5 gallon hex QT tank for 4 fish at once?

[usmcr0811]

I just bought a Ocellaris Clownfish 1-2 inches, a tiny blue tang up to 1 inch, a yellow tail blue damsel up to 1.5 inches, and a domino damsel up to 2.5 inches. These fish will arrive on Tuesday. I have a 5 gallon hex that is cycled and have used this when I QT individual fish in the past.

Can I use this 5 gallon and QT all of these fish at once in the same tank or should I use my 29 long that I have? I would have to buy some filtration equipment for it and it isn't set up yet but my 5 gallon has cycled and is set up with some live rock in the bottom. I really don't want to buy separate tanks or more filtration equipment.

[Norward]

I am sitting at my computer and turning to look at the 5g hex I have on the table behind me, trying to imagine that much fish in it. I just don't see it as being very safe or humane. IMO, all these fish at one time call for the 29g. Remember that for QT you really won't need that much filtration - try to get a filter that you can keep as a back-up for your display tank. Just MO. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Sk8r]

A polystyrene bucket will be safer than all 4 in one 5. If you have to, T off your air supply and use two filters, bucket, and 5g. That'll give you 10 safe gallons.

[usmcr0811]

Its actually a 20 long not a 29 long. I had given it to a friend who never set it up and he gave it back to me today. I had the same thought to about the 5 gallon being to small. I was told by a LFS that the 5 gallon would be fine with fish that size even with all of them in it but didn't really believe that would be the best idea. What should I do about the 20 long not having cycled yet. I am going to get cycled water and some live rock from my main for now. Do you think this will be a problem? It will only have until Tuesday to cycle if it has to and I don't know if that would work out or not.

I think I might use my 5 gallon hex for the blue tang and the 20 long for the clown, and 2 damsel. Any thoughts?

[kathainbowen]

Originally posted by usmcr0811
I think I might use my 5 gallon hex for the blue tang and the 20 long for the clown, and 2 damsel. Any thoughts?

On the stocking situation....

In a word...... no.

Blue tangs are similar to Acanthurus tangs in behavior in that they need ton of swimming space to cruise and graze. In fact, all tangs really need tons of space to cruise and graze, but blues and the Acanthurus tangs need it especially (the achilles, powder blue, powder brown, etc.). These graceful animals tend to get rather large (Zebrasoma tangs like the yellow and purple tend to get to be about the size of a decent sandwich plate, as do Atlantic blue tangs, while the Pacific blue tang can get larger). And, out of the many tangs out there, the Pacific blue tang has been noted to get a bit.... persnickety at times in the home reef tank. Picture this.... you're putting any animal that can and does get to be about 6-8" (easy) in a five gallon or 20L tank. It's really not the best situation for an animal with the growth size of a blue tang or the behavioral patterns.

If anything, put the blue tang in the 20L and anticipate an extreme upgrade in the near future (maybe 6 to 12 months-ish depending on care and keeping). I would probably say something in the 6 foot long tank range, although there are many who who argue that my tank estimates are rather conservative (so, at the very least, plan for something 75G or higher). However, for a tiny tang, a 20L may be just what it needs for the moment, offering lots of free swimming space relative to its body size, along with tons of rocks to hide among and graze for algae on. It can also give you a greater control over feeding and care, as well as removal should you have an aggression or health problems to address (like a quick dip or say the clownfish decides to get uber-aggressive about an anemone, etc.)

I would definitely follow the previous suggestion of buckets or vats as opposed to cramming them all in the five gallon hex. That's a very small tank to be asking animals to coexist in, and wastes will build up in a small tank that overloaded very quickly. Insisting on shoving all of those animals in that small of a tank, even if just for QT, and insisting upon putting a blue tang in a 5 gallon tank any further would just be trolling the forums for the Tang Police, an ill-advised act.

On the LFS advice.... please don't ever purchase animals that you are not 100% sure of your knowledge about, especially if you are hesitant or untrusting of the advice given to you. There is often a good reason our better judgment kicks in and screams in the back of our head that something is wrong. Might I recommend, before purchase, reading and researching animals either online or in your local library? You can also find great info in Tropical Fish Hobbyist, or just asking questions on RC (most people are very eager to help in the New to the Hobby Forum, and there are other forums tailored to specific needs and interests, such as forums dedicated to predators and to the small tanks like you have which would fall into the nano tank category).

If you are an impulse buyer, and many of us are (even among the more experienced crowd- I know there are those out there, myself included!), might I suggest browsing the book section of your LFS before purchasing a fish. Many LFSs carry Scott Michael's PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes. While it is often considered to be incomplete and offers too small of minimum tank recommendations in many instances (*cough cough* nurse shark), you can often use it to get a little bit of a better picture on what a fish is going to be like when you get them. At the very least, if you're about to make an impulse purchase, see if this book is lurking around and give it a quick scan to see if this is the right animal for you or if there is some underlying issue that the LFS might be conveniently leaving out (like the selective feeding habits of dragonets).

As per the cycling issue.... what are the current stats on the 20L, how long have you been cycling, and how are you cycling (fishless, with inverts, with uncuring liverock, etc?)?




.... that was a lot of typing. It's coffee time now!

[usmcr0811]

Ok I guess I forgot to mention that The display tank these will go into is a 75 gallon with a 30 gallon sump/fuge. This tank only has same species clown and a 3 stripe damsel in it. I have plans to upgrade in a year or 2 to a 125.

The previous threads were going to be for QT purposes only. The Blue Tang would only go into the 5 gallon for about 4 weeks and the other 3 fish into the 20 Long for about 4 weeks again ONLY FOR QT PURPOSES. I want to know if the arrangement of fish for qt purposes would work ok or if there was a better way. I haven't set up the 20 long but was going to put cycled water out of my 75 to start and some live rock as well. I have a 75 gallon that has been up and running for a long time now.

[usmcr0811]

I also have 4 turbo snails in my main and a few small hermit crabs. The live rock I have is cured, has been in my main tank for 4 months, and is full of feather dusters and other cool little hitch hikers.