how to start adding fish to a new tank?

[Mr.Jingles]

my aptasia are almost gone now, due to peppermint shrimp, and Im basically ready for fish.

my query is this: assuming my perimeters are good, how do you acclimate fish? obviously the salt balance will be slightly different and the temp. so yeah....how do you do it?

these are the fish I plan on getting:

1 Yellow headed Jaw fish (definatly first addition)
1 Firefish
2 blue cleaner gobies
1 percula or ocelarus clown
(maybe an algae eater that goes with these, any suggestions?)

I have yet to get a "cleaner crew". Should I add these before the fish, and if so, what should I get and how much? note I have peppermint shrimp, so be aware of that.

thanks guys!

[ginntonic74]

I drip all my new livestock. Use an air tube and tie a knot in it so the water just drips out. I do this for about 2 hours for fish and 4 for corals and inverts.

[Mr.Jingles]

so after the water drips out of the bag, what do you do with the fish chillin in it?

jk...well, not really

what do you mean, drip out?

I dont get it.

how does it work?

[Peter Schmiedel]

I also dripp all fish - normally about one hour. Salinity, Nitrat and PH are the most critical ones.

All corals go directly in the tanks - shrimps etc take the longs time as they react most senitive on water parameter changes.

[ozadars]

By the way, i would not suggest you a jawfish.
Your tank looks crowded and they dont like this, he will probably never go out of his cave (if your tank is 30gals) and also they are very good jumpers, w/ that much fish, you can find your fish on the carpet

Take Care

[Mr.Jingles]

but the fire fish and gobies wont bother the jaw fish. the gobies will chill in one area on the LR, right? and the firefish will swim in one place in the current most of the day? so the clown is the only thing that will swim around anywhere...

but, Im willing to not have certain fish if it means no jaw fish.

anyone have pictures of a 30 gallon with a jawfish?

any suggestions for stocking my tank if there is a jawfish?

[Peter Schmiedel]

If you can make sure that he does not jump AND have sufficient high gravel that he can dig his cave, I dont see reasons against a jaw fish.

[ozadars]

Mr. Jingles,
There was a very good article on reefkeeping aobut jawfish, read it first then you can decide if you want to have or not i think

[Mr.Jingles]

I have read stuff. Im just trying to take caution according to your experience. I do have ample gravel, and I have a glass lid, and can change to any lid that I need to if it would allow me to keep a jaw fish. its not hard to make a lid...

so if you haven't noticed, Im set on a jawfish.

I was just wondering what you guys would suggest as tank mates; cause you were telling me my list was too crowded for a jawfish.

thanks for you help guys!

[ozadars]

1 Firefish
2 blue cleaner gobies
1 percula or ocelarus clown

are ok w/ jaw but dont add alg eater blennie i think, they become agressive to the fish w/ same shape

[Mr.Jingles]

ok