make sure you are testing ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate to ensure your cycle is complete.

 

[dskrezyna]

I got the LR, LS, and some of her water directly from her established tank and started it this past Sunday. It's running on an eheim 2213 filter. Was thinking of adding an aquaclear 70 or 110 and running it as a refugium. I'm out of town and will be back next Tuesday, thought that would be enough time to wait, even though some say I don't need to.

 

[calveezzzy]

Still seems too soon to add fish. Have you checked your water Params? I wouldn't add any fish until your params are consistent for 2-3 weeks. No need to rush!

 

[SushiGirl]

Water from an established tank isn't going to help much, it's just adding dirty water. The majority of the bacteria are in the rock and sand.

Check ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and see where your cycle is. 1 week is usually not enough for a tank to cycle and be established enough to add a bunch of fish at once.