Can I Do this

[Frag Freaks]

I have a 38g i want to add some more fish. I currently have 2 perc and a yellow watchman goby, fire shrimp, and soon to be cleaner shrimp.

I wanted to know if i could add 2-3 blue/green chromis. I saw them at my LFS the other day schooling and i thought it looked awesome. Is this possible or will that be too much for my tank.

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Chromis can be nippy sometimes. What other life do you have in the tank is also a question. Is the tank going to be mostly fish only or are you going for a reef? A 38 isn't huge so you might be more wary of your fishload. What do you use for filtration?

So many questions.......................

 

[Frag Freaks]

Chromis can be nippy sometimes. What other life do you have in the tank is also a question. Is the tank going to be mostly fish only or are you going for a reef? A 38 isn't huge so you might be more wary of your fishload. What do you use for filtration?

So many questions.......................

looking to do a reef setup.
Livestock:
2 percs
yellow watchman goby

Inverts:
Fire Shrimp
Queen Conch
bunch of snails and hermits

Corals:
Flowerpot

For filtration i have an aquaclear hangon filter that does 300gph and a Cpr Back-Pak with a rio 800 pump. And then an additional aqua clear 70gph powerhead.

 

[Frag Freaks]

bump

 

[B.rian]

make sure you supplementally feed the conch. i would pass on the chromis though. why don't you try to get a pistol shrimp to go with your goby?

 

[MikeG]

skimmer, live rock? Knowing all aspects of filtration will help get better recomendations.

sorry didn't notice the bak pak first time around.

 

[Frag Freaks]

i have approx 40-45 lbs of live rock but adding a few lbs here and there when i want to do a little different aquascaping. I dont want the pistol shrimp i already have the fire shrimp and i want a cleaner also.

I also have a aquaclear filter that runs 300gph that i use when i need ot run additives like carbon or phosphate remover. Plus an additional 70gph Aquaclear powerhead to add more flow.

 

[Frag Freaks]

make sure you supplementally feed the conch. i would pass on the chromis though. why don't you try to get a pistol shrimp to go with your goby?

feed the conch with what?

 

[Moe_K]

i have approx 40-45 lbs of live rock but adding a few lbs here and there when i want to do a little different aquascaping. I dont want the pistol shrimp i already have the fire shrimp and i want a cleaner also.

I also have a aquaclear filter that runs 300gph that i use when i need ot run additives like carbon or phosphate remover. Plus an additional 70gph Aquaclear powerhead to add more flow.

Do you have a sump?
Guess not if you have hang on filter and skimmer.
But thought I'd ask.

 

[Frag Freaks]

no i dont have room for a sump. Wish i could have a sump. There could be a chance if i move my tank to another room and by another stand but thats for a whoe later matter when i will be on here asking how to move a tank lol

 

[Moe_K]

Well, I think you could do two chromis, yeah. Maybe a third.

 

[MikeG]

What type of corals are you wanting to keep in your reef? If you add the chromis, I imagine it will be a fairly dirty tank as far as reefs go. You could probably get away with it if you are doing mushrooms, zoos, ect. I think it would be much more difficult keeping lps and probably couldn't keep sps. I am just basing this on estimating nutrient levels and not on lighting or other equipment.

 

[MikeG]

There could be a chance if i move my tank to another room and by another stand but thats for a whoe later matter when i will be on here asking how to move a tank lol

I say move it now and be done with it. Actually you should just use the 38 for your sump and get a larger display, then no problems

 

[MikeG]

Do you normally have measurable nitrate levels as it is now and how often do you do water changes?

 

[Moe_K]

I say move it now and be done with it. Actually you should just use the 38 for your sump and get a larger display, then no problems

Heh! Good advice.

 

[Frag Freaks]

Do you normally have measurable nitrate levels as it is now and how often do you do water changes?

I dont have any nitrates and i do 10% water changes weekly.

As for moving and getting it done with its easier said than done. Still live in the parents house im only in college. And my part time job doesnt leave me that extra of money to buy stuff it goes to bills and car insurance. You know how it is. Once im out on my own i already am planning on a 120 and using the 38 for a sump. So if i do move the tank it will be the 38display with a 10-20 sump.

 

[MikeG]

As for moving and getting it done with its easier said than done. Still live in the parents house im only in college.

Always gotta try to be the bad influence! Do you know what type of corals you want to keep? If so I would follow my previous suggestions. Much easier adding one fish basing on your measureable load that adding a group in a small tank.

 

[Frag Freaks]

well my new lights are on the way 2x150 HQI 10k with 2x65 PC actinic. I Have the light setup to keep whatever i want i think so basically if im at the LFS and like something then i will get it lol. But on a more serious note i think a rose bubble tip anenome for my percs. Mostly softies like yellow polyps, xenia, zoos, mushrooms etc. Possibly a Clam, and then prob some hard corals havent done too much research into what i want for them yet tho. But i thought that corals really wouldnt add to the bio load. Most of the corals im goign to get wont need to be spot fed. I do have a flowerpot right now that i feed 2x a week and i kno the rbta will have to be spot fed also.

 

[B.rian]

i highly do not recommend putting an anemone in a reef tank. i know several people do it and they have no problems, but anemones will move all over the place until they find where they want to stay. also, once you put an anemone in, i find that your clowns will barely come out of it unless they are feeding. it makes them kind of boring.

 

[MikeG]

I wasn't worried about corals adding to the bioload. Most stony corals require extremely low nutrient levels in our tanks to thrive. Adding 3 more fish to your tank may push you to a point where you get some level of nitrates accumulating in the tank. If this is the case you may need to do larger frequent water changes to dilute them out or not keep corals that would be adversly affected be elevated nitrate levels.

I don't think you would know until you tried, but you should be ok with everything else listed I would think and then I would just monitor your levels for a while after adding them to see if your bioload is being stressed and use your judgement from there on what types of corals to add. Seems like sps is secondary at this point.