Banggai cardinalfish group, QT strategy

[SteveG_inDC]

I am starting to stock a 240g tank and thinking of starting with a group of tank-raised banggai cardinals. I worry a bit that if I get a group of them that they'll attack each other to establish pecking order, til I have just two.

I believe that my tank size and rock structure (see my build thread) can support 6 to 8 conspecifics, but the problem is, how do I quarantine them? All in a group? I've cycled a 30g QT and have it ready, but I only own one divider. The LFS keeps a couple dozen in a tank together, but I don't know for how long and how successfully.

Any suggestions? Should I just get all 8, throw them in QT and watch them, hoping to avoid a bloodbath? Should I separate them into 4 & 4 with divider?

Should I buy 2 or 4 at a time and get more as I introduce each pair or 4-some to the DT? That would also be a slower ammonia hit to the QT. I have extra sponges and some live rock rubble in the QT for more extra surface area and one PVC cave (two elbows I could not separate)

Thanks in advance for advice.

 

[Phycodurus]

i wouldn't expect aggression in QT to be an issue with small or juvenile ones. a 30G tank is plenty of space IMO. i would purchase all eight at once. perhaps extra pvc pipes to allow the majority a place to hide.

once they mature in the display tank, they'll pair up. however i wouldn't be surprised to find that a pair or two ultimately take the others out. (>__<)'