Which fish to add first?

[Stephen Hiatt]

I have a 65 gallon tank and I plan on making this my first reef. I plan on keeping 2 Cardinal fish, 1 Royal Gramma, 1 Red Firefish, 2 Ocellaris Clown fish, 4 Blue Green Chromis, 1 Coral Beauty Angel, 1 Harlequin Starfish, 2 Cleaner shrimp, and assorted snails.

Which ones should I add first? If this makes a difference, I plan on just having sand in the tank and adding live rock later since it's so expensive.

After I add the first fish, is there a specific order that I should add the others in?

 

[dweber618]

Do you not already have a cycled tank yet? First thing you should do is add the sand, and rock, and cycle the tank to make sure the biofilter is ready to add fish. The cycling process will take several days/weeks. If you don't do it in that order your fish are probably going to die.

If you only add water and sand then put a bunch of fish in there the bacteria aren't going to be established and the fish waste can't be processed.

That being said - I'd add the clowns last, and the coral beauty before them. I would say adding the cardinals or firefish first, then gramma, then chromis. The fish should also be added slowly over several months.

 

[Brieninsac]

Overall, that's a good starter list of passive fish. However, the Chromis are prone to Uronema marinum. I'd add the Royal Gramma, Firefish and Pajama Cardinal first.

 

[dweber618]

Oh and I would wait at least several months before adding a starfish so it doesn't starve.

Take some time to read the sticky's at the top of the New to the Hobby Forum - lots of good information!

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

Overall, that's a good starter list of passive fish. However, the Chromis are prone to Uronema marinum. I'd add the Royal Gramma, Firefish and Pajama Cardinal first.

I should have been more clear. I want Bangaii Cardinals.

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

Do you not already have a cycled tank yet? First thing you should do is add the sand, and rock, and cycle the tank to make sure the biofilter is ready to add fish. The cycling process will take several days/weeks. If you don't do it in that order your fish are probably going to die.

If you only add water and sand then put a bunch of fish in there the bacteria aren't going to be established and the fish waste can't be processed.

That being said - I'd add the clowns last, and the coral beauty before them. I would say adding the cardinals or firefish first, then gramma, then chromis. The fish should also be added slowly over several months.

I'm aware that I need to cycle my tank, and I understand the importance. I should have reworded my question. If I add sand, and cycle the tank, will I be able to keep a small amount of fish in the tank? I already have bottled ammonia and I plan on buying the red sea bacteria kit. I just want to have the tank running and not sitting in a corner.

I'm not trying to come across as a jerk here - I'm not new to fish keeping. I have a 210 gallon freshwater that has been very successful, and I want to try something a little more challenging since I've been doing so well with freshwater. This is my profile on Monsterfishkeepers, as proof:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/members/stephen-hiatt.144159/

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

Overall, that's a good starter list of passive fish. However, the Chromis are prone to Uronema marinum. I'd add the Royal Gramma, Firefish and Pajama Cardinal first.

Is there one species of fish that I can add first, before the others? Money doesn't come easy for me being in school, so I want to keep few fish at first to save money.

 

[CarrieB]

Coming from FW it probably sounds strange, but when you say "I want a reef tank, but I'm not going to add the rock" to us that's like saying "I want a fish tank, but I'm not going to add the water". The live rock is the core of the reef. It's what provides the bulk of the filtration and provides the living environment for your fish. Without the rock, it isn't a reef, it's just a saltwater fish tank. And you'll need to provide some other type of filtration like a <gasp> canister. More money and more maintenance and totally misses the inherent joy and beauty of a reef.

If I were you, I'd look for a local reef club or on Craig's List for some live rock to adopt and love. Who needs fish?


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[Stephen Hiatt]

Coming from FW it probably sounds strange, but when you say "I want a reef tank, but I'm not going to add the rock" to us that's like saying "I want a fish tank, but I'm not going to add the water". The live rock is the core of the reef. It's what provides the bulk of the filtration and provides the living environment for your fish. Without the rock, it isn't a reef, it's just a saltwater fish tank. And you'll need to provide some other type of filtration like a <gasp> canister. More money and more maintenance and totally misses the inherent joy and beauty of a reef.

If I were you, I'd look for a local reef club or on Craig's List for some live rock to adopt and love. Who needs fish?


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My question was if I could add it later. I will add it, I'm just wondering if there are fish I can add before the rock.

 

[vhuang168]

I would suggest you read the stickies in this forum to get an idea of what you need for a sw fish tank.

Live rock forms the basis of your filtration. Without live rock, you will need to provide the necessary bacteria a place to live. You can substitute live rock with specially made blocks like Marine Pure. You CAN run a canister with a fish only system but it is more work.

Do you have a sump? Or are you planning on running hob equipment?


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[Stephen Hiatt]

I would suggest you read the stickies in this forum to get an idea of what you need for a sw fish tank.

Live rock forms the basis of your filtration. Without live rock, you will need to provide the necessary bacteria a place to live. You can substitute live rock with specially made blocks like Marine Pure. You CAN run a canister with a fish only system but it is more work.

Do you have a sump? Or are you planning on running hob equipment?


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I have a sump.

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

I would suggest you read the stickies in this forum to get an idea of what you need for a sw fish tank.

Live rock forms the basis of your filtration. Without live rock, you will need to provide the necessary bacteria a place to live. You can substitute live rock with specially made blocks like Marine Pure. You CAN run a canister with a fish only system but it is more work.

Do you have a sump? Or are you planning on running hob equipment?


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The tank is a lobster tank that I'm converting into a reef. I traded for it on craigslist, so it was basically free. It also came with an ozonizer, which is a big plus from what I've read. The sump is closed off, so I'm not sure what is in it. I'm assuming a lot of bio media since the tank was bare bottom.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/lobster-tank-conversion.670905/

 

[dweber618]

I should have reworded my question. If I add sand, and cycle the tank, will I be able to keep a small amount of fish in the tank?

No - I would not recommend that approach. Without having live rock I wouldn't call that a cycled tank, sand alone isn't enough medium for proper bacteria to establish itself. I learned the hard way it's way more expensive trying to shortcut things (i.e. - you'll lose a lot of fish). I'd add the sand and live rock and let it properly establish itself before adding your first fish. Just my opinion.

 

[dweber618]

My question was if I could add it later. I will add it, I'm just wondering if there are fish I can add before the rock.

Given the fish list you have - stocking the most timid fish first is the best route. From your list, the firefish are quite timid and are also referred to as "dartfish" because they dart into holes for safety, so no live rock = no safe haven = stressed and unhappy fish.

I'm all for quarantining new fish (that in and of itself for me is a solid 2 month process) - if you are set on getting fish you could set up QT tanks now and start quarantining your fish while you display tank gets cycled and established (with rock) - but that takes even more $$ so I'm guessing it probably isn't an option for you at the moment based on what you've said above. Several people don't QT their fish, and others swear by it. Comes down to personal choice and how risky you want to be.


I'm not trying to badger - just trying to be helpful based on my personal experiences. I've done plenty of crap wrong getting to where I am now and can hopefully provide some knowledge to help others not make the same mistakes I did.

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

Since I need live rock to start the tank, what type should I Get? Price is an important factor.

 

[dweber618]

Since I need live rock to start the tank, what type should I Get? Price is an important factor.

My LFS (local fish store) carries live rock you can purchase by the pound - not sure what's available in your areas.

Also - Tampa Bay Saltwater has a forum on here. I've seen some AMAZING testimonials on all the cool stuff that comes in on that live rock..check them out - you may even get so much cool life on that rock you will be fine waiting to buy fish.

 

[OrQidz]

You can also get a few pieces of live rock and it will seed base or dry rock, making it "live" in time. So you don't have to buy all live rock. That can save some money.

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

You can also get a few pieces of live rock and it will seed base or dry rock, making it "live" in time. So you don't have to buy all live rock. That can save some money.

I'll do all dry rock and add bottled bacteria.

 

[Stephen Hiatt]

In what order should I add the fish? Which fish first? After that? Last?

 

[dweber618]

That being said - I'd add the clowns last, and the coral beauty before them. I would say adding the cardinals or firefish first, then gramma, then chromis. The fish should also be added slowly over several months.

Firefish
Cardinal
Gramma
Chromis
Coral beauty
Pair of clowns