Introducing New Fish into Tank

[Sasha]

I'm so shocked! I can't believe this! My beautiful female Pearl Gourami is dead! She was the first Gourmi that I ever had and her death breaks my heart. I don't know how she died, but I'm guessing it was too much stress for her to handle. I've been having this problem a lot lately, so I thought I should ask. How do you properly introduce a new fish into the tank? The last two fish that I added into the tank has died and I was wondering if the change put them into shock or stress.

I used to float the bag with the new arrivals for 30 minutes, but it seemed like it was such a sudden change in such a short amount of time. So, I tried to gradually accutomed any new fish by slowly adding a cup of the aquairum water over a period of serveral hours. Does anyone have a succusful method with introducing new fish into the tank?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I'm so shocked! I can't believe this! My beautiful female Pearl Gourami is dead! She was the first Gourmi that I ever had and her death breaks my heart. I don't know how she died, but I'm guessing it was too much stress for her to handle. I've been having this problem a lot lately, so I thought I should ask. How do you properly introduce a new fish into the tank? The last two fish that I added into the tank has died and I was wondering if the change put them into shock or stress.

I used to float the bag with the new arrivals for 30 minutes, but it seemed like it was such a sudden change in such a short amount of time. So, I tried to gradually accutomed any new fish by slowly adding a cup of the aquairum water over a period of serveral hours. Does anyone have a succusful method with introducing new fish into the tank?

I do this but for a much shorter time. I let the bad float for 20minutes and then I open the bag and roll down the edges so it floats. I then add about 1/2 cup of tank water to the bag ever 15 minutes until there is more new water in the bag than old.

My fish have always been fine using this method and it was how I was instructed by a seller of fish for when they had been travelling cross country to me (so would be quite stressed and coldish).

HTH

 

[heresmike]

My method is similar to Miss Cheese Specialist, except I dump some of the water out of the bag (down the drain!) before adding water from the tank. The end result is probably not that much different. Then I net the fish out of the bag into the water.

IMO, acclimating over several hours is longer than it needs to take, but it's not likely that's what caused their death.

 

[Nina7777]

I personally have always, just floated the bag for 30 minutes, and then put my fish in the tank. Guess this is not the best method, but it always works for me.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I float the bag for 20 minutes, and then transfer the fish from the bag to the aquarium. It's never been a problem for me this way.. ever.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I float the bag for 20 minutes, and then transfer the fish from the bag to the aquarium. It's never been a problem for me this way.. ever.

The reason for adding a little water to the bag often is to allow the fish to get used to slight differences in ph etc.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I know, and by all means anyone should do this as a precaution, it's just a step that has never proven necessary for me - freshwater fish are very resilient.

 

[harried_mom]

It doesn't sound like anyone quarantines fish? I've got two little swimmers waiting in the hospital tank for a few days before adding to the big tank. Am I being overprecautious? How long should I wait?

 

[CMC]

Quarantining probably isn't a bad idea. That will give you time to make sure you have healthy new fish without disease before putting them with your other fish.

 

[silver]

Personally, I only wait 10 minutes. Might sound bad, but I've never had a problem. The temp. of the water in the bag is only degrees off of what your tank is if you think about it. And, like TCA said, Freshwater fish are pretty darn hardy. They aren't babied AT ALL when they cross country or continent. Have you seen how they ship fish....OMG!!!!! It's horrible, no wonder why a WHOPPING 60% of all fish die during or after transport.

I honestly don't think that is what is killing your fish. Maybe you should try a different LFS just to see if it makes a difference at all!


One more thought, if you are keeping the fish in the bag for hours at a time, maybe they could use a little more oxygen. I'd wait 15 minutes then dump the sucker(s) in.

Silver

 

[heresmike]

It doesn't sound like anyone quarantines fish? I've got two little swimmers waiting in the hospital tank for a few days before adding to the big tank. Am I being overprecautious? How long should I wait?

I'd say that all depends on how much you trust your lfs. The place I go to is the only place in this metro of 3 million people that I trust. I've never quarantined a fish, and have never had a problem. I'd never dream of NOT quarantining fish from another source.

 

[Sasha]

Thank you all for the advice! Was I introducing new fish with a long amount of time? I don't want to stress the new arrivals, but I want to aviod to shock them with a sudden introduction into the tank.

I recently discovered that the pH was way too high (it was over 7.5!) and I think that's what caused my Pearl Gourami to die. I feel so guilty! I tested the water on Sunday and the pH was a little high, so I added some drops to decrease it down but it didn't work. Strangly, I tested the tap water and teh pH read 5.0. I wonder why's there's such a difference between the tap water and the tank water.

 

[G_Sharky]

Your tap water comes up with a ph of 5.0 I don't know if your test kit is accurate but that's a little too acidic for tap water(please correct me if i'm wrong). If your using any chemicals to alter ph, my advice to you is too stop using it, try to maintain a stable ph as most fish will adapt to any range.....

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Sorry, but PH is absolutely not the reason why your fish died. The water in all of my aquariums is high 7's or low 8's and I have no problems at all. Fresh water fish have proven to have no problems adapting to any reasonable PH.

Do yourself a favor and do not use any chemicals to alter your PH - this will make your tank unstable. I'd rather have a ph that is not ideal then a ph that is not stable.

 

[JAYJT]

Just keep it simple,

Float for 20 minutes then add fish, simple! never done my fish any harm, and everyone I know does it the same way too.