something about fins???

[Salty Dog]

Hey, I was reading something on here that said something about fins when fish are sick. If their fins are tucked really close to their body, does that mean they're not happy or sick or something? I was just wondering because one of my wikd caught clowns is doing that with all his bottom fins. I've also heard that wild caught fish don't do as well as tank raised, right? 8O

 

[fishfreek]

Correct and Correct.

Its often refered to as "clamped fins". WHen they are eitehr not open or they are pulled tight on the body. Its a sign of stress.

Wild caught usually fair less better then tank rased because the conditions in our aquariums although we try to simulate the wild as much as possible is often to confining to what they had been used to and the water conditions fluxuate more than they are used to. Wild caught can sometimes also introduce disease into a healthy tank. Kind of like when people where exploring the globe and they would wipe out the natural population due to introduced diseases.

 

[Salty Dog]

Thanks fishfreek. This is really sad but I don't think my little wild caught clown is gunna make it through the night. Eveything else in the tank looks fine, but my little clown has gotten very pale and swims upside down sometimes, he seems very weak...but it happened so fast, any suggestions??? Please???

 

[Salty Dog]

yeah, I was right. It hasn't even been a half hour and my little clown died. It was the first fish I got and the first one to die. I wish I would have known about the whole wild caught fish not doing so well type thing...if they hardly ever survive who would buy them? It's too sad to deal with. Well, guess I better go to the pet store and buy another clown so the other has a buddy again.

 

[jackdp]

Sorry about the loss. It is true that wild caught fish don't adapt well to aquarium conditions. Also, being that your tank is new are you sure it has completely cycled, no ammonia and nitrite left. Make sure you acclimate new critters slowly so as to minimize the stress of the new tank. Check with your LFS on there return policy, most have at least a 5 day guarantee. Always make sure the fish you pick out are active, swimming, have all there fins and no discoloration, spots or open wounds. Just offering some suggestions HTH.

 

[Gauge]

A few notes...

1) Wild caught fish don't "hardly ever survive." They're successful pretty frequently, actually. Rather than thinking of them as a risky purchase, think of tank-raised as a safer one. The difference isn't huge, but it's significant enough to consider. All of my fish are wild-caught, I'm pretty sure, as I don't think any of the species are captive bred with any frequency.
2) To add to what jackdp said, when you buy a fish you want to verify the following: ask to see them eat, wait until they've been at the store for a week or more, never buy a fish that is in a tank with a lot of sick inhabitants.

Sorry for your loss. It's always hard when you lose the first few. It's rather harsh to say, but after a while you get a little more callous(sp?) to it. When I started my first tank I lost more fish than I care to admit to. It's a tough hobby, but if you want to make an omlett, as they say, you have to break some eggs. It's a really satisfying feeling when you get it all going correctly, though. The day you realize you've had no losses for six months is a wonderful day. Stick with it!

 

[Salty Dog]

Thanks for all your advice. I do watch them at the store to make sure that they are swimming okay and are energetic, brightly colored, etc.,etc.. I am new to the hobby but I tried to read as much as I could about this hobby so things like this wouldn't happen, but I guess it's going to happen. I take my water in to get tested almost every time I go in there just to make sure, and this last time he said thee was a small amount of nitrite in the system, but hardly detectable and it shouldn't effet anything, other than that he said it's perfect. I've heard of several ways to acclimate fish, which is the most effective way? Maybe I'm not doing it right and my fish are stressed??? I don't know, and is there a way to relieve stress other than this Melafix stuff I have?

 

[jackdp]

In the articles section on this site is a how to guide for the airline tubing drip method of acclimation. Its the best way I've seen but I have yet to use the airline tubing myself

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=18

 

[Salty Dog]

Hey thanks a lot jackdp. This will be very useful.

 

[SquishyFish]

I have a question for you Gauge...how do you make sure they stay in the LFS a week before you purchase them? I saw the breed of Heniochus butterfly that feed exclusively on plankton at the LFS the other day..I havent seen them in a year. I snatched up 3 of them on the spot. If I had waited, it might have been another year.


Oh...I'm from Dallas as well!

 

[steve-s]

I have a question for you Gauge...how do you make sure they stay in the LFS a week before you purchase them?

Most LFS will accept a deposit to hold a certain fish. The only drawback is they will also only allow a store credit if the fish dies. The better ones will refund though.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SquishyFish]

Or sell it out from under you...I have seen that happen more than once.

 

[jackdp]

My LFS will hold a fish or coral for up to a week. Of course if the fish you want is a Percula in tank with 50 other fish and you say "I want you to hold THAT one" I don't know what the odds are that you'll get THAT one. But I think most LFS should hold a fish for you if you ask nicely.