Who Gives A Fish Forums

tank finished cycling about 2 weeks ago, so i'm pretty stoked. i added 4 small damsels and a couple of hermit crabs to get things started - they were only 10 bucks each, so it was a no-brainer. now i'm wondering, are 2 hermit crabs enough or should i get a few more? do they just help with algae control or is there more to it?

i was thinking of doing a predator tank with lionfish and spotted grouper, but i don't think 4ft is gonna cut it in the long run. plus, i'd love to upgrade to a bigger tank soon. so, i'm leaning towards some schooling anthias and tangs instead. i've got a T5 light with 4 globes, but i'm not sure if i'll get tangs yet, so i'll hold off on the coflakes for now.

my question is, how mature does the water need to be before i can add more sensitive fish like angels, tangs, bird mouth wrasse, and maybe even a snowflake eel? i know it'll take a few months, but i thought i'd ask.

oh, and i've got a few fish already - blue devil, yellowtail blue devil, an angel-like fish (yellow and silver), and a black and yellow devil. i'm pretty sure they're all damsels, but i'm not sure if that's the right term. they're referred to as devils from a diving perspective, anyway. i'm wondering what kind of problems they might cause - obviously, clowns are a no-go for now. i want to get a family of clowns in the future, but they're imported from north aus, so i'll wait till the tank is more mature before adding them. might have to get rid of the damsels or see how they go first - doubt i'll get any credit for taking them back at 10 bucks each.

i think you'll find it tough giving those damsels away, unfortunately. that's been my experience around here, anyway. will you be quarantining those tangs when you get them?

QT, you mean quarantine? I dont have a quarantine tank, just my main one - that's all I could afford. Is there some sort of recommendation about quarantining tangs then?

I'm not at the point of choosing the direction of my tank yet, it's only been two weeks since it finished cycling and I've just added 4 damsels. I was mainly wanting to know how mature my tank needs to be before adding sensitive fish like the ones I mentioned - not saying I'll get all or even some of them, just giving examples.

Yeah, I know I probably won't get rid of the damsels, I'll just see how they go with other tank mates. They're only very small so maybe they'll be alright. If not, I'll have to find a way to rehome them or maybe I can set up a separate area for them in the sump - a little enclosed space, who knows.

Tangs are notorious for being prone to white spot, which can be a major issue if you're not careful. You might be in luck if you've got a good relationship with your local fish store, as some of them will quarantine fish for you, even holding onto them for months in their own QT tank. I've heard some horror stories about people adding a tang to their tank, only to have 70% of their stock come down with white spot.

yeah i'm pretty tight with the LFS but not sure if they've got qt tanks, might be worth a shot though. could buy the fish and ask them to hold it for a couple of weeks, see if they're keen. personally i'm more leaning towards the angels and a snowflake eel atm.

so tank maturity wise, how long do you reckon i need to wait before adding the more sensitive fish like angels, birdmouth wrasses and the snowflake eels?

If your tank's cycled and your parameters are spot on, I reckon a tang should be alright to add. I've had tangs for years without any white spot issues, just make sure you're buying from a reputable seller and you'll be fine. Get yourself a cleaner wrasse or some cleaner shrimps, they're great for removing any white spot or fungal infections that might pop up. As long as you keep your water quality top-notch, you shouldn't have any problems.

Tangs do need a lot more space than some of the predator fish though, if I'm being honest. If you're dead set on getting a tang, I'd say go for just one, maybe a yellow tang or one of the smaller bristletooth varieties - they're pretty cool. But in my opinion, a 4-foot tank just isn't going to cut it for any acanthurus in the long run, they just get way too stressed.

If you're looking for something a bit different that won't get too big, I'd say a comet grouper is a cracking hardy fish, definitely worth considering.