Once my tank has finished cycling how many fish can I add at a time? Also, do invertebrates and anemones carry disease? Would it be better to get my fish first and quarantine them (since I don't have a separate quarantine tank) and then add invertebrates and anemones. Would it be best to get my fish from an lfs or online? Does anyone have experience purchasing saltwater fish online?
Adding and acclimating fish
- Thread starter amanda_
- Start date
I think it is wise to get your fish from a LFS. Find every LFS you can and spend a lot of time in each one and ask a lot of questions especially questions about how long they QT the fish before they put them in their sale tanks. I have 2 very good LFS's that keep their fish in the back for at least a week to make sure they are at least eating regularly and show no signs of disease. If a fish is eating, it has a very good chance a making it. I will usually watch a fish at the LFS for a week or more before purchase or will pre-purchase and leave it at the LFS for a week or two to make sure it is eating and will watch them feed the fish.
There are a couple lfs that have knowledgable staff and I would consider purchasing fish from them but they don't offer any guarantee and I've seen a few fish with visible signs of disease. What can I look for to make sure the fish are healthy when I purchase them? If the fish seem healthy should I ask them to feed the fish in front of me to make sure they are eating before I take them home?
I would set up a qt if at all possible. A week isn't long enough and all sorts of nasty stuff can rear it's ugly head. You don't want to have to treat your main tank ever. I would also qt all inverts to avoid some major issues. I wouldn't think of an anem for at least 6 months either.
