Tang / grouper help

[MandarinFish]

I bought this setup http://www.craigslist.org/sfo/bar/2399439.html :
- 29 GALLON TANK
- AQUACLEAR 300 POWER FILTER
- (2) AQUALCLEAR 402 POWERHEADS(FOR UNDERGRAVEL FILTRATION)
- TOP (2) 20 WATT FLOURESCENT BULBS(HOME MADE & WILL ADD THE ORIGINAL TOP/COVER)
- CORAL REEF DECORATIONS
- HEATER

I am not going to use the undergravel filter, and am going to turn this tank into a sump for my 135.

BUT I am taking on a V-Tail Grouper and Powder Blue Tang....

advice for keeping these fish? I am dedicated to their health and need any and all advice, asap.

[ December 15, 2001: Message edited by: MandarinFish ]</p>

 

[FMarini]

Hi:
So what size tank is are these fish going into?? your description is confusing.
You will get mixed reviews here, but the concenus is that PB tangs have a very bad reputation, in that they are ich magnets.
If this tang is going into the 135gal then you might have better luck, but you may have to fight w/ ich at first.
As far as a v-tailed groupers these are great hardy fish-0nly fish which will eat any moving item which wil fit into their mouths. The worse part about them is they grow fast and get very large. So what size tank are they going in? and if you are adding it to your 135 do you have any small fish or inverts?
These groupers are very very shy, so it will hide mainly for the first few months and come out only for food.
What else do you need
frank

 

[naesco]

You have inherited a very diffult tang to keep. It requires perfect water conditions. You need to provide a high flow area near the top of the tank as tangs like lots of oxygen.
You need to feed it a variety of good quality food including nori.
I would recommend you start feeding it garlic soaked nori for the next ten days to ward off any chance of ich surfacing which will likely happen.
You need to be very careful which fish you add to the tank from now on as aggression may ocurr.
Good Luck

 

[MandarinFish]

I am going to keep them in the 29 gallon until my RO/DI unit shows up (this week).

Then I will transfer them to the 135 gallon (once I can safely fill it with water).

I have live rock and am getting more with these fish.

I will probably keep the 2 long enough to cycle the tank, but may ultimately sell / donate the grouper, as I want to have Mandarin fish (go figure), clowns, dottybacks, maybe gobies and / or horses.

I think the grouper would eat all of them.

But the grouper will help cycle the tank rapidly, and is hardy enough to do it. It is 4" now.

I may keep the tang.

I bought Nori/seaweed for the Tang already. I will soak it in garlic. Is there a water based garlic extract?

Any other suggestions for preventing ick? A hyposalinity (freshwater) bath just prior to introducing it to the tank?

Do groupers and tangs need formula I / II?

 

[naesco]

Yes garlic extract is water based.
Please do not use the grouper to cycle. The rock and the sand will do the job.
Now would be a good time to trade in the grouper and tang at the LFS for a credit for the fish you want later on.
Right now your tang is not a happy camper and he is letting you know it by coming up with white spots.

 

[MandarinFish]

I don't have either of them yet.

I don't think the tang has ick, I haven't even seen it in person yet.

They are coming with their own live rock.

I have a live sand with their tank too.

I am essentially expanding their housing, but I won't have them suffer certainly. If they will be unhealthy by putting them into a larger tank, I will trade them in.

 

[naesco]

The first problem will be in the transport of the tank to your place.
The second problem will be in rushing to put them in the newly established tank even though you will have some live rock and sand there.
I am assuming at this point that you have no mature tank in operation but are in the process of establishing the 135. Is this correct?

 

[MandarinFish]

This is correct Naesco. I am getting a 29 to use as a sump, and have a 135 ready to set up.

I have:
* 40 pounds of mature live rock already, sitting in a container
* 30-40 more pounds coming with the grouper and tang
* maybe a couple pounds live sand now and more coming with the fish
* tropical play sand, some silica sand too
* tufa rock
* dried out formerly live rock (already dried when I got it)
* my RO/DI unit will be here soon

Your suggestions? I don't want any fish to suffer.

I am sorry to see big fish in such a small tank. My 135 would be a better home, but I don't want to shock the fish.

I don't know that either fish would end up in better hands through an LFS, and less importantly what kind of compensation I get.

My 135 won't start sterile, but I don't want to put the fish through massive stress under any circumstances.

Of course, they've been kept in a 29 gallon with 2 triggers for a while.

 

[MandarinFish]

Worst case scenario - I will keep them in the tank they have been living with with their water and rock.

My LFS isn't looking for groupers right now, so I may be stuck with it.

How long would it take my 135 to cycle so the chemistry isn't a roller-coaster for the tang and grouper? (bearing in mind the supllies mentioned above)

 

[naesco]

If you can't board them somewhere you have no choice. Get that 135 up and running as soon a possible and keep the small tank as stable as you can with weekly water changes.
When your 135 has fully cycled, carefully transfer the fish making sure water conditions are the same.

 

[MandarinFish]

Thanks Naesco.

I found a guy who will give me $8 for the grouper. Not great, but eventually necessary.

I would like to keep the tang.

1 question:
1) how long to cycle the 135 before adding the tang and grouper?

[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: MandarinFish ]</p>

 

[naesco]

That is a tough one it depends on so many things.
The only thing you can do is test every second day and keep the small tank as normal as you can.
It can take 30 to 90 days but you will see the test results.