WTF is going on??

[kyle3]

vic 21 this is the same as my original acclimation method except:

the problem i had with it still applies- unless your room temp is within a couple of degrees of your tank, sensitive species will be stressed unless the container is in the tank or heated by it's own independent heater.

lunch box- your method is about the same as mine but i get fed up with opening and closing the bag and holding it open to remove and add water- container makes life a lot easier----especially is you get one that fits snuggly between your your hood and the tankside just under the access "door".

 

[nursie]

YOu guys are great and have given me a lot of food for thought. I will certainly do the water changes...just in case ot toxins...
and certainly also beef up my acclimization process. IMO..the fish wasn't 100% and what I did probably was the icing on the cake.

 

[kyle3]

i agree from the sounds of it the fish was on a downward spiral before you found him-

i hate that dilema- fabulous fish aweful retailer-

it's a really hard one especially when the "maybe i could give it a happier life" sympathy stuff kicks in!

 

[dorkfish]

I personally don't think it was the clorine that killed the kuhli's. I once pored straight tap water into my reef (as makeup water) without fatalitys, but I was quick to get the Prime and my city uses ozone with some clorine. I Know the use ozone as I went on a field trip thier and the person showing us around said they use it.

 

[vic21]

Temperature

vic 21 this is the same as my original acclimation method except:

the problem i had with it still applies- unless your room temp is within a couple of degrees of your tank, sensitive species will be stressed unless the container is in the tank or heated by it's own independent heater.

lunch box- your method is about the same as mine but i get fed up with opening and closing the bag and holding it open to remove and add water- container makes life a lot easier----especially is you get one that fits snuggly between your your hood and the tankside just under the access "door".

I don't think the temperature change is an issue. If you have driven home from the LFS you have likely impacted the temperature of the water in the bag. The slow aclimation will adjust the fish temperature to that of the tank over a period of time. This is far better than just firing them in the tank and hoping for the best. If you are real concerned with the temp change don't remove the LFS water and just add tank water slowly. This will cause the temperature change (likely increase) to be very slow.
Cheers;

 

[Roan Art]

Nursie,

I've been in Maryland most of the day picking up some wanamensis. I was going to look for that black belly stuff -- do you still want me to?

As an aside, everyone has a different way of acclimating fish, but does anyone check the readings in the bag water?

Of late, when I get my fish, I've been putting them all in a container as usual with the original water. Then I take a sample of the water and test it for pH and GH.

Y'know, Dave and RTR really *are* correct. Fish don't read pH. Example: the pH of the water in the bag I had today was 6.4, GH 5, temp 72. My tank water is pH 7.8, GH 8, temp 75. I added new water until the GH in the container was 7, pH was 6.9-7.0, temp was 73 and put the fish in.

No shock. No stress. Nothing. All four fish ate within 5 mins of being in the tank. Here's a difference in pH of almost 1.0 and no problems.

My goal was to match the GH and temp as close as possible, nothing else. I took the pH reading just for snorts and giggles.

Dunno if that helps, but maybe find out what the GH of the water at the store is? Ask them for a sample of their water and do some tests. Maybe there is a big difference there.

Roan

 

[kyle3]

vic the thing is that if the air temp around the small container is cool enough the water from the tank isn't going to raise the temp at all even tho it's warmer the temp of the air is going to have the greater impact and the difference can be great so when you take the fish out of the acclimation container and toss it in the tank the shock can be substantial.

this is why i said it depends on the room temp if it's with a few degrees of the tank you're right it won't make a big difference at all but if it's winter in the north and your room temp is 62 and the tank is 78 that's a huge shock to the fish and it must be avoided for sensitive fish like plecos

 

[nursie]

I personally don't think it was the clorine that killed the kuhli's. I once pored straight tap water into my reef (as makeup water) without fatalitys, but I was quick to get the Prime and my city uses ozone with some clorine. I Know the use ozone as I went on a field trip thier and the person showing us around said they use it.

I have put in "make up " water if a tad low and not declored it, but this was at least a 75% water change. I was planting plants and took it down low so it would be easier.