Thoughts on NOT adding water from store to tank with new fish?

[JohnRoscoe]

We did some home improvement last winter which involved moving the tank twice, once out of a room, and then back in. It was hard on the tank and it's taken me about 3 months to get my water quality back where it should be. The last few weeks, everything is spot on and weekly 25% water changes and gravel vac results in a very clean looking bucket of water removed from the tank- I'm very pleased.

All that being said, I'm more nervous about adding the water from my (very reputable) LFS than I am the live stock. Does anyone have any thoughts on floating a bag in a tank to let it temperature acclimate, and then netting the fish out of the bag to put in the tank, then tossing the store water left in the bag? The reality is the fish (or plants, or inverts) are a small percentage of the total mass being added to the tank.

I realize that a quarantine tank would address this, but it's not going to happen in my circumstance, and I suspect for many others here.

 

[Glene20]

Buying new fish always carrys the risk of infecting your tank. But me personally I'd never add the stores water. U worked hard to make your water perfect. Don't let something like the stores water ruin that on u. But still even the fish could be infected. Its still a risk no matter what

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[PB_Smith]

I float the bag for about 10-15 minutes, then empty it/them into a container and then start a drip acclimation. When the amount of water in the acclimation container has tripled, then I net them out and put them in the tank.
I try to not put the water from the bag in the tank if at all possible.

 

[BBradbury]

LFS Tank Water

Hello John...

I've been in the hobby 10 years and never quarantined new fish or worried about water from the LFS getting into my tank's water. When I buy a fish, if it swims well, has good color and body, I get it. My tanks get regular, large water changes and good filtration. I don't net the fish out of the bag. It's stressful, so most of the bag water goes into the tank. Never had a disease in any of my tanks. I may be lucky, but I think it's because I keep the tank water pure at all times.

B

 

[gilpi]

Hello John... I've been in the hobby 10 years and never quarantined new fish or worried about water from the LFS getting into my tank's water. When I buy a fish, if it swims well, has good color and body, I get it. My tanks get regular, large water changes and good filtration. I don't net the fish out of the bag. It's stressful, so most of the bag water goes into the tank. Never had a disease in any of my tanks. I may be lucky, but I think it's because I keep the tank water pure at all times. B

I'm a lot like you with the exception of mixing the water, I take out as much water out of the bag and drip some tank water into it, the fish doesn't leave the bag.
I still however quarantine a fish I'm suspicious of.

 

[Coyne]

There's probably very little risk to adding store water to your tank, but it's also so easy to avoid doing that I can't think of any reason to not take the step. I'm like PB though. I do a drip acclimation and the contraption I use has holes in the inner container that drains out the extra water automatically.


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[emilygupps]

I prefer not to put the water in my tank at all costs.


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[dalto]

I would recommend not floating the bag and not adding the water. Mainly because I am wary of letting any snail eggs into my aquarium.

I typically acclimate the fish and then net it out.

There is absolutely no benefit in putting the store water into your tank.

 

[Coyne]

Floating the bag is to get a better temperature match. Though I suppose that the temp would slowly adjust during a drip acclimation. If you're not doing that then I would still suggest the 15 minute float.


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[dalto]

Drip acclimation won't provide good temperature acclimation unless it is very fast. The water will typically match the ambient temperature or the temp in the source water.

I have a whole write-up on the pros and cons of various acclimation styles. I should dig that up and post it one of these days.

 

[PNWaquarist]

You're inevitably going to contaminate your tank with the LFS's tank water when you add the fish. It's a very small volume of water, but it only takes one bacterial/fungal cell to infect your tank.

That said, I agree that it's not a good practice to intentionally dump tank water into one's aquarium. At the very least, it unnecessarily alters your tank water's chemistry. It's also more likely than not that the tanks at the LFS have higher nitrate levels than the home aquarium.

 

[JohnRoscoe]

Thanks all. I learned a lot about the variety of ways people introduce new fish.


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[brennae]

I never put the LFS water in my tank. I acclimate the fish by putting them in a dip and pour setting it with the container in my tank and then slowly adding water from my tank. After I watch how the fish are doing for awhile I net them out. Probably not the best method but that's how I do it.

 

[Angela1108]

I float to get the temp close and then put the water/fish into a container then net them into the tank.


Super sensitive ones I will put in a container and slowly add some tank water until it is more tank than store then net them over


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[PB_Smith]

Hello John...

I've been in the hobby 10 years and never quarantined new fish or worried about water from the LFS getting into my tank's water. When I buy a fish, if it swims well, has good color and body, I get it. My tanks get regular, large water changes and good filtration. I don't net the fish out of the bag. It's stressful, so most of the bag water goes into the tank. Never had a disease in any of my tanks. I may be lucky, but I think it's because I keep the tank water pure at all times.

B

I honestly hope nobody follows this persons advice.

 

[fishliker]

I do the float, then add water to bag every 15 minutes times 3 or 4 depending on the fish. Then I poor the water through a big net over a bowl. Quickly I have all fish in the net and slowly put the net in the tank and let the fish swim out into the tank. That is the only store water that gets in the tank, whatever was on the net. This is less awkward for me than netting them from the bag.


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[katiekelsey]

I never put anyone else's water in my tank. I float the bag for about 20 minutes and I also add my tank water to the bag to acclimate the fish to the PH in my tank. Every five minutes I add another 1/4 cup of tank water to the bag. I usually do this three times for a total of 3/4 cup of tank water added to the bag. After 20 minutes I net the fish and put into my tank. I've never had any sickness in my tank.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

The si the "right" way to do it, add your water to the bag, then net the fish and throw the water and bog away.

My LFS I just dump the water in, but if I ever get a fish from somewhere else or petsmart or something I net the fish out.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

There's probably very little risk to adding store water to your tank, but it's also so easy to avoid doing that I can't think of any reason to not take the step. I'm like PB though. I do a drip acclimation and the contraption I use has holes in the inner container that drains out the extra water automatically.


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Yeah thats my thought, not much risk but also not much effort.

I would recommend not floating the bag and not adding the water. Mainly because I am wary of letting any snail eggs into my aquarium.

I typically acclimate the fish and then net it out.

There is absolutely no benefit in putting the store water into your tank.

Snail eggs? From the outside of the bag? How do you acclimate the fish then?

Could be easier on the fish? I netted my Pictus out and I realize now I got lucky and should probably have grabbed him with my hand or let him swim out.

I honestly hope nobody follows this persons advice.

Why? Thats what I do if I get the fish from my LFS.

 

[dalto]

Snail eggs? From the outside of the bag? How do you acclimate the fish then?

Yeah, at most stores I go to they dip the bag into the tank to put water into it. This means that whatever was floating around in the tank is now on both sides of the bag.

Another reason I don't like floating the bag is that you either need to lower the water level in the tank or risk the fish jumping out from the open lid. Lastly, floating only acclimates the fish to the temperature of the water.

I acclimate the fish by pouring it and a small portion of the water from the bag in a container and then gradually adding tank water in to the container. This acclimates them to not only the temperature of the tank but all the other water parameters as well.

This is not really different than people who do the same thing inside the bag. I just find it easier to pour them into a container than trying to keep the bag upright.

At the end of the day, floating the bag is a left over practice from when we understood far less about the science of fish keeping. To me this is no different than the people who still think adding aquarium salt is a good idea or that a fish will not outgrow its tank.