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Advice? Adding new fish back into display tank

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Mike, Sep 1, 2017.

  1. Mike

    132
    Urbandale, IA
    Ratings:
    +9 / 0 / -0
    Hey guys!

    I have a couple of questions. As I mentioned in another post, we have been doing a 76 day quarantine of our display tank as we had parasites that started killing off fish.

    Well, after a long 2 1/2 months, we have finally started putting the fish back in the display tank. We started with the least aggressive fish. Now it is about time to start with the more aggressive ones: namely our tangs.

    Prior to the qt, we had two tangs in the tank: a purple tang, and a powder brown tang. Unfortunately the powder brown tang died as a result of the parasites. So we replaced him about 2 months ago and he has been in quarantine (in a separate tank from the purple). When discussing a couple of weeks ago about the best way to re-introduce the tangs, several people had commented that it is easier to add three tangs than it is to add two (it spreads out the aggression?). So we decided to add a third tang and purchased a squaretail bristletooth tang. He arrived three days ago and is now in quarantine (in a separate tank from the other two tangs).

    This brings me to my questions:

    First, xroads had suggested if we were going to order from Live Aquaria that we ordered fish through the Diver's Den, since they go through a quarantine process there - so we bought the SBT from there. My question is this: since it was purchased through he Diver's Den, how long should I keep him in QT before moving him to the display tank? Since they have already QT'ed him at their location in Wisconsin, am I safe to introduce him into the tank without waiting for 3 weeks? He appears to be healthy, but wanted to know people's thoughts on this that have ordered from the Diver's Den.

    My second question is if I should introduce all the tangs at the same time, or start with the least aggressive? Although I am not even really sure which one that would be. The PBT is probably the least aggressive, but not sure which is more aggressive: the PT or the SBT. The SBT is definitely appearing pretty aggressive in the QT tank (it appears as though he killed a small chromis that was in there).

    I have also heard people suggest that we use an acclimation box when adding the tangs back in. Does anybody have a cheap used one they would want to sell? Or have one that I could perhaps borrow for a couple of weeks (Urbandale area)?

    Thanks everybody! :)
     
  2. As far as an acclimation box I've seen people take those plastic tubs to other the holes in them(kinda like mini laundry baskets and just rest the sides on the lips of the tank. Water flows through the holes and the fish is separated.

    As far as tangs go I maintain multiple tanks with the biggest being 700 gallons and in my opinion there really isn't much you can do. I had introduced 3 yellow tangs at the same time one time in the 700 eventually 1 killed off the other 2. Right now in that tank I have 2 big flamangi tanks, 2 blue hippos, the yellow tang, a chevron tang and a purple tang.
    I added the 2 blue hippos and the purple st the same time, the hippos are fine but as soon as I added the purple tang the chevron chased him around for a couple days then left him alone. A couple months later the yellow and the purple decided they didn't like eachother all the sudden and nipped each other's fins up but now all the fish are fine.

    Even with a giant tank with plenty of room tangs fight eachother. I would add the most agressive last as you stated, but that doesn't garantee you won't have problems.
     
  3. Barrett

    282
    Urbandale, IA
    Ratings:
    +101 / 0 / -0
    If you read the divers den qt procedure they don't prolifically treat the fish, and some are only observed for two weeks, how closely observed is anyone's guess but if it were my tank and having gone through disease and a fallow period I wouldn't add anything with out properly quarantining them myself. For an acclimation box you can use a critter keeper from any pet store, they are relatively cheap.
     

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