Acclimating New Fish

[mbpted]

I've been carefully cycling my 10 gal. tank with two fish (one Black Neon Tetra and one colored skirt tetra).

After keeping the Ammonia and Nitrite levels at 0 pps for about 6 weeks, I thought I'd try adding a couple extra fish to help the other two with company - The LFS was low in stock but had two skirt tetras left so I brought them home.

However, I didn't acclimate them properly. Leaving them in the bag and floating it in the water to make sure the temperature was the same. At first the three Skirts were very happy - swimming together, darting back and forth, all looked well. The second day, the two new ones were listless at the bottom of the tank. I did some reading and it was suggested that I turn off the light for a couple days, and see if they become more comfortable. It seemed to work. They came off the floor of the tank and started to swim around. Oddly, they stuck together and the older skirt stayed distant.

(the Black Neon didn't seem to mind the extra fish - my plan was to add more Black Neons after a week of good water)

However, last night I checked the water and the Ammonia had increased to .25 pps. I did a 90% water change to clean it up and this morning, although the water was back to 0, the two new fish were quite dead.

I think one of my mistakes was to not acclimate the new fish properly. I found several articles online about this:

http/www.myaquariumclub.com/the-drip-acclimation-method-78.html
http/www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquarium/acclimate.php
http/www.fishlore.com/acclimating-tropicalfish.htm

Any thoughts on a preferred method? Preferably something not so complicated. I only have one tank so I'd have to use a small bucket or bowl to try the drip method, if I could rig the siphon. The floating bad (slowly replacing bag water with tank water) seems the easiest.

And how soon do you think I should wait before I try again. The LFS should be restocking this week, so if I go back later this week, I'd get fish that are new to the store. But is it too soon? The water quality was fine all day today. (I test daily)

Just looking for support and advice. I gotta get my daughter to stop naming the fish, it makes it much harder to see them go.

PS - I've been told that the skirt tetras are too big for a 10 gal tank, but I've gotten conflicting advice on that. The guy at the LFS didn't see it as a problem. Normally I would think they're just trying to sell me more fish, but the guy who told me that seemed okay because when I was asking him about a bunch of expensive filters and chemicals, he said I didn't need them. (not to waste my money) He also showed me what they use in their tanks which was the same as what I have in mine so who knows. When he asked if I wanted to take home a fish that day, I said it had only been a few weeks since I started testing the water and he said I should probably wait a bit more. Very helpful guy. I think I just screwed up - again. But I'm determined to make this work.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I float the bag in my tank for about 45 minute with the lights off... and thereabouts every 10 minutes I put about 1/4 cup of tank water into the bag. I've not had a problem yet with any shock.

 

[slimeneo]

I float the bag in the tank for about 20 minutes and then put them in. haven't had any problems, but... the ammonia spike is a bit weird. perhaps your filter bacteria wasn't capable of handling the extra fish? did you feed the new fish after they arrived?

 

[mbpted]

I float the bag in the tank for about 20 minutes and then put them in. haven't had any problems, but... the ammonia spike is a bit weird. perhaps your filter bacteria wasn't capable of handling the extra fish? did you feed the new fish after they arrived?

I fed them, but not until the following morning. (I usually feed the fish first thing in the morning - when I turn on the light) So I had cleaned the tank in the late afternoon, added the new fish, and the following morning, turned on the light and added a couple extra flakes to accommodate the two new guys.

They didn't seem interested, and I figured, they were still getting used to their new home, and would eat when they got hungry enough. The older fish ate as they normally do. I read somewhere that adding new fish may increase the ammonia level precisely because the filter bacteria may be taxed. (I can't remember where, it could have been this forum, but I've been doing a lot of google searches.)

When it went up, I did the 90% water change. (That advice I did get on this forum.)

I've been leaving the light off these past few days. It seemed to spook the new fish, and even though they are gone, the old ones darted for cover when I turned it on this morning. When I turned it back off, and they came out again.

 

[slimeneo]

They may have been stressed from the move, then added to the ammonia spike maybe they were just weak and that's why they died I would add one fish at a time if you're thinking about adding more fish. Your filter probably just couldn't catch up to the new fish.

 

[kou102]

Your filter should be rated 10 more gallons then what its used for that's always my rule of thumb on the size of filter to use. My female guppy was like that to but after a week and a half it started to swim with the others.

 

[mbpted]

Thanks so much for the responses. Will try again, with less speed, more care, and hopefully, better luck.