adding fish
- Thread starter IWANTCrx
- Start date
The best way would be place new fish in a quarentine tank for a couple weeks before placing them in your tank. This is not really an option for many people however. I use the following method for introducing fish that may come from contaminated water:
float the bag with the fish in it to stabalize temperature. I then place the contents of the bag into a pitcher that has a handle that can be hooked over the edge of the tank so that it doesn't float around or sink. You could also probably use a larger plastic bag. Anyway start adding water from your tank into the pitcher over an hour or two so that the ratio of new tank water to old bag water rises. Pour off some water from the pitcher into the sink or into a bucket each time you add water so that the level stays satisfactory and there is no overflow into the tank. When the water in the pitcher is mostly tank water, your fish will be more aclimated to your tank and can be netted out of the pitcher and placed directly into your tank without being shocked by differences in water quality. If you have more sensitive fish such as discus you might place them in a bucket and have tubing placed so that it drips water from the tank into the water constantly over a whole day. Make sure that you have something to catch overflow and a way to prevent jumping from the bucket if you think it might be a problem for the kind of fish you are dealing with.
float the bag with the fish in it to stabalize temperature. I then place the contents of the bag into a pitcher that has a handle that can be hooked over the edge of the tank so that it doesn't float around or sink. You could also probably use a larger plastic bag. Anyway start adding water from your tank into the pitcher over an hour or two so that the ratio of new tank water to old bag water rises. Pour off some water from the pitcher into the sink or into a bucket each time you add water so that the level stays satisfactory and there is no overflow into the tank. When the water in the pitcher is mostly tank water, your fish will be more aclimated to your tank and can be netted out of the pitcher and placed directly into your tank without being shocked by differences in water quality. If you have more sensitive fish such as discus you might place them in a bucket and have tubing placed so that it drips water from the tank into the water constantly over a whole day. Make sure that you have something to catch overflow and a way to prevent jumping from the bucket if you think it might be a problem for the kind of fish you are dealing with.
i agree with vyache although i usually dont use a bucket even though i should im just lazy, i leave the bag in the tank and over an hour to 1 1/2 slowly add tank water until teh bag is 50% tank and 50% bag water then net them out, if oyu mail order fish then you have to bucket them and make it so they are in atleast 90% tank water before introducing them and leave them int eh bucket a day to let the drugs used it shipping wear off, a new fish in a tank thats drugged a sleep is just waiting to be ripped apart
i dont know if this way is effective at keeping snails out though, cause i add snails to my tanks on purpose
i dont know if this way is effective at keeping snails out though, cause i add snails to my tanks on purpose
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The method that was recomended to me, and I really find effective, is to place your new arrivals in a 2-3g bucket (or rubbermaid, or whatever) take a longer piece of air-line, with a gang valve or some other method of controling the flow, and use it as a syphon, creating a steady drip into the bucket.
Empty excess as required, after a few hours, your fish will be acclimated to the temp/water in your tank. Then its a simple matter of netting the fish and adding to the tank. Be careful not to get the net near the bottom of the 'holding' tank, so that you dont pick up any unwanted debris/eggs/etc.
I somehow got MTS snails in my angelfish tank, still trying to figure out where the heck they came from! Don't figure I'll ever get rid of them now, vacuuming today, I found at least 100...
Andy
Empty excess as required, after a few hours, your fish will be acclimated to the temp/water in your tank. Then its a simple matter of netting the fish and adding to the tank. Be careful not to get the net near the bottom of the 'holding' tank, so that you dont pick up any unwanted debris/eggs/etc.
I somehow got MTS snails in my angelfish tank, still trying to figure out where the heck they came from! Don't figure I'll ever get rid of them now, vacuuming today, I found at least 100...
Andy