I need some fast (but not ASAP worthy) advice.

Hi everyone.

I should have seen this day coming, but I didnt.

I've been very, very good about going about starting this hobby slowly. My tank has been up for almost 2 months now, and I just added my first pair of clowns about a week and a half ago.

It's a 25 gallon. I have 2 clowns, 3 hermits, 1 emerald crab, and 2 snails. I've been doing lots of research on my livestock, and choosing carefully what to add.

I didn't play on adding ANYTHING for a good 3 weeks.

About 20 minutes ago, my mom walked in my room with a brown bag and said "surprise!". The "very genuine" lady at the fish store had told her what to buy for my tank.

I now have 3 bowls on the ground with drip acclimating waters containing 1 black and golf chromis, 1 cardinal orbiculate, and 1 yellow belly damsel.

It was a very nice gesture on my moms part, but I really didn't want to add this amount of fish at once, or even at all.

Obviously I have to put the fish in the tank for now, (I can't make it to the LFS anytime before tuesday).

Sooo what questions/concerns should I have? What should I be on the look out for?

I don't want any dead livestock, or any fighting in my tank. Will all these guys get along?

Thanks in advance.

Brew

 

My biggest concern would be an ammonia spike. Keep an eye on your parameters, but don't do a water change, as that will only delay the mini cycle. They are pretty hardy fish, so you should be ok, at least temporarily.

 

Ok - so expect a small ammonia spike? Could you give me some numbers? If the ammonia gets to a certain level, then do a water change?

 

Guitarman the biggest issue to watch out for, the ammonia spike, but also watch out for aggressiveness. You have a lot of aggressive fish in a little space.

 

I'm guessin you dont have a quarantine tank you can put them in? I'm afraid you may not be able to catch them again later without completely tearing up your aquascape to do it.

 

id thank my mom for the gesture and take them back. id then give my mother a basic 101 lesson on adding livestock so she doesnt make the gesture again without my input. i already had to do this with my mother. for my bday she was going to order me a "PRETTY FISH FOR THE TANK" as she put it. well she was trying to order a HUGE tang for a tank thats not been established for more than 4 months, has no lighting, and no skimmer yet.

 

Well at this point, the fish are all in the tank, and looking happy.

I hated the way they looked at first, but now their personalities are growing on me...

I realize I may sound like a 14 year old girl who wanted to give her baby up for adoption, and now has decided to keep it.... lol... but.. if I do just keep them, would that be a major issue?

If I do return them, it's going to be within a week, but for now - what do I need to watch? I'm going to do daily testing of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and pH. I just did a water change 2 days ago (20%). If my ammonia rises, should I do another change?

 

how about some pic of the new fish?

 

Is it truly the orbiculate? Could it be a pajama?

I only ask, because the orbiculate is the pajamas mean cousin. Eats inverts and smaller fishies.

 

I made a video, but I'm having a very hard time uploading it (missing some important cables :-/ )

You know jonjon, It's hard to say. The receipt says orbiculate, but when I google, I get both the silver looking one, and the pajama. At this point I'd say the receipt is wrong, and that it's the pajama.

I'll post pictures tomorrow and hopefully a Vid.