What are your aquarium temperature fluctuations throughout the day? My DT, for example, swings from 78-80 (I still use metal halide which will warm the water.)
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What are your aquarium temperature fluctuations throughout the day? My DT, for example, swings from 78-80 (I still use metal halide which will warm the water.)
Get one ASAP! The markings on the aquarium heaters are rarely correct, and could be getting temp too high, which also makes it harder to hold oxygen.
Yes check by looking. Many times to begin with to watch for swings in temp. Then once you know what is normal at least a couple times a day.
Yes check by looking. Many times to begin with to watch for swings in temp. Then once you know what is normal at least a couple times a day.
Yeah, you really don't want your temp in QT swinging by more than a couple of degrees in a 24 hr span. I normally keep my QT temp right at 78, to match the DT when the time comes. I will drop it down to 75-76 (for more available O2) when treating sick fish.
Drip acclimation should only be done on fish in bags less than 8 hours or so. Temp raises by floating should only be done if temps are less than 3 degrees different (F). When I get to computer, I can explain more. Hate typing on this tablet.
Ok. so for the future.. Add more hiding spots if your going to QT more than 2 fish at a time. Also, remember, there is a certain amount of oxygen in the water so the more fish you put in, the more oxygen they are using. This means you have to add more oxygen to the water for them to survive. Adding a powerhead to the QT and pointing it up so that it disturbs the water's surface will increase gas exchange and increase oxygen. An HOB filter will do the same. Remember also, that the meds you use can deplete the oxygen in the water along with all the fish in there using it up. They could have had a disease (like velvet or brook) on top of this, but my gut tells me they were stressed and didn't have enough oxygen to breathe.
I may have said this before, but it bears repeating. NEVER ever use prime or other water conditioners in a tank where copper has been or will be present. << This has been a public service announcement
Why can you not use a water conditioner with copper treatment?
The resulting chemical interaction turns the copper toxic; increases it 10x what you dosed.
Sorry about leaving you on the hook. My tablet did not have access to a few articles I wrote on acclimation. I will link it here for you.
Basically, the ph in the bag of a shipped fish has dropped as the ammonia rises. This is good because the lower ph will help keep the ammonia less toxic. Also the fish has gone into survival mode and has slowed body activities. Now, you decide to drip acclimate and suddenly the pH begins to rise and the fish begins to breath more rapidly and poops and suddenly the ammonia in the bag will jump too toxic and the fish can die from ammonia burn or poison.
So, for any fish in a bag longer than about 5 hours personally, I will match the bag water to a bucket of clean water. Match the temp, ph, and salinity. May have to use acid buffers to do this as the pH is low. Now take the fish directly from the bag and put in the new bucket of water. Now if you can drip acclimate that is fine as there is no ammonia built up in the new water. Now, I tend to actually get my qt to the parameters of the bag and then I adjust slowly back to where I want them at.
I have never lost a fish this method from ammonia or shock.
The reason behind not liking the temp adjustment by floating is simply lots of times the temp in the bag after long shipments is much lower than our systems and needs to be brought up slower than the float bag can allow. Imagine if the water is at 70 and your tank at 79, within 15 minutes, that bag of water is at 79 and that fish has just gone through a ton of stress. Temp shock will effect fish many days afterwards and can kill.
http://www.care4reefs.org/information-and-resources.html
Basically, the ph in the bag of a shipped fish has dropped as the ammonia rises. This is good because the lower ph will help keep the ammonia less toxic. Also the fish has gone into survival mode and has slowed body activities. Now, you decide to drip acclimate and suddenly the pH begins to rise and the fish begins to breath more rapidly and poops and suddenly the ammonia in the bag will jump too toxic and the fish can die from ammonia burn or poison.
So, for any fish in a bag longer than about 5 hours personally, I will match the bag water to a bucket of clean water. Match the temp, ph, and salinity. May have to use acid buffers to do this as the pH is low. Now take the fish directly from the bag and put in the new bucket of water. Now if you can drip acclimate that is fine as there is no ammonia built up in the new water. Now, I tend to actually get my qt to the parameters of the bag and then I adjust slowly back to where I want them at.
I have never lost a fish this method from ammonia or shock.
The reason behind not liking the temp adjustment by floating is simply lots of times the temp in the bag after long shipments is much lower than our systems and needs to be brought up slower than the float bag can allow. Imagine if the water is at 70 and your tank at 79, within 15 minutes, that bag of water is at 79 and that fish has just gone through a ton of stress. Temp shock will effect fish many days afterwards and can kill.
http://www.care4reefs.org/information-and-resources.html
melypr1985
totally addicted
You need to test the copper level, using either a Seachem or Salifert copper test kit, to ensure it is within therapeutic range (0.35 - 0.5 ppm). Also, did you get a thermometer for your QT? If the temp is swinging too much, that will kill the fish right there.
I cannot help with this process as I have never used copper or an equivalent. I hope all goes well with your fish.
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