My first fish order is coming, input and comment plz

[koko maung]

Hey guys,

I placed my first order through blue zoo aquatics yesterday and it will be coming in tomorrow ( Sat ). Can you guys give me input on what to prepare and comment on my current QT plan and setup please?

My 55g tank is setup for close to 3 months. I have quite a few of CUC, 3x anemones and some easy corals. No fish yet.

I have read many time that I should go slow on introducing live stock into my tank but I ended up purchasing 10 fish and 2 cleaner shrimp (free shipping and free lawnmower got me :headwallblue: ) . I don't even want to list what I ordered cuz you guys will yell at me :debi:.

I am using this post as reference http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1846124.

My QT Setup

2 x 10 gallon and 1 x 20 gallon setup with heater and air stone.
I do have ro-di setup so I will be making salt water mix daily to do water change.
Temp: 81 - 83
Salinity: 1.024 - 1.026

My QT plan
1. I will place them in QT tank, let them settle.
2. Wait till they accept food
3. Let them eat for at least 3 days
4. Dose Praziquantel as manufacture described
5. 50% - 60 % water change
6. Dose Chloroquine as manufacture described
7. 50% - 60% water change
8. Rest for a day
9. If there is no sign of issue and if they are eating, move to DT ( start out with least aggressive fish and only transfer one fish a time )

Here my questions,
1. Do I need to QT cleaner shrimp? If so, do I put them in the same tank with fish?
2. If I do QT shrimp, can they survive in those medication?
3. Should I even consider medicating my fish?
4. Should I feed my fish during medication?
5. Should I give break between each medication?

Here is what I ordered, don't yell at me please :hmm2:

1x Flame Angelfish
1x Lawnmower Blenny
2x Ocellaris ClownFish
3x Firefish
1x Yellow Clown Goby
1x Diamond Watchman Goby
1x Royal Gramma
2x Cleaner Shrimp

Thank in advance guys!

 

[gone fishin]

some folks QT inverts some don't, it is about your risk tolerance. If you do I would not expose them to any medication.

10 fish are going to be tight in your QT setup. Prazi is a good choice treatment but why do you want to medicate with chloroquin. I like the TTM for ich then followed by 4-5 more weeks in the main QT for observation. a lot of places run low doses of cooper and after about 4 weeks any issues will present themselves.

I you do decide to medicate then I would give a bit of time between each medication.

FWIW the three fire fish will eventually become one firefish. I would also try to segregate the fishes for aggression. I have been doing this for awhile now and I would not attempt 10 fish at once. I wish you good luck on your additions.

 

[Sk8r]

Set your qt salinity to match exactly the blue zoo parameters for the fish. Call blue zoo and ask them at what salinity they ship fish---and inverts. It may be quite different. Set it for the fish, who are more fragile than anything in your tank, and when they arrive test each bag's salinity to be 100% sure it's a match. If it IS a match, put that fish in, using a plastic colander as a net. Or your hand. Gently. And put the drain stopper in your sink---in case.

If any one bag is 'off' from what they promised, adjust that salinity within 30 minutes, and BE finished in 30 minutes, or you risk killing the fish.


If inverts come in at high salinity, you have a problem. Inverts cannot take the low salinity fish are often kept at. You may have to go ahead and put them into your DT. If this is the case, at least give them a quick bath in a half gallon of tank water to at least wash off the bag water.
You may also ask Blue Zoo whether the inverts are kept separate of fish, because you are worried about ich. If their answer is that the inverts are kept in invert tanks that do not share water with the fish tanks, you would be pretty safe to go ahead and put the inverts into your DT.

 

[snorvich]

My recollection is that Blue Zoo ships fish at 1.017. Inverts, I do not know but most likely at 1.024/5

 

[Sk8r]

You have a problem coming. Set that qt salinity bang-on for the fish, do test each bag individually AND before opening any bag, test your final salinity result on your own tank that day, and do not acclimate. But you are going to have to make a decision about the inverts.

 

[koko maung]

Gone_fishin : Thanks. I will put them in separate QT tank.

Sk8r : When you said abjust salinity, do you mean QT salinity? You also mention that I should not acclimate? Isn't that what they recommend me to do? For Inverts, can they handle acclimation process?

 

[pyithar]

since you're quarantining the fishes, you should adjust the salinity of the quarantine tank to match the salinity of the bluezoo's water. you have plenty of time to lower or raise the salinity of the qt to match your DT later. when the shipments arrive, float the bags in the qt about 15 minutes to match the temperature. after that, if you have already matched the salinities of the shop water and your qt water, you could move the fish in. don't acclimate the fishes more than 30 minutes from the moment you open the bags since ammonium will become toxic ammonia.

 

[koko maung]

Thx pyithar. I tried call them today but they closed too early. I guess I will have to measure water from the bag.

 

[snorvich]

Thx pyithar. I tried call them today but they closed too early. I guess I will have to measure water from the bag.

Which is always the best way in any case. :dance:

 

[Sk8r]

Your fish are safe until you open the bag, which starts the ammonia-conversion process. Ask later. ---Essentially, float all bags 15 min. Leave all bags sealed until you are ready to test the first fish's bag water and ONLY open that one. If equal in salinity within .002, put only that fish straight in. Then test the next fish's bag water, repeat with each, never opening a bag until you are ready to test the water and put that fish in.

Drip acclimation, in short, is a process you should use if you absolutely have to, if something happened to compromise the bags or if salinity is way off from what you were told. Acclimation is ALL about salinity (given a reasonable temperature) --- and if salinity is equal, there is NO reason to acclimate. After years in this hobby, I've seen a lot of fish killed by acclimation, when they came in perfecty healthy. The ammonia buildup on shipped critters is particularly nasty, and it doesn't start to 'turn' until the bag opens, so rest assured they're pretty safe. Choose the bag with the least water in it for your first fish in, because he has probably the worst water. Do not let bag water into your tank. And plug the sink with a stopper: the ability of these fish to jump is epic.

WIth inverts, leave aLL closed until you have dealt with fish. Then clean and dry your refractometer to be sure no ich moves with that water. Now open one bag, test water, test tank water, and if equal to your tank salinity, swish specimen in a little tank water to shower him off, then put in tank---hoping for good luck. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Never take a bag for granted. Test it. Never open two bags --- go with one at a time. Good luck. Be methodical, don't get confused.

 

[koko maung]

Thanks everyone for awesome input!

My fish are in QT and shrimp are in DT right now. Good that you guys pointed out about checking salinity from different bags. Even three firefish came with different salinity. Luckily, most of the fish and shrimp came with 1.025 salinity so, I just dropped them into the tank after temp adjustment. Other bags came in with 1.014.

I do get one DOA tho . I couldn't do anything about it. Hopefully I can get a replacement.

I dropped some pellet and brine shrimp a few minutes ago and they seem to be interested.

Thanks again guys! I really appreciate your time and input.

 

[Sk8r]

Excellent. I was wondering how you made out.
Contact the shipper. They probably will give you credit on the DOA but won't reship. The shipping charges on the live stuff is, as you found, pretty high.

 

[hobbzz]

Thanks everyone for awesome input!

My fish are in QT and shrimp are in DT right now. Good that you guys pointed out about checking salinity from different bags. Even three firefish came with different salinity. Luckily, most of the fish and shrimp came with 1.025 salinity so, I just dropped them into the tank after temp adjustment. Other bags came in with 1.014.

I do get one DOA tho . I couldn't do anything about it. Hopefully I can get a replacement.

I dropped some pellet and brine shrimp a few minutes ago and they seem to be interested.

Thanks again guys! I really appreciate your time and input.

I would not try to get a replacement, 10 fish is too many for a 55. Good luck.

 

[gone fishin]

Glad things are going well.

 

[hotelbravo]

I would not try to get a replacement, 10 fish is too many for a 55. Good luck.

i agree. i dont even want to put 10 fish in my 90 gallon

 

[kenpau]

Adding that many fish at once could well cause you some problems too. Normal practice is to stock slowly to let your biological filtration adjust to the new bio load in your tank. If you place too many fish in at once then the bacteria may struggle.
If I were you I'd add maybe 3 fish one week, then 3 the next and your final four the week after. They'll be fine in quarantine for the extra period and it will save you nitrate and ammonia spikes as well as rising algae levels due to increased phosphates.
Even this might be too much too soon but see how you go. You could always try dosing zeostart3 if your bacteria needs boosting.

 

[koko maung]

Update, I found two dead fish yesterday morning, Clownfish and firefish . I checked my water parameter and it was normal. The rest are settling nicely tho. Most of them started eating except yellow clown goby and lawnmower blenny. Any tips on what to feed them?

Here is the result

Ammonia : 0
Nitrate : 0
Nitrite : 0
Salinit :1.025
Ph : 8.2
temp : 80

hotelbravo, I do agreed that I am over stocking, that why I picked mostly nano fish.

kenpau, thanks for input. That is exactly what I will be doing. In order to prevent ammonia spike, I will be doing 5 - 10 gallon water change every week. I also have ammonia alarm setup in the tank so, I can monitor it everyday.

 

[scooter31707]

With that many fish in a 20 gallon with just an airstone might be your problem or if not that maybe your Flame Angel. Might be too aggressive for them fish in that small of a tank. I would recommend checking your ammonia spikes and you may have to do a water change daily. Good Luck!

 

[koko maung]

With that many fish in a 20 gallon with just an airstone might be your problem or if not that maybe your Flame Angel. Might be too aggressive for them fish in that small of a tank. I would recommend checking your ammonia spikes and you may have to do a water change daily. Good Luck!

Oh, Sorry Forgot to mention that They r not in 10 gallon tank. I only have 3-4 fish in each tank.
10 gallon : 2 x clown fish, yellow clown goby, yellow spotted goby
10 gallon : 3 fire fish
20 gallon : flame angle, lawnmower and loyal gramma

They r getting about 2.5 gallon water change everyday

 

[jayball]

Update, I found two dead fish yesterday morning, Clownfish and firefish . I checked my water parameter and it was normal. The rest are settling nicely tho. Most of them started eating except yellow clown goby and lawnmower blenny. Any tips on what to feed them?
.

For the lawnmower mine would eat nori on a clip and peck at a piece of liverock I had in my QT (covered in hair and film algae). he never ate meaty prepared foods or anything else in the water column. The flame may eat from that as well seeing as how they are in the same QT.

the clown goby is a carnivore so try feeding any frozen that is the right size for him like enriched brine, mysis(chopped if necessary), slices of frozen clam on the half-shell. Things like that.