Hi,

[ams31]

I recently purchased a 44-gallon tank to place in my classroom. Next year I will begin teaching first grade and I thought a tank would be a exciting element in the room. I have always wanted a saltwater tank and I thought this was my chance to get my feet wet. So far I have had wonderful luck with my water quality, but bad luck with my fish. The fish that I have are attacking my newly introduced fish. It was suggested to me to join this forum. I am very excited to join, because it looks like a great site.

:coolbeans:

[FishinInTheDark]

Welcome! This is a great site, and I'm sure you'll like it here. Our administrator, Zack, is actually preparing a presentation for a national marine aquaria conference on primary education and saltwater!

Let me guess: you started your tank with damselfish. If so, you will have to choose to either take them back to your local fish store (LFS) for trade, or keep only damsels. They are just ornery critters!

If you'd like, you could click on the link in my signature and input your specific tank information in the space provided. That way, we could help answer your questions without asking more. Useful information would be: tank size (you said that already, but for future reference), date established, specific water test perameters, filtration method and other equipment, lighting, any and all contents especially the inhabitants, etc.

I'm glad you found this site, and welcome again!

[Doctor_Reef]

Welcome to CF... & What Conni said!!!! :thumbsup:

[ams31]

I added my tank information. I did introduce damsels to the tank first. Some of them died, but the ones who survived were taken back to the pet store. I then introduced clown fish(maroon and percula). I also introduced a royal gramma, orange shoulder tang, lemonpeel, banded coral shrimp, chocolate chip starfish, purple tip anenome, and cleaner wrasse. I intorduced all of these over several weeks. The problem was that my maroon fish were attacking my other fish. Now I am down to three fish a percula clown, royal gramma, and a cleaner wrasse. I believe the remaing clown is the aggresor. I have placed him in a quarantine tank. My quarantine tank is a 10 gallon with a whisper 10 on it. How long can he survive in it? I am unsure of what other fish I should stock the tank with because the ones I am putting in there are all getting attacked.

[FishinInTheDark]

Firstly, I think you're going a little fast. We'll take a step back and regroup! :-D

Make sure that you research each and every inhabitant, before purchasing, for compatibility and care requirements. The tang would have gotten over a foot long and shouldn't be added to an aquarium smaller than 125 gallons. Your purple tip anemone is probably a condylactis, which needs high light and a well established tank. If it has not perished yet, I urge you to return it if you can. As it dies, it can possibly release toxins and kill the rest of your inhabitants. Seastars are also best kept in established aquariums. If you still have it, be sure to feed it bits of fresh seafood.

Maroon clowns are classified as aggressive fish. They will pick at any other fish unless in a large aquarium with room to establish their own territory. This is especially true with other species of clowns. They need a minimum of 30 gallons to thrive. While it will take some time to reach full size, it won't fare well in the ten gallon for long. I would suggest taking it back to the LFS and exchanging it for another good community fish for the display tank. Cardinalfishes, some of the gobies, or another perc would be good choices.

Keep in mind that in saltwater it is recommended that you add an inch of (fully grown) fish per four gallons of aquarium. (This is not to say that one eleven-incher would do well, but several smaller fish adding up to eleven inches would.) With the perc (3"), gramma (3") and cleaner wrasse (4") you are probably only going to want to add one more fish safely. Some aquarists are able to push this rule quite far using frequent water changes, aggressive skimming, large refugiums, etc., but for a new tank, it's a good guideline.

I'm not busting your chops whatsoever, and I realize that I just threw a lot of information at you at once. In almost no time, you'll have an active, interesting, healthy aquarium. We just need to tweak it a bit! :wink:

[FishinInTheDark]

I forgot to mention that cleaner wrasses are hard to keep, and frequently starve in aquariums without many fish to clean. You'll probably get it to survive if you can feed live brine or mysis. Very rarely, they will accept fresh, chopped seafood.

Keep us posted, because we're all here to help each other, and celebrate our successes!

[MikeS]

welcome to the forum!

Mike

[Sugar Magnolia]

Excellent advice Conni.

I am in no way redirecting you from this forum but I have been closely following this thread for quite some time. This person is a 5th grade teacher and has adapted his tank into the class instruction. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=551596 (might need to be a member to view the thread)

Since his school is only about 40 minutes from me, I have dropped a few frags off for his tank and he has kept a running thread going about his tank and the students contribution. He's a 5th grade teacher, so the level at which he incorporates his tank into instruction will be at a much higher level than you will use.

I substitute teach at the elementary level, and this past year we did use fish in a portion of the science course, but given the nonexistent funding, the first grade teachers chose to use goldfish. Cheap alternative. :D If you have the funds to set up and maintain a salt environment, then go for it. Much more interesting than watching goldfish deflate and inflate their swim bladders. :D

Best of luck to you!!

[bigfoot]

welcome to CF

[ams31]

Thanks sugar magnolia. The pictures and information in the other forum were really great. Although I won't be able to use my tank to his extent.

[Sugar Magnolia]

You mentioned that one of your fish is attaacking the others. What kind of fish is it? Damsel, dottyback? Both of those are very aggresive and will attack any new fish added to the tank.

What are your plans for the tank? Fish only? Fish with live rock? Reef?

[ams31]

I believe it is the clownfish, because he was seen bullying the other fish. The tank also has a gramma and a cleaner wrasse. The clown was put into the quarantine tank and everything has been okay since then. I plan reintroducing him after I add a little more live rock.

[ryan37211]

welcome to the forum

[green_manderin]

So, don't know if my signature will have my tank on it and I am new here so this is to inform of what we have:

125 gal. tank w/ 2 96W Atinic Pwr compacts & 2 250W medal haighlights w/14k bulbs
est. 200#s LR
3018 ecosystem w/ calupra & halmaia (?)
2 Ocelaris Clown
1 brittle star fish
1 Blue tang
1 Yellow Tang
1 Royal Gramma
1 Scooter Blenny
1 Hawk Fish
feather dusters
button pallops
disk anemone snails and crabs!

[specsgirl]

Welcome to the both of you to CF1

[DKWICK]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/DKWICK/CFa.jpg
Have a great time here!