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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAcclimatisation is crucial for the fish <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Acclimatisation is crucial for the fish as water conditions in the bag\nmay well be different to conditions in the home aquarium. If fish are purchased\nfrom a local fish shop, then the tap water pH and hardness are likely to be the\nsame. Also the journey time from shop to home is going to be short; this\nminimises changes in bag water quality and prevents excessive temperature\ndecline. If you are transporting fish a long way, perhaps because you are\nmoving house or taking fish to a show, then it is vital to insulate against\ntemperature-loss. Your local aquatic store may be able to supply polystyrene\nboxes, alternatively you can place the bags in a cardboard box which has been\npre-packed with towels or blankets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you get your fish to their new home, acclimatise them immediately.\nTo do this, first, turn out aquarium lights and dim room lights or draw\ncurtains. Fish are photophobic (scared of light) and the darker conditions will\nhelp to minimise panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open the bag and float it on the aquarium water. Opening it allows fresh\nair over the water so that gas exchange can occur, floating allows the water\ntemperature in the bag to begin to equalise to the tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leave the fish floating in their bag for 10 minutes, (to prevent the bag\nsinking or tipping over, use a an aquarium food clip or plastic clothes peg to\nclip the bag to the glass or roll down the top of the bag).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After 10 minutes, add a small amount of aquarium water to the bag water,\nthis slowly introduces the fish to the tank water quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Continue to add a small amount, (perhaps a cupful), to the bag once\nevery 10 minutes over half an hour, the fish is then ready to add to the tank.\nMost aquarists the gently lift the bag and allow the fish to swim out into\ntheir new home. Some prefer to net out the fish from the bag, thereby\npreventing any accumulated pollutants or stress pheromones from exiting the bag\ninto the tank water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An alternative method is drip acclimatization, where a length of air\nline is used to slowly drip tank water into the bag over a period of hours. A\nairline regulator or even and loose knot in the airline tube will slow the flow\ndown to a dropwise rate. This method is preferred for freshwater aquarium\nshrimps and marine aquarium specimens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the fish is in the tank, keep the aquarium lights off for several\nhours and do not be tempted to feed your new fish. Monitor new fish for signs\nof stress or bullying. In the long term (after 24 hours), check the new fish is\nfeeding normally and monitor all fish for signs of disease. The new fish could\nsuccumb to infection by pathogens resident in the tank or existing fish could\nhave been exposed to a new pathogen introduced by the new fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transporting fish is inevitably a stressful process for the fish and the\nfishkeeper. By understanding the demands of bag transport and proper\nacclimatisation the impact of this stress can be minimised.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At a time when the use of plastic bags is being reduced it is worth considering one utterly vital role that the plastic bag performs in the aquatic trade: the transport of live fish. Plastic bags are water and air-tight, they are available in a range of shapes and sizes to suit a huge variety […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165,163],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aquarium","category-fish"],"yoast_head":"\n