Freshwater dips

I'd love to hear some thoughts/experience on giving each new fish you bring home a freshwater bath.

Freshwater dips can be effective in helping kill parasites but it is not a replacement for a Quarantine system. If you get healthy fish then the QT time can be short and then they can go into the main system. If you know the fish are displaying or carrying a disease then they should be in a QT for 4-6 weeks to allow for treatment as well as monitoring.

If you have a fish with ich DO NOT put it into your system. This is where a Quarantine tank is very important. Once Ich is in your system you have to remove all fish and leave them out for 8 weeks in order to rid it from your tank. It can easily wipe out an entire tank for of fish. It's just not worth it.

If I see no signs of illness, disease, or parasites then they get treated for two weeks and as long as they are eating well and healthy (and not a known carrier of other issues) I will add them to the display in an acclimation box. This gives them the ability to get to know the other tank mates as well as gives me the ability to easily remove them or give them additional food etc, before letting them out into the tank. There is nothing worse than putting a new fish in the tank only to have to tear the entire tank apart to get them back out.

IMO I buy a fish that has been in as store for 1 week min and then ask them to hold it for another 1-2 weeks. I check on it multiple times and make sure its eating and not weak. That way I dont have to worry about a weak fish in my system. The places I buy from run copper in their systems too so I know its being copper treated while its waiting for its new home.

Almost all of them, but not Fish-4-U. It's just the way that Kris and Carrie do it. Their tanks are so old and mature, like upwards of 20 years, with algae and hiding places, fish are very comfortable in their tanks and generally do pretty well without chemical treatment. Many people might look at the red algae growing in Fish-4-U tanks and think "ugh". But it's actually a testament to the power of algae, to bring comfort, food and healing to a biological system. Algae is the basis of all life on this planet. I could go on and on... wait, I already have.

Aloha,

Mark 

P.S.

The Tangs in question, Powder Blue and Powder Brown, as well as a few other fish, like the Convict Tang, are most often found swimming in large shoals. I believe they stress and die in our tanks because they are lonely and sometimes there's nothing we can do to change that.

Only half the LFS, really!  Shoot. I thought I knew something. Guess I better take my wife's advice and "Shut up!"

Aloha,

Mark 

Edited by Mark Peterson - May 10 2016 at 10:14pm