Tips For Treating New Fish

Here are some tips to do if you just brought back your newly purchased fish back home.

1. Always transport your fish at moderate temperature - excessive heat or cold can severely stress and possibly kill the fish. When transporting a large number of fish use a white polystyrene box. Most quality aquatic outlets will provide you with one.

2. On arriving back to your aquarium, float your new fish (still sealed in the bag) for 20 minutes, ideally with the lights switched off to reduce stress.

3. Open the bag and add 5 to 10 drops of Stresscoat, Aquaplus or Stress Guard. At this point add a disease preventive (such as Protozin) to the aquarium. Remove any carbon or polyfilters from your filtration etc. for two or three days, as these will quickly absorb remedies or treatments.

4. Slowly add a small amount of water from your aquarium in to the bag with the new fish in and allow the bag to float for 2-3 minutes.

5. Repeat step four, 4 or 5 times until you are confident that the water in the bag has reached the same temperature as the water in your aquarium.

6. Do not introduce water from the bag to your aquarium, as this will contain fish waste.

7. Gently net the fish out of the bag and free them in to your aquarium.

8. Monitor your water quality daily (Nitrate, Nitrite, pH and Ammonia) for the next week to ensure the new introductions do not adversely affect the condition of your aquarium, either through increased feeding or otherwise.

Source Shirley Aquatics

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