Adding More Than One Species Of Fish At A Time?

[BigEZ77]

First, let me say that I don't have a quarantine tank (I know, I know...). My LFS rarely gets the fish that I want so I'm looking at an online order...however, shipping costs add a lot so I'd like to get multiple fish to make it count. My tank is just over two months post cycle, my LFS said I should only add fish every 3-4 weeks, so initially I put in a pair of clowns and then a banggai a month later. Now I would like to add 3 Green Chromis and a Starry Blenny. Would this be okay or a bad idea? If it is a bad idea, can I still add just the 3 Chromis at once?

Thanks,

 

[Sk8r]

Only one chromis for a tank that size. Understand too that the chromis that have been coming in even from the most reputable online sources have had a lot of problems with 'uronema marinum,' which is contagious. I would suggest instead a single yellowtail damsel (a brilliant blue fish) with a starry. Far less likely to have ich. And after you have those, wait 72 days before adding any other fish. 72 days is the time within which latent ich pretty well has to find a fish or die. If you give it 80 days, even better. And really, with this company of fishes, that 45 is pretty well maxed out for fish. The reason I say single on the damsel is that that tank is a bit small to have multiples of damsels, who don't like to be crowded, especially by their own kind, and are given to eliminating the other damsels until they're happy with the population.

 

[snorvich]

With no quarantine, I suggest no chromis.

 

[BigEZ77]

Thanks for the suggestions. No Chromis it is. I'll look at the damsel.

 

[domb54]

You already have 2 clowns a damsel may cause issues

 

[BigEZ77]

Why is that? The clowns will attack the damsel? Here's my potential further stocking...

-Still looking for a Citron Clown Goby, that's gotta be a definite.
-Starry Blenny, not necessarily definite but super cool and want something that will eat the algae off the rocks.
-The Chromis is out so now looking at a Yellowtail, Azure or Talbot's Damselfish...OR a Royal Gramma but am leaning towards a damsel.

I prefer a tank that is relatively peaceful and I don't want any jumpers...would rather not put a screen on the top of my rimless tank.

 

[Sk8r]

If you have to screen, you can use black window screen in a thin black lacquer frame, which will turn a jump, even if loose. Starries are capable of jumping and are nigh impossible to net without taking a tank apart. I've seen experienced lfs owners take half an hour (including breaks to let things settle) to net one.