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Post by kagome on Dec 19, 2008 12:08:17 GMT -5
I am going to be transferring fish from one tank to another and I have to admit that I have never done this. I've only ever transferred fish from the plastic bag from the fish store to the tank and so I'm wondering what is the best way to do this?
Should I just put them in a small container with water from their original tank and then slowly add water from the new tank?
For about how long do you think this process should take so that the fish will be safe and not shocked by new conditions?
BTW it will be a clown loach and a common pleco if anyone thinks the species of fish might make a difference.
Thanks in advance for any help guys!
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Post by goldenpuon on Dec 19, 2008 12:33:31 GMT -5
Well, I admit I never do it any way than what you do but the way Carl recommends is much less stress on the fish. Put the fish in a large bucket of water ans start a drip system from the tank you want to put them in to the bucket. Depending on the difference in PH, temperature in water, etc., this can take up to up to 3 hours. Don't worry though. I think you can do less. It only normally takes 3 if you have a fish you got by mail that had to endure a long transport/shipping time. I'm far from an expert on this, I may be wrong on some of these points. (Though I think some advice is better than none) I'm sure other can elaborate more. Carl also has an article on this on his site.
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Post by murdock6701 on Dec 19, 2008 12:42:37 GMT -5
1st question should be "what are the comparative water parameters?" if they are the same, I ususally just net the fish and move them in - if not, I will place the fish in a bag similar to buying a new fish, float the bag in the new tank and add a 1/4 cup of new tank water every 15 minutes for an hours - then net the fish and put him/her into the new tank - do not dump the water from the bag in.....good luck
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Post by goldenpuon on Dec 19, 2008 13:42:06 GMT -5
Sorry if I gave the wrong advice Kagome. I wasn't sure what kind of transport method was best. Sorry about that guys.
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Post by brenda on Dec 19, 2008 15:41:27 GMT -5
I am with murdock on this one...My tanks all are kept at the same temp and water parameters, so I just net the fish and put it in the other tank.
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Post by babygeige on Dec 19, 2008 15:54:10 GMT -5
All of my tanks have the same parameters as far as pH and stuff, but not necessarily the same temp. My 30 gallon is warmer than the rest of my tanks, so if transferring fish from between different temps, I put them in the bucket and add water until the temp is closer.
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Post by bikeguy33 on Dec 19, 2008 22:57:05 GMT -5
well....this is why the acclimation is so important....not just to prevent temp shock....but to give the fish a chance to adapt to all conditions that are different. also....if you think about it...you are doing exactly what the pet store does....taking a fish from a tank into a new one. the only thing i disagree with is the 1/4 cup at a time....clowns can be very touchy to water conditions....i would do an 1/8 cup for 2 hours. you got some great advice here....and as well....a drop or 2 of MB in the moving bucket/bag would be helpful to ease stress a lil. be sure to use your finger to move the surface of the water to oxygenate it....or use an air store. an hour or 2 is a long time to be starved for oxygen...
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Post by kagome on Dec 20, 2008 0:08:29 GMT -5
Thanks folks. I will be running my numbers tomorrow (hopefully, family is coming inand so all this may have to wait) to see how they compare to each other. I think that probably the parameters that will be different will be Gh and temperature. I have a one gallon isolation tank now that has an undergravel filter run by an airstone so I think I'll use that for the acclimation process.
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Post by murdock6701 on Dec 20, 2008 10:52:13 GMT -5
I wouldn't do that, then you're moving it twice! just do the one move and it should be more successful - Bill is right about the loasch, the pleco should have no problem - one move, less stress!
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Post by kagome on Dec 20, 2008 23:54:21 GMT -5
OK so I moved the fish today. I put them in a one gallon container with their original water and then let that float in the 38g to get the temperature to even out. A little at a time I poured in water from their new tank. The Ph is the same 6.8 but the Gh was higher in the new tank so I did want to ease the loach into that slowly. After about an hour of this process I netted them and put them in the 38g. So far they seem to be doing well. It was nifty once I got them in there because the clown loaches that are in the 38g are literally half the size of Spike, the clown loach I just put in there. After a few minutes they started to gather around him and rub themselves on him and they all laid themselves down around him whenever he held still. I think it makes them feel more secure to have a big buddy to school with. They're probably thinking we're small and bite size but you're big and tough so let's be friends. So far both Spike the loach and Fudge the pleco have explored the tank and found there own little territories where they seem to feel secure. I hope I did this right and everybody will be OK.
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Post by murdock6701 on Dec 21, 2008 0:01:56 GMT -5
sounds like you did great kiddo! just make sure you have lots of "caves" or hidey holes but nothing like a big shell where the loaches might lure fish into - pleco will soon estabish his place - even a flat rock leaning against the tank will do - did he have one in the old tasnk? boil it and move that in - bet he goes right back to it!
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Post by kagome on Dec 21, 2008 0:36:49 GMT -5
did he have one in the old tasnk? boil it and move that in - bet he goes right back to it! Actually he hung out in a polyresin castle that he kicked the gourami out of. I can't really boil it and I think the gourami will probably move back in since he's never really given up trying to kick the pleco out of it. But there are plenty of hiding places in the new tank. For right now he's been hiding among the plants along the back glass of the tank but I'm pretty sure he will take up residence inside the upper part of the big Buddha. It's big enough that he can have the top part and the loaches can hang out on the gravel on the bottom. I'm not worried about homicidal loaches as the pleco is bigger than the biggest loach and he is armor plated, he doesn't take crap off of anybody. And when I add cichlids I'm really not worried about them either. Severums are no Jack Dempsey's but they're not wimps either and I've kept the two together before with great success. |
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Post by brenda on Dec 21, 2008 21:55:25 GMT -5
Any pics of the new tank???  |
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Post by kagome on Dec 21, 2008 23:11:32 GMT -5
I have pics but I'm trying to find the USB cable that connects my camera to my computer. When we moved out here it was in a real hurry and so a lot of things have been misplaced. I'm not sure if it's here at the house or in the storage room somewhere. I will be able to post pics when I get a new photo CD made in the next few days, at the latest. I'll post them on my tank blog.
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