what do I do after I leave the Fish store with my fish?

[Gerwin]

388-5651
What do I do after I leave the Fish store with my fish?
from www.fishystuff.net

1.Don't take the fish bag out of the carry bag and /or poke, point or otherwise scare
2. Don't decide to catch a quick lunch and find you got the slowest server ever,
3. Don't go to work before going home,
4. Don't put your fish bags in the trunk,
5. Don't try and catch the blue light special at K-Mart

What you do want to do, is go straight home, if that is a 2-6 hr drive, so be it....just go straight home. A comfortable temp for you in the car is most likely going to be fine for the fish. Sitting the fish on the floorboard in the back seat out of the sun and away from the A/C outlet would be best. AND don't keep pulling the fish bag out of the bag to peek at the fish! God it drives me crazy when somebody just paid 60 bucks for a delicate specimen and as they pull out of the drive way of the store, I see them holding the fish bag up to the front window to look at their new fish, even poking at the bag to watch them swim (in FEAR)…. Think people THINK!
Ok you made it home and the fish are still alive, your half way there. Now take the bag and float it in the fish tank, NOT for 1-2 hrs!!!! but about 15-20 minutes for Freshwater and 45-1 hour Saltwater. IF the trip was short, in my opinion an hour or about, go ahead and add enough water to raise the water line in the bag 1/4 inch and do that every 3-5 minutes, to not only adapt for temp. but PH, Salinity, and other such factors. This is to further reduce the stress to the fish, upon entering the Aquarium. If the bag is to large to float, no problem, pour them into a clean bucket or suitable container, and just add tank water to the container every 3-5 minutes for about 20 minutes F/W and 45-1 hour S/W. In both cases after this DO NOT add bag water to the tank, catch the fish from bag/container and place into the aquarium.
Remember he's been through a lot of trauma over the last few hrs, getting yanked from one universe and thrown into another.
Don't worry about feeding it till the next day and start with very sm. amounts as not to foul your water and do not panic if he does not eat the first day or two.** Not all fish are like me, ready to eat, anytime, anywhere.

[Corey M]

After adding my tank water to my new fish bags and then disposing of this water........... I should replace this water in the sump with salt water and not tap water in order to replace the lost salt ???

[Corey M]

What about placing your new fish in an isolation container with-in the larger tank until the old fish get used to their presence......... I saw this referenced some where else on line and it made some sense.

While on the subject of dividing up your tank........ does anyone ever partition their tank so that they can have something like sea horses........ or is the answer just set up an entire new tank.

[Doug]

After adding my tank water to my new fish bags and then disposing of this water........... I should replace this water in the sump with salt water and not tap water in order to replace the lost salt ???

Whenever you physically remove water from a saltwater tank, you need to replace it with saltwater. Only water that leaves the tank by evaporation takes no salt with it, so use freshwater to replace it.

[Gerwin]

What about placing your new fish in an isolation container with-in the larger tank until the old fish get used to their presence......... I saw this referenced some where else on line and it made some sense.

While on the subject of dividing up your tank........ does anyone ever partition their tank so that they can have something like sea horses........ or is the answer just set up an entire new tank.
Corey M

PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:53 pm Post subject: New Fish

As a rule, if you think your fish are compatable or were told they are, just acclimate and introduce , if you have a problen then the isolation container idea might work. As far as tank dividers , they have a purpose to accompliosh what you mentioned but you give up a attractive scene in the aquascaping when you put a plastic separation device in the middle of your glass......yuk

[Doug]

A trick to help introduce new fish, if you're willling to do so, is to rearrange the tank decorations. Territories previously established will be lost, and everybody's on a level playing field.