And also to everybody else, thanks so much for all the comments!

Seems like it is indeed possible to keep them together.

I noticed a lot of you ask your LFS to hold the fish for you. That sounds like a good plan. But how does it work for you guys? If the fish dies before the date you set to pick it up, do you still have to pay for it?

In my case I have a 45G QT with skimmer all ready for new fish.
Should I quarantine them by myself or ask the LFS to do it for me?

Also, if I ask the LFS to hold them, how long should I ask for?
I usually quarantine my fishes for 2 weeks if no disease is shown. Is that okay?

Thanks!!

When you see something you like ask the LFS to hold it they should do it for you. When fish come in they are stressed and they may not eat right away or at all, a good LFS will hold the fish for you until it is eating proper foods. Also a good LFS will not let the fish go if they dont think it will do well. Sorry about what im going to say retailers, but I would rather have the LFS take the loss of a fish than me, they can make their money back on something else to balance for the lost fish we cant. Ask your LFS to hold the fish till it is looking healthy and eating good, you can always ask them to feed it in front of you. For a PBT I would go longer than 2 weeks in QT as (correct me if im wrong) Ich takes 4 weeks to work its self out of the fish and PBT's are ich magnets. As for the fish dying before you pick it up some LFS will make you pay ahead of time and some wont, so keep your receipt and they will refund you or give store credit if it dies in their care.

wow great comment! Thanks!
ya I went back to the LFS today and the two PBTs I saw yesterday were already sold :sad:
However, the Regal is still there and I will talk to the manager tomorrow asking him to at least hold it for 1 week or so in the store for me. (He was not working today)

One more question though, I should still quarantine the new fish myself after asking the LFS to hold it for a while for me right?
Just want to make sure.

Really good advice parkinson.
The fish should have the following.
The eyes should be crystal clear.
There should not be any fuzz, spots, tears or redness on the fins or elsewhere.
There should not be any discolouration on the fish anywhere.
The fish should be active and appear just as interested in you as you are in it.
Lastly, you should SEE it eating.
Do not accept the fish or feel obligated in any way to buy it if it is not 100% healthy.
There will always be another.

For the most part when asking to hold a fish you don't have to say how long, just say you want to buy it and will pick it up when it starts eating well in the store. I have had fish that were good to be picked up a few days later, yet I've had fish that took over a month to be eating well and then I took them home.
You should still quarantine the new fish after picking it up at the lfs, as the lfs goes though a lot of stock and diseases are always being introduced into the water.

Got it!
I'll talk to the manager tomorrow and see how it goes!
Thanks

I would still QT it even if they hold it for. If the LFS puts new stock in the same system then your back to square 1 on the cycle. If it is by itself for a month and medicated you would more than likely be ok not to QT. But QT at home is nice because then you can medicate and make sure you are happy with the state of the fish before it goes in your display.

Ya I was thinking along the same line
I think QT at home also let the fish slowly adept to tank life and build up its strength before seeing other tankmate

I have both types of tangs together in the same tank, but its a 6' 210g reef. The PB only goes after other PBs, just like my Regal only chased a bit after other Regals & my school of YTs go after newly introduced YTs.

My Powder Brown tang, on the other hand, attacks everything new that is placed in his 120g fowlr.

For the Powder Brown, I have a hang on tank plexi box that I use to keep the new fish in until the PB gets used to it. Then I release & it's no problem.

Anthony