Shipped fish?

[alter40]

Well I posted this in my journal but I don't think it will get the views there like it will here.

I got my apistos in the mail today but I had to leave right after I got them so I haven't had a chance to do anything with them though. I am very concerned though because they seemed to both be dead. I'm not sure if maybe they put something in the water to kinda make them sleep during the shipping or anything like that or if they are actually dead. They weren't like belly up or anything but they were just kinda floating around in the bag and didn't seem to be any movement from them or through there gills either.

Any info on this issue would be great because I'm worried that they are dead.

 

[TabMorte]

Oh no!!

I know fish can look 'dead' and actually be okay when they're really stressed. My poor pygmy cories were so still when I got them home that I put them in an empty betta bowl and put a little cave in it and aclimatized them that way slowly adding water from their main tank in a dark room instead of floating the bag (I was worried they weren't getting enough air in the bag) and they slowly perked up.

Those poor little guys have been in that little baggy for a while. They're probably stressed and scared as hell. Be very gentle with them when you aclimatize them. You might want to try the seperate bowl method, it takes a lot longer but is much gentler on the fish I find. Then when they start moving on their own power you can move them over to your main tank?

 

[alter40]

I plan on slowly drip acclimating them in a bucket and I hope that they are just kinda in shock from the shipping or something and not dead because I would be so disappointed if the are dead.

 

[TabMorte]

I suspect thats most likely the case and the slow drip will help a lot, make sure you keep the lights down low too! Bright light after being in the dark so long will stun and stress them.

 

[skratikans]

if there's no movement in the gills....then they probably are dead

 

[alter40]

I suspect that they are dead but I only had about 30 seconds to look at them because I was running late as it was so I didn't get to look at them too closely. I will have to update when I get home in about 2 hours.

 

[skratikans]

aww that sucks, i had a similar situation happen to me last summer...

 

[TabMorte]

I'll be sorry to hear it if they are, I know you were really looking forwards to getting them.

 

[MOsborne05]

Just FYI, most people that ship fish require proof of DOA within 2 hours of delivery in order for you to get your money back. So next time you might want to plan your day around your fish shipment, just in case. When I order fish or plants, I try to order them that way they will arrive on a day that I will be home.

 

[alter40]

I can take a picture of them still in the bag and stuff so if they are dead I will take a picture of them in the bag as they are so I can have some proof.

 

[fearincognito]

man, makes you want to get the lfs to do a special order or something close i have a couple local stores that would do that for me, but i would have to pay up front not a problem, best of wishes for the fishes.

 

[alter40]

They were in fact both dead and the water smelled almost as if they had been dead since they were shipped to be honest. I have really never smelled water that bad before.

I'm going to email apistodave and hopefully get something worked out with him. I will let you know what I find out.

 

[TabMorte]

So sorry to hear it Alter. Hopefully you can get new ones.

 

[alter40]

I know he has a live arrival guarantee but it says that you have to pay shipping for them again so it looks like these fish are going to end up costing me like $80 in the end if that is the case.

this sucks!

 

[TabMorte]

It does! He should have to pay the freight for the replacements IMO. It's not your fault your fish didn't make it.

 

[pwrmacG4]

sorry to hear that alter.. i know you were excited to get those guys.. i was looking foward to the pictures.. hope it works out in your favor

 

[FishGeek]

WOW!! Alter that sucks!! Ive never had that problem before. Im sry to hear that you have.

 

[Helena21]

Oh nooooo!!
That happened to my rams a lil while ago. I was SO excited when i got them...then i opened the box..and they werent moving. I was sooo disapointed.
Sometimes when they are in the bag they just sit still and hardly move because they are stressed, not because they are dead
But sry to hear about them

 

[alter40]

I was really hoping that they were just sitting there not moving in the bag when I got them this morning but when I looked in the bag when I got home they were floating belly up and their mouths and gills weren't moving at all either.

 

[MOsborne05]

Do you know how long they were in the bags?