Introducing New Fish To Your Aquarium
By now you have a tank where all your fish pets have happily settled in, but you have just found the perfect addition for your tank.
As you drive back with your newest pet in a bag beside you, here are some pointers that you would do well to remember:
The fish you have just bought would be terrified of being taken out from its surroundings, and would be under a fair deal of stress.
The ideal situation would be to keep it in a quarantine tank once you get home, and observe it for a few days to ensure that it has not contracted any instance of ich or any other infection at the shop.
Having a quarantine tank may be a bit difficult for everyone so even if you are planning to release the fish into your existing tank with the other inmates, here are some steps to help make the transition easier and to ensure that the fish live happily ever after:
Step 1: For about half an hour, let the sealed bag float in the aquarium. Most shops pump the bag full of oxygen so the fish should not have any problems. During this time, you’ll probably see the other fish coming up to the bag to take a closer look at their new companion. You’ll also see the fish sort of getting comfortable with their surroundings.
Step 2: After the aforementioned time period, open the bag, and drain it out via a net so that the fish comes into the net. It is not advisable to put the water from the bag into the tank. Once you have the fish in the net, put the net in your tank, and let the fish swim out on its own.
Step 3: Keep the lights off in the aquarium and let the fish get more comfortable in the new tank and your existing pets. You’ll probably see it looking for hiding places, initially, and after some time venturing out to explore its surroundings. Leave the lights off for 24 hours or more.
Step 4: Preferably release the fish after feeding the existing fish in the aquarium, so that there is a decent time interval (24 hours would be good, though not mandatory), for the fish to get to know each other, before they feed together.
There you have it. One big happy aquarium.
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