It is important that the process of purchasing new tropical fish and adding them to your aquarium should be followed thoroughly. This is to make sure the new fish settle in quickly and safely.
A few guidelines to follow:
1. Make sure the water in your aquarium is healthy before buying and adding new tropical fish. If the water quality it not very good, the mixture of poor water quality coupled with the stress of transportation can cause health problems for new tropical fish. Therefore it is important to test the water for ammonia and nitrite using a test kit or else you can take a sample to your local aquatics store, where they will happy to test the water for you.
2. When purchasing new fish, it is always prudent to ask for advice about new tropical fish, in order to ensure they will be compatible and happy in your aquarium. Certain tropical fish can be very aggressive and territorial which can upset the balance of an aquarium.
3. It is also wise to only purchase healthy, active fish. If there are quite a few unhealthy or dead fish in the tank, this can point to problems.
4. The majority of aquatic stores will pack your fish in a plastic bag containing oxygen and water. This is far more beneficial than simply transporting the fish in water.
5. The store should also put the fish in a paper bag or similar in order to keep the fish in the dark thus reducing stress. For long journeys, preferably place the bag in a polystyrene box, or else whatever else that will maintain the temperature of the water.
6. It is important that you take your new fish home straight away, as longer journeys inevitably will cause increased stress.
7. When introducing the new fish, preferably turn the lights off in the aquarium. Then leave off for 24 hours in order to reduce stress.
8. It is also important to stabilise the temperature of the new fish before introducing them into the aquarium. To get your new fish used to the temperature of the aquarium, float the plastic bag on the surface of the water for 15 minutes.
9. When the time comes to introduce the fish, it is usually best to open the plastic bag, unroll the sides and let some of the aquarium water into the bag. It is then best to leave the bag like this for around 30 minutes.
10. Then it’s best to use a net to remove the tropical fish from the bag and place them into the aquarium. It is best to avoid tipping the water from the bag into the aquarium, as it may be dirty and can upset the water balance of the whole aquarium. After you have introduced the fish, it is best to avoid feeding the fish for 24hrs afterwards. Furthermore it is prudent to keep a close eye on the fish as they settle into their new surroundings. Inevitably new fish will commonly be very shy, so you may have to give them a few days to settle in. Tropical fish food and treatments can be purchased from www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk
