Preventing Disaster When Adding a New Fish

Picking out new fish for your aquarium is probably one of the most exciting things that you will ever get to do. Every person has a different preference, and that is what makes every aquarium unique.

Unfortunately, this exciting new addition can often be the beginning of a truly devastating disaster. Why? For two main reasons - fish go through a lot of stress when transferred to a new environment, and secondly, a new fish means the chance of new diseases introduced into the aquarium. The same is true for any new addition for your aquarium.

In this editorial, I will go over some of the better ways to introduce a fish to a new environment, as well as some tips on how to prevent disasters.

Consider a new fish that you choose in the fish store. Chances are that he is under some amount of stress. The fish was removed from its natural environment (unless it was bred), and somehow transported to the fish store where you found him. This move can create quite a bit of stress on the fish, and as it turns out, stress is a predecessor of disease. This is much like one of us staying up for three days straight. We would decrease our immune system's defense, and stand the chances of getting a cold. Fish are constantly fighting off disease. Their slime coat helps them ward off diseases but, when stressed, their slime coat thins, and they become more susceptible to disease.

The good news is that collecting procedures have become better, and the amount of stress they impose on a fish has decreased. So, where does this leave you? Well, the first thing to consider is that if the fish has indeed been under some stress, you want to add as little to it as possible. This means making the transport from the fish store to your aquarium as easy as possible. You should begin by making sure that you pick a mild day to take the fish home. By this I mean that you should not choose the hottest day of the summer or coolest day of the winter. Sometimes you can't help it, but nevertheless, try to avoid extreme conditions. Although this may seem obvious, it is important that you go directly home. Don't carry the fish through the mall for a few hours. Enough said here.

Now for the most commonly broken rule - Do NOT put the fish into the aquarium immediately. This is for two reasons - first, the water temperature of the container you brought the fish home in is not the same as the water temperature of your aquarium. Putting the fish directly in the water would be like jumping out of a hot tub into an ice bath (maybe not this dramatic, but you get the point). Secondly, the water from the fish store that the fish came in could cause some serious bacterial problems in your aquarium. So, what should you do? Add about 1 cup of water from your aquarium every 30 minutes to the water that the fish was transported in. Do this three or four times, and then remove the fish carefully with a net and place it in your aquarium.

So far I have given a brief explanation of how to introduce a fish in order to avoid stress. The other main component to avoiding disaster when adding a fish to your aquarium is to make sure that it is healthy. This is done at the fish store, not at home. When you decide on a fish, take a few minutes to look at its behavior in the fish store aquarium. Is it swimming around normally, or is it sitting at the bottom, away from the other fish? Some fish by nature tend to sit at the bottom, but if the species you are looking at is not as active as it should be, this is a good indication that it is not in good health. Also, don't be afraid to ask the store clerk to feed the fish. Healthy fish are almost always willing to eat. If the fish seems uninterested in the food, it may also be an indication that something is not right. The last major thing you can do is to take a look at the physical condition of the fish. Does it have a sunken belly? Are its fins frayed? Is its exterior clear of any parasites? These are important questions to ask yourself before you take a fish home.

By trying to make sure that the fish is in good health, and by making the transition from the store to your aquarium less stressful, you will decrease the chances that your new purchase will lead to disaster. There is no way to completely eliminate all the potential dangers, but this will allow you to have a better chance at success.