Splitting up my fish - in over my head

[adriannek]

Ok, so my husband and I are new to the saltwater fish world, but I think we got in a little over our heads. We started with a 30 gal with a few fish, but he got really excited about the little 5 & 3 gal specs. We now have one 30 gal, one 5 gal, two 3 gal, and one 10 gal ... it got to that number in 4 months which I know was way too soon... Here's my problem -- the 30 gal has a purple stripe pseudochromis, a fancy oscellaris, and a green manderine goby, plus 2 red Indian starfish some peppermint shrimp, various snails and hermits and two live corals with a ton of live rock, but it appears that now there are more caves and rock, the pseudochromis has become territorial of the whole tank forcing both the oscellaris and mandarin into one corner of the tank. I feel like I need to split them up now but do not know which, if any of the tanks I have will be suitable for any of those three fish even on their own? The tanks I have available (ie. no other fish currently in them, just basic cleanup crew) are a 10 gal and a 3 gal... Would either of those work? Do I need to split them all up? Should I pull the pseudochromis or leave it? Which of those three could go in the 3 gal. Or is it too small? We're trying to pull back on what we jumped into so we're trying to make what we have work without getting more stuff or more fish that we're not ready for. Hoping someone can help because the direction we have gotten from the fish store is partly what got us here.

[atrox]

More tanks more problems IMO the more tanks you have the less attention you'll end up spending in each. I'd determine you're must haves and consolidate. Over doing it is a sure fire way to get burned out in this hobby.

[River_styx]

None of those fish should go into a tank smaller than a 10 gallon (assuming the clownfish is still relatively small). But here is a breakdown, more or less:

 

Mandarin: The mandarin should, honestly, not even be in the tank it is in. They eat only live copepods and in a 30 gallon the pod population will be gone very quickly. You can always purchase pods to put into the aquarium but that gets very pricey very quickly. You can train them to eat frozen but that is never guaranteed (and sometimes they decide they are done with frozen food and stop). They are also slow eaters and there is an issue of the other, faster fish out competing the mandarin.

 

Clown: As long as it is not an adult I would say the 10 gallon is fine. But when they reach adult size (takes years) I would say it would be best to move the clown to a bigger tank.

 

Pseudochromis: It is very common for these fish to be aggressive and run a small tank. If there are no fish in the 10 gallon, you can always put the pseudo in there but again, it wont be happy once it reaches adult size.

 

You can always call your local fish store and see if they will take a fish back. But before you buy anything- research, research, research before rushing into anything in this hobby. I know that sounds kind of cold but it is something many experienced, and I would argue successful tank owners preach. If you see a fish that looks cool but you dont know anything about it research it first. I know its tough to resist buying it right then and there, but I would argue the experiences people discuss in the forums are a better source than the "default/given facts" employees at stores will give. A lot of fish stores give employees a percentage of their sales so the forums are a much more honest place to get your information than a store. Also, the larger the tank, the hardier the tank (for the most part), so the smaller tanks you have will require a more watchful eye and meticulous maintenance so if you do move one of the fish to a smaller tank, just keep in mind that the maintenance and bio-load in that tank will fluctuate.

 

I also agree in atrox. Its really tough to be diligent with so many nano tanks.

[adriannek]

Thank you ... I kind of assumed they couldn't be moved to the smaller tanks, but wanted to make sure. We have been feeding the mandarin pods and just recently got a bunch to try and let them reproduce so we have a constant supply for the green mandarin (they are currently the only thing in the 10 gal) ... Would it be a good idea to put the mandarin in there? If we get enough live rock for the pods to hide? We also have a pod haven in that tank. Our clown is already pretty big, at least 2-3 in. I did shut off all the lights in the 30 gal last night and the found the mandarin and clown in new areas in the morning - can I assume this might help in the mandarin needing to hunt?

[atrox]

Another factor of pod population not directly tied to the amount that are being consumed is actual tank volume and the real estate it offers pods. Micro fauna in the tank are going to keep their own population in check so the population will only get so large before it finds a healthy baseline. By increasing the tank size you also increase the baseline numbers. Any fish that is solely a copepod eater will quickly consume in a smaller tank that baseline of pods, so the numbers will always be below what is needed for the fish. That's why you see tanks with fuges, so these populations can always remain at a nice equilibrium. Otherwise you'll have to be subjected to constantly having to stock the aquarium with pricey pods when they are a free and renewable food source.