Is my "death rate" normal?

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

If you wanted to you could do that. But you would have to accumulate the fish to that water as well- because its gonna be different than the water in the bag. Temp and everything. I just think it sounds like a big hassle when 25 mins in a bag shouldn't be a problem if the bag is big enough an not overloaded with fish.

 

[davidaguiar]

I agree with Luv... I don't think 25 minutes is too long. I think its better to hang the bag in the tank. They're in for quite a temperature shock if you are letting them sit in a bucket of cool water for an hour or more before you net them. Plus the new fish get a chance to check out their future roommates before they take the plunge!

 

[OrionGirl]

Just floating does not acclimate the fish to the water parameters of the tank. Floating with the top open to allow introductions of water also raises the poosibility of introducing the LFS water to your tank--risky!

 

[HarmonyAZ]

The book OG suggested said letting the bag float in the tank is not much good. It doesn't even make the water temps converge, most likely, because the bag is probably right under the light. It also says never dump the bagged water into your tank.

When I use a bucket for new fish to acclimate in, it's not cold, even if it were in the car. It's 80 degrees outside now, and my house is usually the same temp as my tank so there's not much culture shock going from bucket to tank.

Anyway, I got some more cardinals today. The LFS manager said 50% death rate on them wasn't ALL that bad, and that 25 minutes in the bag shouldn't have caused any problems. He acted like with tetras, you got what you got. I kinda wondered if he thought I was hoping for a discount on the 2nd batch, which I wasn't. I just wanted ideas of how to avoid it happening all the time.

Thanks for your help, everyone!

 

[Tim Bo]

I'm a little fuzzy on the time frame of when you bought the danios and all the subsequent fish. Sounds more like your tank hasn't had time to cycle. Dou you test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?
I wouldn't agree with your LFS that 50% is a normal death rate for newly purchased fish unless there is a disease involved...

 

[HarmonyAZ]

This tank has been set up with fish (too many, too big) for a couple years. I have been changing fish, RE-stocking, not initial stocking. Cycling should not be an issue. Ammonia and nitrites are zero. I don't have a nitrates test but the LFS said the rest looked fine. I agree 50% isn't realistic. I think he was trying to get out of replacing any. I won't listen to his advice much anymore.

OrionGirl: I wanted to let you know that I added 7 more cardinals today and all have survived and the ONLY thing I did differently was skip the air stone in the bucket. They were from the same batch, same tank at the LFS as the ones bought Wed. that half died. So you might've had the best guess. Well, I did change about 40% of the water before adding these but I had done that 5 days before adding the ones on Wed. and the water tested fine then.

I think I've found the secret to having no instant deaths. Buy more than you want.