| Chunk 1: How to add your Fish to your home aquarium Taking fish home and putting them into an aquarium can be a stressful process for fish, and if not done correctly can lead to disease and/or death of both the new and old fish in the aquarium. This Care Sheet outlines a few basic steps that you should take to help ensure a smooth transition from the shop to the home aquarium. | |
| Chunk 2: Check the Aquarium Before purchasing any new fish, make a quick check of the aquarium. Ensure the filters, aeration etc are working properly. Check the water quality, particularly pH and ensure it is at a suitable level – for most community tanks a level of 6.8 – 7.2 would be suitable. It may also help to improve the water quality if a water change is also undertaken before purchasing new fish. | |
| Chunk 3: Check Fish Compatibility When buying the fish, check with the dealer to ensure the new fish will be suited to your aquarium and will mix with the species you already have. | |
| Chunk 4: Avoid delays Your fish will have been bagged with minimum water at the Pet Store or Aquarium , and changes such as temperature fluctuations, reduced oxygen levels and increased ammonia levels can occur rapidly. Try to get the fish home quickly and keep the bag out of direct sunlight and extremes of temperature. | |
| Chunk 5: Turn off lights Turn off lights on the tank – bright lights can add to the stress of fish. | |
| Chunk 6: Equalize Water Temperatures Gently place the sealed bag in your tank and let it float for 2-5 minutes (no longer). This will equalize the water temperatures. | |
| Chunk 7: Place fish in the tank Pour the contents of the bag (fish and water) through a sterilised net, capturing the water in a container, and the fish in the net. Carefully release the fish from the net into your tank, and discard the waste water appropriately. Do not place the water from the bag into the tank. | |
| Chunk 8: Overcome Transport Stress Do not feed for the first 24 hrs, and leave the light off for at least 3 hours, to help the fish overcome the transport stress. | |
| Chunk 9: Observe with Care Observe your fish carefully for the next few days. If there are any signs of disease (frayed fins, rash or blood spots) check with your dealer for the appropriate medication. A preventative treatment of the tank with a Whitespot or broad spectrum medication can be useful in preventing any outbreaks of Whitespot and other disease brought on by stress. NB: Some websites recommend that an alternative approach to step 6 is to gradually add water from the fish tank to the bag over a period of 1 to 3 hours to help acclimatise fish. We do not recommend this, particularly if the tank water is alkaline, as it can cause problems with ammonia toxicity. |