When can I add fish to my new salterwater tank?

[westend]

Hi,

I just got a small 4 gal. tank.

Started out 10 days ago with already mixed saltwater. Checked with the hydrometer daily, was a bit on the high end, but with daily water change (max 5% per time) is down to 1.023 - 1.024.

Go the water tested at the local Petco and everything looks fine. After 4 days we added live rock (already cured) and now a week later I ask myself WHEN ????

We (especially my son) plan to add 1-2 clown fish but my local fishman has recommended to start out with a few cheaper fish.

So please let me know when I can add any fish and what about changing water moving ahead?

All your help is needed as I do not what dead fish - you probably also have a suggestion to feeding....

Have a great day,
Steen*SUNSMILE*

 

[zoalover34]

4g is to small for ANY fish.. I know you don't wanna hear that but sorry it's the truth

 

[BalaShark]

I agree with zoa, you'll need at least a 30G for a clown pair. Also, cycling of a tank will take more then a week. You have to wait for the ammonia spike to settle before you can safely say the tank has been cycled.

 

[Lorna]

Adding fully cured live rock to the tank may speed up your cycle and especially on a small tank such as this. I would suggest testing the water in a week and if everything is zero you should be okay. I would only add a small and I mean small clean up crew of a couple snails and then only 1 small fish such as a clown gobie or something equally small....even an ocellaris clown is pushing it on a small pico tank that size.

 

[strout]

My advice, take the 4g tank back, JMO here, I no I am not wrong, but some might disagree with me. Starting out with such a small tank in SW, In most cases I think will turn into a disaster, unless you know what you are doing, not saying it can't be done, its just that the odds will be against you. I would at the very least get a 20g tank. Like I said this is JMO and I am a beginner myself so keep that in mind.

 

[rdreed]

My opinion, Keep the 4g. to use as a quarantine tank and set up a bigger sw tank. Refer to "The Nano Reef: A Step by Step Guide" for reference on setting up your new tank. I would use a 20g. long tank for saltwater, but a 10g. will work. I have seen alot of people on here who have clown pairs in 10 to 20 gallon tanks. It can be done if you keep on top of it and don't let your water quality get messed up.

 

[DarthPadre]

If you're (or your son is) heart set on "Nemo" you can keep a pair of true or false perculas in a 10-gal, but that's the smallest tank you should use for clowns. As for fish in a 4-gal, there are "nano gobies" (check out the red striped goby - trimma cana, it's very colorful) which will work. You could even keep a pair in there. They only grow 1" and are surprisingly hardy considering their size. I've seen a 5-gal. that has a pair of green "nano gobies" (I forgot their name) in it for over 3 years. I'll be honest, I didn't see the gobies, but took her word for it. Which is one of the drawbacks of these fish; they hide all the time and you'll rarely see them. They are also quiet expensive for such a little guy.

If Ammonia and Nitrites are at 0, you can add fish. I highly suggest adding a clean-up crew before fish.

Get the fish you want, not "a few cheaper fish", but start slow. One at a time (make sure you move rock around when you do add the second fish because the first may be very territorial and aggressive toward it).

10%-20% water changes every week starting when you add your first live creature (snail, crab, fish).

Start off by feeding once a day. Next week, test the water and if you're nitrates have stayed around 20, feed twice a day.

Are you planning on adding coral, or sticking with a FOWLR (Fish only with live rock – before you ask….)?

And keep asking questions.

 

[westend]

Thanks for the input...very much appreciated

I believe my next step will be to buy one or two small snails and then get the rythm (changing water)....do I need to feed these snails....

 

[DarthPadre]

Not really. There is, or will soon be, plenty for them to eat on the rocks, glass and substrate. Maybe feed them once a week until you get fish, as you will then be feeding daily and the snails will scavange. I suggest 2-3 cerith snails. They will clean glass, rocks and move sand around as they often burry themselves. Otherwise maybe 1 astrea and 1 nassarius.

BTW - This site is great for questions with folks much more knowledgable than myself. But I must encourage you to take reed's advice and read the step-by-step guide at the top of the nano reef board. That will answer a lot of your questions.