cheap fish to "test the waters" after my cycle completes?

I got my Yellow Tail Damsel for free when I got some other items, possibly when I got the clownfish, @ my LFS and they're still alive and kicking 4 years later. Both are peaceful to all the other inhabitants I've added.
I say this to illustrate that you should at least get something you like because you may have it in your tank for quite a while.

 

Agreed, 110%

I've kept blue devil, yellowtail, three-stripe, four-stripe, and domino damsels in several tanks with other fish and had little to no issues. The two meanest fish I've ever had were a percula clown and a bicolor dottyback (pseudochromis).

 

I found this old thread on How to set up a QT tank!

I don't have a QT tank but after reading how cheap it is to have one its better to be safe then sorry. If it's about $30-$50 to protect your tank from a disease outbreak every time you bring something new, why not?

http://www.3reef.com/forums/general-reef-topics/how-set-up-qt-tank-44775.html#.Ux-hYCi0ptc

With a recent post about ich I thought I would repost what you need for a QT tank

-10-20g tank. I prefer 10g tank myself, easier to do water changes.
-small heater
-air pump and in tank box filter or small HOT power filter
-Cheap light, incandescent or Flor.
-Top for tank to keep jumpers in.
-a piece or 2 of PVC pipe for cover for the fish.
-Some type of ammonia and nitrite neutralizer llike Kordons or sea chems products.

Your looking at about $30-40 worth of equipment.

You will need to do water changes every 1-2 days to keep ammonia down.
I usually set up the tank 1-2 days before I buy the fish. I usually take water from my main tank and mix it 50-50 with new water.

-You should also consider a FW dip with your new fish. I have never lost a fish due to a 3-5min FW dip.
-To do the dip you want a good size container. I use a very large measuring cup 8 cups or larger.
-You need to adjust the pH with baking soda and adjust the temp. I use the microwave for this.
-you will want to aerate the water for 15-20 min with an air stone.
-I also add some SW from my tank to make it a 90%FW and 10SW solution.
-You may want to add several drops of methylene blue to the water to make it a nice deep blue color. This will help calm the fish and is antifugal.
-place the fish in the water for 3-5minutes. Don't worry, the fish may lay on its side and breathe heavy. Tangs tend to do this.
-after elapsed time, place the fish in your QT tank and leave the lights off for several hours
-as a side note, your should make sure that the fish you purchase from the store is eating and well fed and preferably has eaten the day you take it home because it may not eat for a few days.

I hope this helps a few people. I know some of your will disagree on FW dips but its a tried and true way of ridding your fish and corals of some parasites.

 

awesome! i will be doing this SOON! i can fit a 10gal underneath my stand

 

if you can't get a hold of test kits then as mentioned start with a cuc no animal should be used to "test" anything.....

 

and for the record my yellow tail blue D is a little fearless shark but knows its place

 

A little clarification. The OP has test kits. They just don't want to put a fish in and lose it then come to find out their water wasn't what they thought it was.

I have set up 3 tanks now and the clowns were always first in. (I love clowns!) never had any issues. As long as you track the cycle and see that it is completed, you will be fine. I keep an excel spreadsheet log for my tests and it works great for me.

 

Exactly.

"Testing the water", as widespread as the term may be, is a bit of a misnomer; you need hardy fish that can handle small parameter swings, etc to help mature and stabilize the system.

 

Damsels have been given a hiding in past years as a 'disposable' fish, all because they're tough little buggers. Absolutely disgraceful.
I have to admit the first fish I added to my current reef was a yellow belly, but only after the tank was cycled and snails and hermits were added.
Never had any intention of getting rid of him, he has a home for life.
He spends more time exploring the reef than anything else and hasn't been aggressive to any additions, not even the baby blue tang - same size as he was at the time it was added...
I would add one with no hesitations, but only if your going to keep it

 

i really do enjoy the look of them, alot, and as i said initially, i wouldn't mind it being in my tank forever.

the main purpose of this thread was to get some opinions of the "aggressiveness" of blue damsels. which i had heard they could be.

the whole "test the waters" thing was a complete joke. i would never put a fish into an unsafe tank. it was meant more to mean what fish can withstand the mini changes in water conditions after the cycle.