What to add next...

ibrat82 · 01/28/2016, 10:56 AM

my tank cycled last week and i've had my 2 ocellaris clownfish for a week in the tank. I want to add another fish. What should my next fish be?

I've got a 100gallon tank. My Nitrates are roughly 10ppm so i'm waiting to bring this down before adding corals.

Any suggestions?

Should i start introducing a small clean up crew? If so what do you recommend? Note: i dont have any algae issues yet.

Sapelo · 01/28/2016, 11:06 AM

Clean up crew should be added before your first fish. They are important parts of how your tank filters and processes waste, not a solution for an algae problem.
You need a long term stocking plan, a big picture of what you want your tank to look like down the road.
100 gallons is a nice size and gives you plenty of room to play, but you should be thinking about your next six fish and then the best order for those fish, not just one fish.
And add a cuc now.

morpheas · 01/28/2016, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sapelo

Clean up crew should be added before your first fish. They are important parts of how your tank filters and processes waste, not a solution for an algae problem.
You need a long term stocking plan, a big picture of what you want your tank to look like down the road.
100 gallons is a nice size and gives you plenty of room to play, but you should be thinking about your next six fish and then the best order for those fish, not just one fish.
And add a cuc now.

+1

Your next move should be a cuc. Then after that a pen and paper for the list of fish you'd like to add

ibrat82 · 01/28/2016, 11:35 AM

What sort of cuc should i add and at what quantity?

I see some cuc packages on line like at liveaquaria but i think the quantity is too much.

morpheas · 01/28/2016, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibrat82

What sort of cuc should i add and at what quantity?

I see some cuc packages on line like at liveaquaria but i think the quantity is too much.

I agree with you, personally I think they oversell their cuc. If I were in your shoes I would get 5 scarlet hermits and 5-10 snails different kinds (trochus, cerith, astrea). Once those guys get established you will get a feel for your system and see if you need more and take it from there

Ztous · 01/28/2016, 12:10 PM

Here's my cuc for a 30 gallon for comparison

Nassarius Snails - 5
Turbo snail - 3
trochus snail - 2
astrea snail - 2
blue legged hermit - 5 (scarlets may be a better choice they weren't available for me)

I would avoid the prebuilt packages and piece it together slowly. Even my tiny crew was added in two different sitting to try and keep as much alive as possible. Get nassarius for sure though they put in work.

Sk8r · 01/28/2016, 12:15 PM

Bristleworms, limpets, nassarius, ceriths, and micro-hermits. for a 100, I'd get about 20 hermits, 20 ceriths, 5 nassarius, several limpets and at least 4 bristleworms---they'll multiply readily to fit the food supply.

morpheas · 01/28/2016, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztous

Here's my cuc for a 30 gallon for comparison

Nassarius Snails - 5
Turbo snail - 3
trochus snail - 2
astrea snail - 2
blue legged hermit - 5 (scarlets may be a better choice they weren't available for me)

I would avoid the prebuilt packages and piece it together slowly. Even my tiny crew was added in two different sitting to try and keep as much alive as possible. Get nassarius for sure though they put in work.

+1 on the nassarius I forgot about those little buggers. I also agree with the few at a time. In general you gotta pay attention to your reef and see what works and what doesn't.

Brieninsac · 01/28/2016, 12:36 PM

Aside from a CUC I would focus more on the type of tank you want to have. If you're shooting for a community tank then start off with passive fish and then semi-aggressive fish. I only have 4 fish (2 clowns, royal gramma and firefish) in my tank and they all get along great. I won't be adding any more fish until I return from a vacation at the end of March. Instead of thinking about what fish I want I'm going to just go to the LFS and see what jumps out at me. It's important to observe any prospective fish in the store as to how they look and behave. After researching the species I will then decide if I want to bring him home with me.

Are you planning on putting any new inhabitants into quarantine first?

There is also no harm in putting some coral frags in at this time. It offers some color and little more life to your tank.

01/28/2016, 10:56 AM	#1
ibrat82 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 292	What to add next... my tank cycled last week and i've had my 2 ocellaris clownfish for a week in the tank. I want to add another fish. What should my next fish be? I've got a 100gallon tank. My Nitrates are roughly 10ppm so i'm waiting to bring this down before adding corals. Any suggestions? Should i start introducing a small clean up crew? If so what do you recommend? Note: i dont have any algae issues yet.

01/28/2016, 12:15 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Bristleworms, limpets, nassarius, ceriths, and micro-hermits. for a 100, I'd get about 20 hermits, 20 ceriths, 5 nassarius, several limpets and at least 4 bristleworms---they'll multiply readily to fit the food supply. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/28/2016, 12:36 PM	#9
Brieninsac Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 782	Aside from a CUC I would focus more on the type of tank you want to have. If you're shooting for a community tank then start off with passive fish and then semi-aggressive fish. I only have 4 fish (2 clowns, royal gramma and firefish) in my tank and they all get along great. I won't be adding any more fish until I return from a vacation at the end of March. Instead of thinking about what fish I want I'm going to just go to the LFS and see what jumps out at me. It's important to observe any prospective fish in the store as to how they look and behave. After researching the species I will then decide if I want to bring him home with me. Are you planning on putting any new inhabitants into quarantine first? There is also no harm in putting some coral frags in at this time. It offers some color and little more life to your tank. __________________ Red Sea Reefer 350 (73gal/18gal sump) / Kessil a360WE Lights

01/28/2016, 11:06 AM	#2
Sapelo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: North Georgia Posts: 869	Clean up crew should be added before your first fish. They are important parts of how your tank filters and processes waste, not a solution for an algae problem. You need a long term stocking plan, a big picture of what you want your tank to look like down the road. 100 gallons is a nice size and gives you plenty of room to play, but you should be thinking about your next six fish and then the best order for those fish, not just one fish. And add a cuc now.

01/28/2016, 11:35 AM	#4
ibrat82 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 292	What sort of cuc should i add and at what quantity? I see some cuc packages on line like at liveaquaria but i think the quantity is too much.

01/28/2016, 12:10 PM	#6
Ztous Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 220	Here's my cuc for a 30 gallon for comparison Nassarius Snails - 5 Turbo snail - 3 trochus snail - 2 astrea snail - 2 blue legged hermit - 5 (scarlets may be a better choice they weren't available for me) I would avoid the prebuilt packages and piece it together slowly. Even my tiny crew was added in two different sitting to try and keep as much alive as possible. Get nassarius for sure though they put in work.