How would you stock new tank

[boshk]

170 litres

Plan stock:
2 clownfish
1 Yellow watchman goby
I Royal Gramma
(1 Pyjama cardinal fish......if space allows)

clean up crew too.

I think my DT should be ready in a week, QT (25L) which is cycling now on bottle bacteria should be done in a few days.

Would it be unwise to qt 2 clownfish, 1 goby and the Royal at the same time or one species at a time?

It would take around 1 month qt time, so I figured if they are all okay, I can introduce the pair of clownfish first, a week later the goby then the Gramma.

Thanks

 

[ThRoewer]

Quarantine should ideally be 2 months.

It is advisable to give all fish a formalin bath before they even get into the QT. This will largely reduce the risk of a velvet, brooklynella or uronema infection. It will also reduce the risk of other pathogens making it into the QT.

All can be quarantined together if bought together, though there is a slightly higher risk in case you got a disease.

If it was me, I would get 2 of the gobies (2 will always make a pair, especially if you start with small ones). They will be even more interesting if you pair them also with a pistol shrimp (or a pair of those as well)

The gramma are also easily paired if you get small ones (which you should - they don't get overly old).

I learned that fish, when kept in their natural social structure (pair, harem group), are much more interesting than when kept alone.
Very few reef fish are actually loners - most like company of their own kind. Some, like dwarf angel, go even so far that they pair up with a closely related species if they can't find one of their own kind.

 

[boshk]

Quarantine should ideally be 2 months.

It is advisable to give all fish a formalin bath before they even get into the QT. This will largely reduce the risk of a velvet, brooklynella or uronema infection. It will also reduce the risk of other pathogens making it into the QT.

All can be quarantined together if bought together, though there is a slightly higher risk in case you got a disease.

If it was me, I would get 2 of the gobies (2 will always make a pair, especially if you start with small ones). They will be even more interesting if you pair them also with a pistol shrimp (or a pair of those as well)

The gramma are also easily paired if you get small ones (which you should - they don't get overly old).

I learned that fish, when kept in their natural social structure (pair, harem group), are much more interesting than when kept alone.
Very few reef fish are actually loners - most like company of their own kind. Some, like dwarf angel, go even so far that they pair up with a closely related species if they can't find one of their own kind.

Thanks.

I thought Royal Gramma Basslet were teritorial and aggressive against their own.

The YWG I was going to go singular paired with a Pistol shrimp

 

[Deinonych]

I thought Royal Gramma Basslet were teritorial and aggressive against their own.

I have a pair that get along just fine. I introduced a second one a few months ago to one that had been in the tank for two years. No problems aside from a little mouth gaping at first. Royal Grammas live in sizable aggregations in the wild, to ThRoewer's point above.

 

[bat21]

I have seen so many posts lately from people who added fish before their cycle was actually done. Have you seen both ammonia and nitrite spike and fall to zero and stay at zero?

 

[boshk]

I have seen so many posts lately from people who added fish before their cycle was actually done. Have you seen both ammonia and nitrite spike and fall to zero and stay at zero?

I'm not adding fish just yet.
I am still cycling my QT using fishless cycle like i did for my freshwater.

I dose pure ammonia as a food source.

I will only put fish in when it is cycled which to me mean:

Dose Ammonia to 2ppm
Wait around 24hrs
If Ammonia =0 AND Nitrite=0
...then my QT is cycled. Change 80% water to rid the Nitrates and put fish in to start the long 1 to 2 months quarantine.

DT or Main tank.....not quite sure if I should use pure ammonia too to test it.
Anyway, plan is wait for live rocks to cycle (currently in Brute can) buy a few cuc like Cleaner shrimps, snails, hermit crab
Maybe introduce 1 soft coral....and wait

 

[Deinonych]

It's personal preference, but I don't bother cycling a QT. Because I perform TTM as part of my quarantine protocol, cycling a QT is an unnecessary expenditure of time. Once the fish has finished TTM, I put them in a new aquarium (for observation) with a bacteria starter like Bio-spira. I've never had a problem with ammonia.