Stocking Question

Mrramsey · 06/30/2014, 06:12 AM

My 120g mixed reef has been cycled for some 5-6 weeks now. I have several corals and 2 GBTA's that have been in there for the past week as well. The same guy I got the corals from also has a pair of Black Ocellaris clowns and a pair of Bengali Cardinals that i would like to have all from the same tank.

I would like to get these fish but was wondering if my biofiltration would be enough to add all four at once? I am thinking I would be ok.

thegrun · 06/30/2014, 06:40 AM

To be honest I would be more concerned about the two GBTAs than adding the 4 fish. Anemones require stable pristine water conditions, if this is a new tank it is difficult to maintain those conditions. If you had a fairly strong cycle (ammonia over 1ppm you should be fine adding the four fish.

shesacharmer · 06/30/2014, 06:43 AM

It's usually recommended to wait 9-12 months before adding any anemone's to a new tank...have you considered what might happen if they LIKE your tank?

Was your LR cured when you got it or dry? How much of it do you have? How much live sand? What are your water test results? It would be a shame to lose your fish by adding too soon. Are you planning to put them in QT? That would give you more time to establish your bio filter.

Mrramsey · 06/30/2014, 06:53 AM

The nems are doing quite well actually. They were on a large 10lb rock that I bought for the coral that was on it. The previous owner did not want to try to pull them off for fear of injuring their foot.

The params are pretty good and they are stable. The tank has been fully cycled for 5-6 weeks and was cycling for a good 8 weeks prior to that. There is a total of 150 lbs of rock with about 25-30 pounds of that being live rock to seed the dead rock. There is also approximately 70lbs of dry sand in the system.

As for the Nems, yes a more mature tank would have been better but as I said they were already there. The tank that the corals and nems came from is almost exactly the same params as mine. I am monitoring them closely and if the appear to be having issues I will find a home for them but to date one is in the exact same spot he was in his old tank and the other moved itself about an inch. Both are opening up fully during the day especially during the peak lighting hours. I fed them once last week and will feed them once this week.

Back to the topic at hand which were the fish. Normally I would not rush into adding 4 fish at a time however since the seller is moving and breaking down his tank it is a different story. My QT tank is only 10g so I cant put all 4 in there either.

thegrun · 06/30/2014, 07:11 AM

I think you will be fine adding the 4 fish to a 120 gallon tank. If you break it down it's the same as adding a single small fish to a 30 gallon tank. I would test daily for ammonia the first week to be sure there are no issues, but I just don't see much of a risk given that you have 150 pounds of cycled rock in the system.

Mrramsey · 06/30/2014, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

I think you will be fine adding the 4 fish to a 120 gallon tank. If you break it down it's the same as adding a single small fish to a 30 gallon tank. I would test daily for ammonia the first week to be sure there are no issues, but I just don't see much of a risk given that you have 150 pounds of cycled rock in the system.

Thanks Grun, that was pretty much my thought as well. I will be doing a 10% wc this week and look at adding them this weekend.

06/30/2014, 06:12 AM	#1
Mrramsey NEO Reefer Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Hudson Ohio Posts: 1,801	Stocking Question My 120g mixed reef has been cycled for some 5-6 weeks now. I have several corals and 2 GBTA's that have been in there for the past week as well. The same guy I got the corals from also has a pair of Black Ocellaris clowns and a pair of Bengali Cardinals that i would like to have all from the same tank. I would like to get these fish but was wondering if my biofiltration would be enough to add all four at once? I am thinking I would be ok. __________________ Mike My 120 Build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2389417 Current Tank Info: 120g In-Wall \| BA Overflow \| 55g Sump \| SWC Extreme 150 Skimmer \| DIY ATO \| 2 Jebao RW-8\| Fluval SP6 \| Photon 48v2 LED \| GFO and Carbon

06/30/2014, 06:43 AM	#3
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	It's usually recommended to wait 9-12 months before adding any anemone's to a new tank...have you considered what might happen if they LIKE your tank? Was your LR cured when you got it or dry? How much of it do you have? How much live sand? What are your water test results? It would be a shame to lose your fish by adding too soon. Are you planning to put them in QT? That would give you more time to establish your bio filter. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

06/30/2014, 06:53 AM	#4
Mrramsey NEO Reefer Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Hudson Ohio Posts: 1,801	The nems are doing quite well actually. They were on a large 10lb rock that I bought for the coral that was on it. The previous owner did not want to try to pull them off for fear of injuring their foot. The params are pretty good and they are stable. The tank has been fully cycled for 5-6 weeks and was cycling for a good 8 weeks prior to that. There is a total of 150 lbs of rock with about 25-30 pounds of that being live rock to seed the dead rock. There is also approximately 70lbs of dry sand in the system. As for the Nems, yes a more mature tank would have been better but as I said they were already there. The tank that the corals and nems came from is almost exactly the same params as mine. I am monitoring them closely and if the appear to be having issues I will find a home for them but to date one is in the exact same spot he was in his old tank and the other moved itself about an inch. Both are opening up fully during the day especially during the peak lighting hours. I fed them once last week and will feed them once this week. Back to the topic at hand which were the fish. Normally I would not rush into adding 4 fish at a time however since the seller is moving and breaking down his tank it is a different story. My QT tank is only 10g so I cant put all 4 in there either. __________________ Mike My 120 Build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2389417 Current Tank Info: 120g In-Wall \| BA Overflow \| 55g Sump \| SWC Extreme 150 Skimmer \| DIY ATO \| 2 Jebao RW-8\| Fluval SP6 \| Photon 48v2 LED \| GFO and Carbon Last edited by Mrramsey; 06/30/2014 at 07:05 AM.

06/30/2014, 06:40 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	To be honest I would be more concerned about the two GBTAs than adding the 4 fish. Anemones require stable pristine water conditions, if this is a new tank it is difficult to maintain those conditions. If you had a fairly strong cycle (ammonia over 1ppm you should be fine adding the four fish.

06/30/2014, 07:11 AM	#5
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I think you will be fine adding the 4 fish to a 120 gallon tank. If you break it down it's the same as adding a single small fish to a 30 gallon tank. I would test daily for ammonia the first week to be sure there are no issues, but I just don't see much of a risk given that you have 150 pounds of cycled rock in the system.