My tank has issues!!!

D

darockbomb

Reefing newb
Ok...so here's my issue...well, issues if you will.

I have a relatively new setup. 90 gallon tank with some coral (not entirely built up as this stuff is costly!!!! lol) I have a Yellow Tang, 6 blue/yellow tail damsels, 2 black perculas, 2 orange perculas and 1 baby Hippo Tang. I cycled the tank with the Yellow Tang, the Black Perculas and the damsels (which are appropriately named 1-6). A few days ago, I added the Hippo Tang and the 2 Orange clownfish, then I put up my pretty blue backing and went on my way.

It seems like since I added the stupid (but pretty) backing, all my fish have turned into agressive monsters! All the damsels are fighting each other, the Yellow tang is pacing like never before and really rubbing his eye on the glass and I saw a damsel doing it too, the black clownfish are puffing up and picking on the new orange clownfish and basically all hell is breaking loose. Can anyone help me on this one? I've since taken off the backing but does this mean that I have to look at the overhang forever or at some point is there a backing that I can put up that maybe the Tang won't go nuts over?? Why is my tank possessed????? lol. I have a pacing Tang and terretorial nutjobs running amok in my tank!!! HELP!
 
ok this has nothing to do with the background, it has to do with a few things, 1) stocking your tank too quickly, its a good rule of thumb to only introduce one new fish every three weeks. 2) you should only have one pair of clowns per tank. 3) damsels are ass holes and are very territorial, they could even kill everything in the tank until your only left with one fish. 4) they might be rubbing their eyes due to a parasite in under their eye.

here is how you fix the situation. 1)get rid of all the damsels. 2) get rid of one of the pairs of clowns or risk having three of them get killed. 3) slow do one the stocking of fish.
 
You've got way to many terretorial fish in a confined space.
Pick either a pair of the orange or the black clowns and take the others back to the store.Get rid of every single one of those damsels.Take them back to the store also back to the store,along with the hippo tang.
You also need to slow down and give the tank time to settle in.Adding to much to quick will cause it to crash and kill everything in there.
BTW,
Welcome to the site.
 
Both Dustin and Yote are correct. It has nothing to do with the background.

It has everything to do with being stocked way too quickly with way too many incompatible fish.

Damsels are not safe around most other fish, let alone each other. They are highly aggressive and will pick on other fish (and each other) until they are the only fish left. They will not hesitate to kill other fish.

Clowns are a type of damsel, and depending on the type, can also be highly aggressive. Especially towards other clowns. You should only have one pair of clowns in your tank (and they should, ideally, be the same type of clown).

Lastly, you should only add one fish at a time (unless it comes in a pair), and new fish should be added no more often than one every three weeks. A new tank is not established or mature enough to handle an influx of several fish at once.

I'd recommend you take all the damsels back to the store, as well as all but two of the clowns. Those fish just don't get along with each other.
 
Thanks for the info. Both sets of clowns did come together, thus the reason why I bought them together. The damsels will be returned to the store anyway so no biggie.

The thing with the backing came up because the Yellow tang does not pace constantly and rub her eye on the tank when the backing is not up- we have put it up and taken it down several times, all with the same result. I'm guessing she sees her reflection or something and is trying to kill the "other" fish that's not really there.

Anyway, thanks for the info and Yote, thanks for the welcome.
 
Here is the reality of you tank, you at this stage of the game should have one or two fishes and you have twelve(probably more than you will ever properly hold in a 90) You stocked your tank like a freshwater and that is just the opposite of what you should have done. Have you tested for nitrates, nitrites or ammonia? Probably the itching is a result of terrible water quality. Take all but your favorite three fish to the LFS, if they wont give you credit for them GIVE them to the store as they are likely to die. Im not trying to be a jerk and Im sorry if I come off that way but this is the reality of the situation.
 
wow, you're right. You are coming off as a jerk. I have, in fact, tested the water several times to ensure that the tank is fully cycled. I do live with someone who is familiar with tanks as she has had her own for many years without problem. My main problem is that I sought help and an opinion for why my clowns are attacking each other, which I got (and was the same as what she said), thank you, and why putting up a backing is making my tang pace and rub her eye when she does NOT do that when the backing is NOT on.

Thanks for your opinion. From this point going forward, I will not post anymore as the answers you have given are rude and not helpful.

For those who posted previously and welcomed me to the site, thank you but this is my last.
Enjoy your hobby.
 
wow dude your the actual jerk, we are telling you what we are telling you because we have been in the hobby and are teaching you what we have learned from our mistakes so that you dont make them as well, because reality is that all those fish will die and since almost all fish are wild caught they will have to get more from the ocean to replace what you have killed. we have in mind whats best for the fish. and you are the one thats had the problem so you asked a question and you got an answer. dont get pissy because it wasnt the answer you wanted to her
 
Dustin lets just chill, no point in getting into a flame war with this guy/gal. Some people arent interested in the truth. Darockbomb if you choose to stay on this site that is up to you, I hope my comments didnt chase you off personally. I may be completely wrong about the situation, and for you fishes sake I hope I am. If you choose to stay here you will learn about the hobby at a quicker rate than by trial and error. Dont leave because I(one person) said something that you didnt like.
 
dustin_P74 said:
we are telling you what we are telling you because we have been in the hobby and are teaching you what we have learned from our mistakes so that you dont make them as well, because reality is that all those fish will die and since almost all fish are wild caught they will have to get more from the ocean to replace what you have killed. we have in mind whats best for the fish.
Click to expand...
Interesting comment.
 
FOR THE RECORD, I don't think anyone told him anything that wasn't true. He can take the advice or leave it, and he can take this site or leave it. Either way, he will learn from the choices he makes. I don't think anyone that responded was rude or out of line either. If he thinks Ryan's response was rude and that was enough to keep him from posting here ever again, then he's in for a rude awakening when he tries to post questions on any of the other aquarium forums I have frequented, which are far far far more brutal, inconsiderate, un-helpful and sometimes just flat out mean to new hobbyists.

Everyone here is just trying to help.
 
Last edited:
Just because Everyone is putting there 2 cents in!!


i joined the site a little over 2 months ago with the same problem.

i came in search of help (overstocking, cycling, filtration, lighting, etc..) basically everything. This site and the members of it have been nothing but helpful to me.


i have learned more about this hobby on this site in 2 months than i have any other hobby in my whole life <----- (maybe an exaggeration) but you get the point!

like i was told, the members here are not trying to sell you anything or see you fail. They have been in your shoes!

i just wish i would have found this site before my adventure started!!!

Thank you everyone!


and i wrote all of this because i hate when people ask questions and for advice and then are rude when they don't like the answers they get!:frustrat:
 

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