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FAQs on Freshwater Livestock Acclimation
Related Articles:
Acclimation of New Freshwater Livestock, by
Bob Fenner Freshwater Livestock by Neale
Monks, Freshwater Livestock Selection by
Bob Fenner, Fishes,
Amphibians,
Turtles,
Related FAQs: Livestocking
Freshwater,
Freshwater Livestock,
FW Livestock 2,
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Acclimation, FW 7/9/09
Hello Crew, Hope all is doing well. Please tell me if when adding new
fish to the tank if it is necessary to keep the lights off for several
hours as well as not feed them the first night. Thank you, James
<Certainly a lot of people like to do this. I tend to adjust my methods
depending on the fish. If it's something gregarious, like Neons, then
leaving the lights on in a shady, well planted tank doesn't do any harm,
and the light allows each Neon to find the other, and so settle down
into a group quickly, which is what they want above all else. Solitary
or nocturnal fish, such as plecs and cichlids, are more bothered by
being transported and removed from their territories, so leaving the
lights off while they find a safe crevice perhaps works better for them.
So use your common sense, really, and do what seems best. Cheers,
Neale.>
re: Acclimation
Thanks Neale.
<You're welcome! Cheers, Neale.>
FW lvstk. acclim., BioSpira status, Allusions
to Incredible Archaeogastropod flix 8/19/08
Hi
Have a few really quick questions
<You do?>
1. I have a tank that should be finished cycling in about two weeks. Same water
source and everything from established tank sitting two feet from new tank. When
I move the fish to new tank do I need to float them? I know usually you have to
or is it ALWAYS have too even for reason I stated?
<Don't float them in the tank. Get a bucket, and half-fill with water from the
aquarium. Float the bag in that. After 5 minutes or so, open the bag and sluice
in a little of the aquarium water. Repeat across 15 minutes or so until the
water in the bag is fully mixed with the aquarium water in the bucket. Then use
your net to lift the fish into the bucket. Why do it this way? Because this
minimises chances of diseases (such as whitespot) getting between the fish shop
and your existing aquarium.>
2. I read that Bio Spira is no longer manufactured. Anybody know the reason why?
<No idea. It didn't always work that well, so perhaps that's why.>
3. Is it possible to train a fish to wear glasses and talk like the great Don
Knotts? If so, I need to get me one of those. (sorry had to throw that in)
<I have no idea who Don Knotts is. Is he like a trained Killer Whale or
something at Seaworld? I've seen that, and Shamu certain did wear stuff like
hats and whatnot, and if I recall sang happy birthday to some kid in the
audience.>
Thank you
<Cheers, Neale.>
<<Thrummmm! RMF>> Acclimating New Fish
Hello, At the pet shop I work at we are having a problem with the freshwater
angel fish we bring in. Commonly experience loss of about 50% or more of
the first few days. Having tried various things, I wonder if there is
some
point in your guerilla acclimating procedure I could mimic and get more
headway.
First how we do it.
Fish arrive as shipments from a company called Coast. The old box with
Styrofoam surrounding it. Fish in bags of bluish water, which I take is
Methylene blue.
< Maybe Start Right by Jungle that is a combination of Meth. blue and
salt.>
We float the bags for 20 - 30 minutes. Cut off top of bag with scissors,
and gently pour into a specimen container, then using a net put them
directly into the aquarium. {don't have the facility to quarantine,
really}
Yes, sometimes we've tried introducing tank water into the shipping bag.
I do have concerns of raising the ph of the shipping water, thus making
the ammonium more toxic as ammonia. Might that only be a valid concern
if the ph of the shipping water is below 7? 7.4 o.k.?
< Two things going on. If the fish have been in the bags for a long time
then there may be a build up of CO2 in the bag
which is an acid and lowers the pH of the water. You are right in the
sense that the lower pH has made the ammonia less toxic to the fish.
Check the Ph of the newly opened bag with a pH meter. Add an airstone
for 20 minutes and check the pH again. If the pH has risen then the CO2
has been aerated out of the water and the pH should be closer to your
tanks at the store.
The second is a build up of ammonia in the bag. Check the ammonia levels
in the bag. The ammonia levels in the water can be quickly neutralized
with chemicals and resins. Neutralize the ammonia then volatize the CO2.
In the 20 minutes that the CO2 is being given off,
the fish will lose some of the ammonia back into the water as a waste
product. So there should be less of a pH shock and stress from ammonia.>
Since at work the fish are shipped with 'blue water' already in the bag,
should I still make a mix of Methylene blue in the 'holding water'?
< No, waste of time. >
Shipping in 'blue water' may make testing for ph harder, we use the
questionable accuracy of strips from jungle to do it. I could always
bring in a digital ph pen to give me a more accurate number. Is that the
best choice?
< Absolutely. Make sure it is calibrated with a standard solution.>
So from the guerilla's mouth I should change the way I acclimate at
least my angels to; Floating the bag for temperature
< Waste of time unless extremely hot or cold>
Remove a portion of holding tank water to a kitty litter bin scissor off
the fish bag and test the ph add enough ph-down to the holding water in
the litter bin to match the ph (does that take long?)
< Extreme pH changes should be avoided. Aerate to drive off the CO2,
Neutralize the ammonia.>
8 drops of Methylene blue, tablespoon aquarium salt, band-aid in a
bottle nova aqua maybe some Maracide and Maracyn and an air stone So in
essence we have given a medicative dip to a fish at the same time as
acclimation, which does indeed eliminate many of the nasties in shipping
bag water.
The salt is purely to help the stressed fish, you apply to this to
tetras and S. American catfish?
< No way. They hate salt!!>
These fish are known to be salt intolerant, but in this instance the
salt is short term. Probably best to avoid with elephant nose fish,
though.
< Absolutely.>
Novaqua would be helpful - for physical injury and slime coat damage
< I do like the Kordon products.>
For my work I'm thinking angel fish from Coast, for myself I'm thinking
wild caught zebra Plecos or queen Plecos. Any difference in procedure?
< You are talking captive bred angels with wild caught pleco's. If the
pleco's are coming from the same guy then they should be in the same
water and the same procedures will apply. Wild pleco's from South
America are a different story.>
Thank you for your help. I know I have to chew the fat of the guide for
awhile. The airstone contradiction.. the combining of medicating and
acclimating in the same step... but I do see it as working, and perhaps
a better way. I should ask to view the acclimation of sensitive S.
American catfish at my LFS, if they don't think I'm stealing their
secrets for the competition. Thank you, again
< If your fish are dying after a few days then there may be something
wrong with your tanks too. Baby angelfish are usually at the wholesalers
for awhile and get little or no food at all. Once they are in the tank
they should get lots of aeration and at least one feeding of live food
live worms. Check the nitrates. They should be under 25 ppm, the lower
the better.-Chuck>
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