annoyed with myself.....

[Carolt]

Ive done what I always said I wouldn't do...... overstock my tank, well Im almost sure I have please let me know what you think .......
I have a aqua one 50 gal reef tank which is 27.5" (70cm) x 20.5" (52cm) x 30.5" (78cm) in it I have 24kg live pukani rock 2-3" sand base ..in my sump i run 2 skimmers a aqua one G220 (1400lph) & aqua one G216 (720Lph) I have carbon and live rubble in there and was going to get some macro algae.
In my tank besides the return pump i run a Jebao RW8 =2100 GPH wavemaker directed at a angle across the tank, also getting another 2 powerheads to be placed on the back facing forwards either side of the weir,
I have I malu anemone, torch anemone, & corals are star polyps, leather toadstool, duncan, few zoas,a couple of acans some pulsing xenia, and some fluorescent grassy stuff not sure what its called, my CUC consists of 3 peppermint shrimps, 2 hermit crabs, 14 trochus snails & about 12 Ceriths snails, Ok now my fish... before I start I must add all of my fish are juveniles except for the dottyback and she is a small fish, 1 saddleback clown (which hosts the anemone), 1 percula clown, 1 blue devil damsel, 1 regal tang, 1 blue caribbean tang, 1purple dottyback,

Parameters:-
calcium - 440
phosphate - .2
alk - 9
ph - 8
nitrate - 5-10 (trying to lower)
nitrites - 0
magnesium - 1170 (need to get higher)
salinity 1.025
running for 10 months

the tangs I know I shouldn't of brought them, my thinking was get juveniles and it should be ok, they are both no bigger than 5-6cm (2-2.5") at the end of the year I will be getting a 180 gal tank this is a definate not just a thought, (7')... do you think they be ok in my tank for the next 10 months, I thought they would be but I'm worried i've been stupid in getting them too early< I don't want to get rid of any as they are all great and there is no aggression at all between them, but I will if i need to.... I always said I would be sensible about not overcrowding my tank but i just got carried away.... I think I know what the replies will be....

 

[Dkuhlmann]

The tangs need a much larger tank and the damsel will more than likely get very aggressive. So IMO they all need to go back to the LFS for a credit so you can get more appropriate fish for your tank size. Go to LiveAquaria.com and you can search all of the fish and they give you requirements on each.

Who knows if they'll be ok or not until you get the 180, and what happens IF you don't get the 180? You should never buy a fish unless it's intended for your tank size. Sure some fish you can fudge a little like if it says a 50 gal is ok and you have a 40b or similar this is doable.

As for over crowding? No I don't think so. I currently have many corals and 8 fish in my 40b. Take a look at my tank here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2540376

 

[Bogue Chitto]

Yep, you answered your own question....I think most of us get carried away at times.

 

[davocean]

[welcome]
Sounds like you have an ok idea what's up, agree tangs gotta go, dotty's usually get mean, and I'm wondering how your saddleback gets along w/ the percula, and how long together?
I usually advise to not buy fish for a future upgrade as that often takes longer than expected to get there

 

[ThRoewer]

Tangs need a much bigger tank, but otherwise it doesn't seem over stocked to me.

This is what I have in my 18 inch cube (20 gallon of water 5 of rock):
2 Pseudochromis fridmani, pair (Orchid Dottyback, ORA)
2 Synchiropus splendidus, pair (Green Mandarin Fish)
2 Stonogobiops nematodes, pair (Hi-Fin Shrimp Goby)
1 Doryrhamphus exisus, male (Blue Stripe Pipefish)
1 Pygoplites diacanthus, juvenile (Philippines)
(a pair of percula was moved out because I couldn't fit their new anemone in the 18 cube)

2 Lysmata ambionensis (Cleaner shrimp)
1 Lysmata wurdemai (Pepermint shrimp)
2 Stenopus tenuirostris, pair (Blue Banded Coral Shrimp)
2 Alpheus randalli, pair (Randall's pistol shrimp)
2 Alpheus randalli, male (Randall's pistol shrimp)
2 Thor amboinensis, pair (Sexy shrimp)
1 Neopetrolisthes maculatus, (Anemone Porcelain Crab)
6 Petrolisthes spp. (Blue Porcelain Crab)

1 Stichodactyla tapetum

A lot of acropora and other SPS (so many that I can't fit a single new frag)

A bunch of hermits and snails as CUC.

 

[Carolt]

The saddleback and the percular get on fine, don't think they will host the anemone together but they do their own thing and don't bother each other, the 2 tangs and the damsel are a group and go round together, I have never seen any aggression between them whatsoever and dottyback has her place in and out of the caves but when food comes along she's there in with the tangs getting her share.... what do you think on keeping the tangs a little longer as they are still quite small I might be able to bring the new tank forward a month or 2 ( just waiting for the extension to get finished so there is a place for it to go) if for any reason it doesn't work out and they get stressed I would take them to the LFS straight away, but as they all seem ok and are getting on good at the moment and the tank is fine too. I know i'm trying to talk myself out of it Im just pleased that you and the others don't think the tank is overstocked as i thought it might be, I', really not sure what to do for the best now. do I hang on a while to see how things go and hopefully bring the new tank forward a bit or take the tangs back a.s.a.p

 

[Taahirs]

I'd certainly take the tangs and the damsels back or try and sell it to someone who has a more suitable tank for them.

Don't think your tank is over stocked, but you're gonna have some problems with those 3.

 

[ginpang]

Don't we all do that at some point or other then come to terms with the fact we exaggerated?!

 

[Taahirs]

Nope lol. 6 small fish in a 5ft was enough for me

 

[davocean]

Don't we all do that at some point or other then come to terms with the fact we exaggerated?!

Maybe not exaggerated, but I'm sure many of us had moments of recognizing we may have not made the best choices whether that be out of stubborness, curiosity, or ignorance.
Many years ago I had a naso in a 90g for 7 years, it was before this site and didn't know any better.
I also put a baby sohal in a 180g thinking it could work, immediately knew it was a mistake seeing it swim like it was just going mad.
Everyone makes mistakes, it's how we learn from them or deal w/ them that matters, and sharing these mistakes so others do not follow that same path.

 

[ginpang]

annoyed with myself.....

Maybe not exaggerated, but I'm sure many of us had moments of recognizing we may have not made the best choices whether that be out of stubborness, curiosity, or ignorance.

Many years ago I had a naso in a 90g for 7 years, it was before this site and didn't know any better.

I also put a baby sohal in a 180g thinking it could work, immediately knew it was a mistake seeing it swim like it was just going mad.

Everyone makes mistakes, it's how we learn from them or deal w/ them that matters, and sharing these mistakes so others do not follow that same path.

Yeah .... when you're at store and your brains disconnects for a moment!

My thing is I like to have pairs, so when I get one of something it needs a friend. Sometimes the friend does' not work out then I get a third , if two pair off then I either need a friend for the reject or to give/ trade him to someone... Stocking goes quite fast like that...

Then when I max out I cheat with red head , green band, clown or neon gobies because I almost feel like I don't need to count them since they make les pollution then my shrimps and since most people cheat with inverts it seems to rationalize it. Plus can't forget they need friends too!

I took apart a 66 because it was leaking and a 120 to limit on expenses ... ( I still dream about it ) My teeny 45 is maxing out pretty fast...but I've got a few little tanks running under pretence that they are Qt [emoji6]

 

[ginpang]

annoyed with myself.....

Nope lol. 6 small fish in a 5ft was enough for me

Wow that's not something I hear often [emoji12] soooooo reasonable!