I was reading in a book I own that, when introducing new fish to an aquarium, it is not neccessary to 'float' the bag in the water for any period of time unless the tank water is colder than the water in the bag. It suggests that the fish just be dumped into the water, stating that keeping them in the bag causes more stress than the temperature difference will. My local LFS and several other people I have talked to, however, suggest that I should float the bag to allow the temperature of the water in the bag to equal the temperature of the tank, then add some tankwater to the bag to slowly make the pH the same as well. I was wondering what everybody's opinion is on what the best way to introduce new fish to an aquarium is?
Best way to indroduce new fish??
- Thread starter thecowman
- Start date
If the temperature of the water in the tank is the same as the temperature in the bag, or very close to it and the parameters of your water is the same as where the fish came from than you can place them in the tank immediately. If the fish have been in the bag for several hours then adding water from your tank is going to make the ammonia in the bag of water toxic by raising the pH. In this case it would be better to place the fish directly into the water after you have floated the sealed bag in the tank to equalize the temperature.
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I always float the bag for about 30 mins, then add some tank water to the bag every 15 mins for about an hour. Then I pour the bag into a bucket, net the fish out and put him in the tank. I never add the fish store water into my tank.
After I killed over $100 worth of fish in my 55 gallon one time when adding a new fish (it was carrying a disease), I also ALWAYS use a quarantine tank now for 6 weeks before adding new fish to my established aquariums.
After I killed over $100 worth of fish in my 55 gallon one time when adding a new fish (it was carrying a disease), I also ALWAYS use a quarantine tank now for 6 weeks before adding new fish to my established aquariums.
I agree it is exteremly unlikely that adding the water from the bag to the tank killed you fish. The reason people avoid adding the water from the bag is because there is a chance that it might introduce some illness.
When you add water from another source you always run the risk of intoducing illness. Especially from a fish shop. You never know what those fish might be harboring. Even from from a healthy tank there is a risk involved, albeit low.
Alright so the filtration exchange is off since our's are not compatable at all. I don't know anyone else with an undergravel system 
I will never again add LFS's water into my tank. I'm so nervous for Thursday now. Grrr. I wish I could not be stressed out, between this and exams I'm going to explode!!!
I will never again add LFS's water into my tank. I'm so nervous for Thursday now. Grrr. I wish I could not be stressed out, between this and exams I'm going to explode!!!Try to relax Yashinfan, If you made sure you did everything right than that is all you can do. Maybe it was simply the stress of being moved from one place to another that did them in, they could have just been weak, or it could have been some freak thing. Unfortunately you sometimes you take a risk when you buy animals.