Excitement begins-Ready to add fish to 270 gallon project!!

[gsiegel]

Hi all! My tank is built and finally cycled so I am ready to add fish. (Photo of tank built into our wall is below).
My plan of fish to add includes the following (not all of course but just a general plan):
-Blue reef chromis
- oscelleras (2 percula/ 2 black & white)
- goby (gold head sleeper - suggestions?)
- Harlequin Tusk (one of my favorites)
- Puffer (maybe a saddle Valentini as they only get about 4-5 inches)
- Goatfish
- dwarf angel (maybe add 2 at the same time - flame, bi-color, bellus (i know not really dwarf), multi-color)
- wrasse - (maybe add a couple) melanaris, solarensus, red headed fairy
- Magnificant fox face
- Butterfy (facula or kleini since they ar ehardier of the butterflies)
- Tang - goldfin, naso, sailfin (add up to 2)
- Trigger - niger, blue jaw or may try a huma huma to add when small
- angel - emperor, majestic, asphur, goldflake (may try to add 2 when smaller and at same time)

What are your thoughts AND for now though what do you think I should start with in this 270 gallon tank? Thinking of the clowns (cant find the blue reef chromis currently).

Thanks!

[gsiegel]

Have added a pair of false percula and a pair of black/white clown fish. The black/white were purchased as a mated pair but all four clowns seem to congregate together but the mated pair also drift off from each other and don't seem any more together than they do with the orange and white clowns. I guess its better than fighting. I also have 4 chromis to aid in having movement throughout the tank.

The fish were added Friday and all seems good. PH was off a bit but otherwise good.

What would you suggest to add next in this 270 gallon tank. My LFS reccommended the wrasses (solerensus and melanaris) and the magnificant fox face. I am going to wait a week or so to make sure all stays good but just planning ahead.

Thanks and any input would be appreciated.

Thoughts

[wooden_reefer]

For me, when my 10 week min QT is about to conclude is when I will think of adding fish to DT.

For me, as a very experienced aquarist, the nitrification capacity, the population of nitrification bacteria, in DT is important when I add most or all of my fish into DT, since I QT most of my fish at once.

For the newbie, who seldom if ever should QT all fish at once, the nitrification capacity of the DT at the conclusion of QT of the first batch of fish (one or two) is generally in excess. This is because the cycle was robust but by the time the next batch of QT is done, it will be another 10 weeks, and some of the bacteria in DT when the cycle was finished will have died off.

QT is necessary and the newbie will have to think of this timing of nitrification capacity in DT.

Cycle in DT can generally wait for QT to proceed, for a new setup.

[Painted skin]

Is this going to be fish only tank or reef ? As you have some fish in your list not reef safe or with caution. Also base on your list you can't have shrimp, snail or hermit as it may become an expensive lunch for some fish in your list.

I agree with wooden reefer on the QT part, without one is a major headache is just waiting to happen.

[Painted skin]

double posted

[wooden_reefer]

You can ghost feed in excess while a robust cycle in DT is just concluded in expectation of the bioload of all intended livestock.

Some fish can die from overeating, not overfeeding that leads to ammonia. Add the extra food in the sump.

And, of course, you will have to make sure that your bacteria population is enough to handle the excess food.

For me, I prefer to keep cycling in a separate container and add cycled material to the sump of DT, as I add more livestock, if later major addition is needed.

If you have already added most bioload, addition of small amount of bioload can be handled by less feeding for a week or so. Critical "new tank syndrome" will only happen when you add a major ratio of bioload, often toward the beginning of adding livestock.

[wooden_reefer]

Long ago, may be in the late 70s and early 80s, the standard wisdom was to accept new tank syndrome and aim to minimize it by gradual addition of fish for stepwise addition of bioload with stepwise growth of nitrification bacteria to follow. This is mini-cycling, but may not be so mini in some cases.

This whole concept is obsolete, but some still think along this line.

Using the fishless method to cycle, the population of nitrification bacteria at the end of the cycle can be ten times more than needed for ALL the intended livestock at once. In fact, most nitrification bacteria will gradually dieoff.

The limitation is disease control for the newbie and so should QT one or two at a time, 10 weeks each. QT takes too long and some bacteria in DT will have died off.

The newbie, because of the lack of skill to combat diseases, should QT one at a time. This allows the new tank syndrome to lurk behind, but it can be overcome.

The newbie needs to do more!

[wooden_reefer]

Hi all! My tank is built and finally cycled so I am ready to add fish. (Photo of tank built into our wall is below).
My plan of fish to add includes the following (not all of course but just a general plan):
-Blue reef chromis
- oscelleras (2 percula/ 2 black & white)
- goby (gold head sleeper - suggestions?)
- Harlequin Tusk (one of my favorites)
- Puffer (maybe a saddle Valentini as they only get about 4-5 inches)
- Goatfish
- dwarf angel (maybe add 2 at the same time - flame, bi-color, bellus (i know not really dwarf), multi-color)
- wrasse - (maybe add a couple) melanaris, solarensus, red headed fairy
- Magnificant fox face
- Butterfy (facula or kleini since they ar ehardier of the butterflies)
- Tang - goldfin, naso, sailfin (add up to 2)
- Trigger - niger, blue jaw or may try a huma huma to add when small
- angel - emperor, majestic, asphur, goldflake (may try to add 2 when smaller and at same time)

What are your thoughts AND for now though what do you think I should start with in this 270 gallon tank? Thinking of the clowns (cant find the blue reef chromis currently).

Thanks!

Please don't be so excited that you forget about QT.

And, in fact, the completion of the cycle in the DT is NOT the major decisive moment.

The decisive moments for a newbie should in the series of conclusion of QTs. At each conclusion of QT each about 10 weeks, the nitrification bacteria population in your DT at that moment should be the goal, which you plan ahead in stages to make sure no ammonia for each addition into DT at the conclusion of each QT.

[jhaimes]

I can totally relate to wanting to hurry and start filling up my DT. Many years ago, when i started my first tank I did just that...Oh I had it all, and very fast, including a sweet eel with no cover...My tank was a beast...for about a week! Since those dark times I have learned so much...Nothing can be more important and pressed upon more than patience! Find it, read a book on it, talk to Budda, whatever u need to do...It will save you, your hobby, your wallet and your little buddies that you are in this for in the first place...Good luck, I love most of that list and given some patience it can be beautiful! I will be on here myself looking for some advice for my new 210 list on when and in what order for QT adds...

[Slystone]

I understand your desire to get fish in your beautiful tank. I am two weeks in to QT only and it is driving me crazy to just sit and watch my clean up crew in the 'big' tank, but please take everyones advice and set up a quarantine tank, if you haven't already......

[wooden_reefer]

Hi all! My tank is built and finally cycled so I am ready to add fish. (Photo of tank built into our wall is below).
My plan of fish to add includes the following (not all of course but just a general plan):
-Blue reef chromis
- oscelleras (2 percula/ 2 black & white)
- goby (gold head sleeper - suggestions?)
- Harlequin Tusk (one of my favorites)
- Puffer (maybe a saddle Valentini as they only get about 4-5 inches)
- Goatfish
- dwarf angel (maybe add 2 at the same time - flame, bi-color, bellus (i know not really dwarf), multi-color)
- wrasse - (maybe add a couple) melanaris, solarensus, red headed fairy
- Magnificant fox face
- Butterfy (facula or kleini since they ar ehardier of the butterflies)
- Tang - goldfin, naso, sailfin (add up to 2)
- Trigger - niger, blue jaw or may try a huma huma to add when small
- angel - emperor, majestic, asphur, goldflake (may try to add 2 when smaller and at same time)

What are your thoughts AND for now though what do you think I should start with in this 270 gallon tank? Thinking of the clowns (cant find the blue reef chromis currently).

Thanks!

What do you have in the sump? More LR.

What is the substrate, crushed coral or sand?

You can use crushed coral to a uniform depth of about 1.5 inches (coarse grade) or 1 inch fine grade. It is best to have uniform depth (as is not uniform) if you want the crushed coral to function as the medium of nitrification. As deep as possible without undesirable anaerobic activity (besides desirable denitrification), so uniform is best.

I think this setup will still be enough sites for microbes for the first year or two, but you still have to have cycled robustly.

If most of your fish manage to live several years, and if you do not have more medium of filtration in the sump, then you may not have enough sites for microbes with just the substrate.

[h2hiero]

what kind of sump do you got?