HELP- Aquarium Newbie with 4 new Fish

Hi, I am looking for help as I am concerned with what I am seeing in my new tank. About 2.5 weeks ago we got a 27 gallon cube Marineland tank for our kids to enjoy. They are really into Finding Nemo and wanted clownfish. Neither me or my husband has ANY experience with aquariums or fish. We got the tank, added the water, salt, live sand, filtration, heater, etc. and per the instructions from Petco let it run for 4 days. We then purchased 2 Ocellarius Clownfish, three good sized chunks of live rock (we made them into a triangle like formation), 3 hermit crabs and some fake plants. The kids immediately wanted more fish but Petco told us to wait 2 weeks. It was two weeks yesterday so today we brought home a Yellowtail Damsel, a tiny Royal Gramma and a medium-ish cleaner shrimp. Things have been weird in the tank since we added the newbies today. Before they went in the clowns would swim happily around the tank. They were partial to one corner in the back of the tank in the fake plant leaves but they were generally happy to roam all around. Now, the Damsel and the Gramma are hiding in the caverns of the live rock and won't come out for more than a few seconds even for food. The clowns are still swimming all around but they seem focused on swimming around the rock to mess with the Damsel and they have darted at each other a few times. I have been reading on line and it seems we may have bitten off more than we can chew with the Damsel because they are aggressive and that we may not be able to keep all of these fish in harmony. Is that true? Or is it possible that the Damsel and the Gramma will eventually feel comfortable coming out of the rocks and enjoying the entire tank? Is there something we can do to ease the tension in there? Should we be worried that the aggression will get worse in the dark overnight?

 

Wow, first things first that was a LONG post without any indentations lol.

Your BIGGEST problem is that clown fish (and ALL saltwater fish) are not gold fish. You can not just put them in a tank even if Finding Nemo makes it all seem so user friendly!! That movie has done serious damage to the demand for clowns in the industry!!

YOU NEED TO CYCLE THIS SYSTEM.

A salt water tank needs to be left alone with no fish for sometimes up to two months !!!

You need to set up the sand, rock, and saltwater (around 1.024-1.028 )a heater at 77-81 degrees. You will also need some flow from a pump or wave maker. A reef buffer to boost the pH to 8.1-8.3 is also a must

THEN you will need test kits, and will have to test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH.

I wouldnt worry about fish getting along or not, and if you really have already put fish into this system, they are in for a hell of a time !!! Most likely ammonia poisoning!

 

I hate to say it, but you jumped in WAY over your head here and the best thing you could do to ATTEMPT to save these fish is bring them back to an actual fish store because PETCO is salt water fish hell

 

It's a fantastic hobby but can get very expensive and frustrating when things are done too quickly. You've made a good choice by seeking advise here rather than at the local fish store.

Expect marine fish to take awhile to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Damsels/Clowns can be very territorial and this may cause issues in the near future.

I would feeding sparingly for now and do not be surprised if new fish do not eat during their first days of acclimation.

Having fresh saltwater made up and ready for a water change is a good idea. You might consider having some Prime on hand or any detectable ammonia levels. Consider the addition of some MB7 or similar products to enhance the biological filter.

You have reached the max bioload for a 27 gallon tank and need to monitor for a decline in water quality until the biological filter has adapted enough to handle the new additions.

Welcome to 3reef and a great hobby, just go slow.

 

Actually,all four of your fish can be very territorial.What could be more of a problem is the posability of an ammonia spike from adding the fish too quickly.It would be good to have some saltwater ready to do a partial water change should you need to.The agression should be less with the lights out,they will all seek out a place to rest for the night.The gramma will take some time before leaving the safety of the rocks for long,that is their nature.

 

What's done is done. A place let Petco is neither reputable nor experienced, ime. The fish store is out to make take money, fwiw. So i would take their advice with a grain of salt.

On to your question, there is a chance they never get along. Clownfish are very territorial adding them to a tank first and letting them establish makes it difficult to add anything else to that tank. Just keep an eye on them and see how things respond after everyone becomes more comfortable.

Monitor the ammonia levels. That is a heavy bioload in that tank, especially for one that was never given an appropriate amount of time to cycle and build up the proper biological filtration necessary to break down ammonia waste into nitrites/nitrates.

Good luck.

 

Ok, thanks for the great advice! We have a water test kit and I tested yesterday before we decided to get the new fish and all was well. That may be due to the fact that I just changed out 3 gallons of the water last week. We were told to change out 2-3 gallons once per week for the first 6-8 weeks or so and to start testing the water a couple times a week to see if we needed to up that frequency. I will start testing more often now that you mentioned the ammonia level may spike. Should I be adding more live rock to help with the cycle and to provide more territory?

 

Well,it seems that I'm such a slow typer that others have given some of the same advise.Sorry if it seems that everyone jumped all over you,this is a good place for honest helpful advise.Alot of local fish stores/employees can sometimes be misleading with their advise,sometimes to make a sale,sometimes they just don't know better.

 

Adding more live rock (or dry) would be beneficial as it provides more surface for bacteria to colonize on. The general rule of thumb is 1 pound per gallon.

 

You could definitely do that if the rock if fully cured and has no pest anemones and or nuisance algae.

Just keep doing what your doing, testing the water and doing water changes when indicated.

You may have to consider exchanging some of the fish if aggression proves to cause too much stress.