How often do you add fish?

[Smithrz]

Hey folks,

What are your thoughts on how often you should, or can, add new livestock (fish mainly) to your tank? Is there a formula? is it entirely dependent on water parameters? Or based on needs such as pest or algae control (Let’s assume there’s plenty space for fish to be added, I get that you can’t jam pack an aquarium).

I’ve always intend to go slow like most people would advise, but I actually don’t know what slow is, it’s an ambiguous term. “Slow” could be 1 week to some people, or 3 months to others.

I guess adding corals is more parameter dependent, right? I don’t plan on adding corals for a few months, and when I do, they will be softies).

So with that in mind, I guess I’m just looking to hear how you all approach adding the livestock.

Thanks!

 

[sfin52]

Hey folks,

What are your thoughts on how often you should, or can, add new livestock (fish mainly) to your tank? Is there a formula? is it entirely dependent on water parameters? Or based on needs such as pest or algae control (Let’s assume there’s plenty space for fish to be added, I get that you can’t jam pack an aquarium).

I’ve always intend to go slow like most people would advise, but I actually don’t know what slow is, it’s an ambiguous term. “Slow” could be 1 week to some people, or 3 months to others.

I guess adding corals is more parameter dependent, right? I don’t plan on adding corals for a few months, and when I do, they will be softies).

So with that in mind, I guess I’m just looking to hear how you all approach adding the livestock.

Thanks!

I add live stock that mostly serve a purpose. With a couple of exceptions.

 

[rhitee93]

So I just started a tank, and am new at this. Take my process with a grain of salt.

What I have been doing is taking fish out of my quarantine setup and putting them into the DT. Then I clean up the QT and start a couple more fish. SInce the quarantine process takes me about 8 weeks, that gives the DT a couple of months to build up the capacity for more fish.

I figure this process will stop after a year or so once I get the tank stocked to where I want it.

 

[sfin52]

So I just started a tank, and am new at this. Take my process with a grain of salt.

What I have been doing is taking fish out of my quarantine setup and putting them into the DT. Then I clean up the QT and start a couple more fish. SInce the quarantine process takes me about 8 weeks, that gives the DT a couple of months to build up the capacity for more fish.

I figure this process will stop after a year or so once I get the tank stocked to where I want it.

Quick question are you going to qt all inverts and coral?

 

[rhitee93]

Quick question are you going to qt all inverts and coral?

Good question. I don't know the answer yet.

I've purchased all my CUC members from Reef Cleaners since they don't have fish in their systems, and may follow a similar strategy with corals assuming there are such vendors. I haven't really looked yet. My tank is only a few months old, so I've got some time before I will start adding corals or other sensitive inverts to this system to figure this out.

 

[Idech]

I like to wait at least 3 weeks, 4 even better, in-between fish additions, to let the bacteria grow enough to sustain whatever I just added (not too many, a small % of the number of fish you have).

1 big fish = 2-3 small fish. What matters is the amount of waste produced by the fish. The bigger the waste, the more bacteria needed to transform it. Not enough bacteria = ammonia build-up.

 

[sfin52]

Good question. I don't know the answer yet.

I've purchased all my CUC members from Reef Cleaners since they don't have fish in their systems, and may follow a similar strategy with corals assuming there are such vendors. I haven't really looked yet. My tank is only a few months old, so I've got some time before I will start adding corals or other sensitive inverts to this system to figure this out.

Not all thier stuff comes from the gulf. They do imports some. So thier is a chance of stuff coming in.

 

[cdemoss01]

Hey folks,

What are your thoughts on how often you should, or can, add new livestock (fish mainly) to your tank? Is there a formula? is it entirely dependent on water parameters? Or based on needs such as pest or algae control (Let’s assume there’s plenty space for fish to be added, I get that you can’t jam pack an aquarium).

I’ve always intend to go slow like most people would advise, but I actually don’t know what slow is, it’s an ambiguous term. “Slow” could be 1 week to some people, or 3 months to others.

I guess adding corals is more parameter dependent, right? I don’t plan on adding corals for a few months, and when I do, they will be softies).

So with that in mind, I guess I’m just looking to hear how you all approach adding the livestock.

Thanks!

fish should be added two weeks at a time. You add one, wait two weeks than add another.

 

[JayM]

I've been doing 2-3 (depending on size) every week or two.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Just added 2 to mine and probably won’t add more for a couple of weeks

 

[doubleshot00]

It all depends. Depends on how big the tank is and how old it is. New small tank a every 3-4 weeks would be best probably. Bug tank you can a lot more at one time.

 

[TokenReefer]

I alternate fish and coral; weeks/months apart.. Poopers and consumers of poop... Makes sense in my mind at least

 

[cdbias]

So I just started a tank, and am new at this. Take my process with a grain of salt.

What I have been doing is taking fish out of my quarantine setup and putting them into the DT. Then I clean up the QT and start a couple more fish. SInce the quarantine process takes me about 8 weeks, that gives the DT a couple of months to build up the capacity for more fish.

I figure this process will stop after a year or so once I get the tank stocked to where I want it.

Sounds just right to me.

 

[dbroncos]

So I just started a tank, and am new at this. Take my process with a grain of salt.

What I have been doing is taking fish out of my quarantine setup and putting them into the DT. Then I clean up the QT and start a couple more fish. SInce the quarantine process takes me about 8 weeks, that gives the DT a couple of months to build up the capacity for more fish.

I figure this process will stop after a year or so once I get the tank stocked to where I want it.

Do you isolate the new additions in the DT when added? Any issues with bullying?

 

[dbroncos]

Do you isolate the new additions in the DT when added? Any issues with bullying?

The reason I ask is I have two frostbite frozen clownfish that have been in my DT for about one month and I am adding a firefish and an orange spotted goby tomorrow.

 

[rhitee93]

Do you isolate the new additions in the DT when added? Any issues with bullying?

I have not been, but it's been a small number of fish in a fairly large tank. They have also been compatible fish.

The tomini tang and pair of clowns went in first. A green spotted puffer went in next, but was hardly larger than a fry. The most recent addition has been a 4" foxface rabbitfish, and a yellow watchman goby.