Are You Giving Your Fish Enough Credit?

[Glenbo1981]

I find old fashioned ways of keeping fish kinda stupid,my dad for example who has been keeping fish for over 50 years keeps his fish in rain water only with no filter.

He likes to tell everyone he never loses a fish from his fantastic ideas...

Of course growing up with him I know very different,he used to restock his tank once a week.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

He! He!... there you have it.... it was only since I joined this forum that I really started hearing about "cycling" and the likes..... Just this afternoon again... I did more than 100% water changes in some tanks and will do the rest tomorrow.....

 

[OldMan47]

My stock tank, summer tub, will get a good water change tomorrow Ludwig, but I have been influenced by what I have found here and in similar places. I will be using dechlorinator but the fish deal with daily temperature swings and will benefit from cooling down a bit. Local temperatures have been running over 30C so the fish will experience a significant cooling effect from the change. I will be using the cold water right from my garden hose because there is no mixing tap outdoors.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I've grown up with the concept that you can take cold water to the fish, but you cannot take the fish to cold water.... hence, when I get new fish, I check the water temp in their plastic bag and if that is colder than the tank water.... I don't have to float them.. I release immediately, BUT, if the tank water is colder, I float them to even out the temps.....

Applies to water changes as well.... I will add colder water to their tank (within limits of course) & not worry about it.

 

[OldMan47]

In my case I am keeping goodeids in that tub and they really prefer their water below about 23C so the cold water will do them some good. Your concept of always cooling the fish rather than warming them makes some sense too. Cooler water holds more oxygen and is often the reason that a particular fish has trouble at higher temperatures.

 

[Tolak]

I have nearly the same outdoor setup running as OM47, in almost the same climate. In hot weather with a cool night I might get a 10F temperature swing, and if it is approaching 85F water temperature I'll do a large water change with cold tap to bring it down a bit. Platys breed like crazy, it apparently doesn't bother them a bit.

Most of my tanks are drilled with overflows for water changes, I've done complete water changes many times, adding dechlorinator when the overflow is done draining. This is a regular occurrence, especially with overstocked tanks or more messy species. I don't lose any more or less fish, and probably less as water changes are a breeze, less likelihood of other facets of life causing me to put them off a day or two.

I agree that fish are more resilient than we give them credit for, I've had plenty of occurrences where a fish, usually a smaller one, gets siphoned out, sits in an unheated & unfiltered waste water receptacle for a few days, to be found, netted out, and put back in its tank, with no problem.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I agree that fish are more resilient than we give them credit for, I've had plenty of occurrences where a fish, usually a smaller one, gets siphoned out, sits in an unheated & unfiltered waste water receptacle for a few days, to be found, netted out, and put back in its tank, with no problem.

I believe things are getting too scientific these days..... I have never, never known the chemical stats of my water since I've never. never seen a test kit for sale here in SA ......yet, my breeding successes (here in SA) are better than the average hobyist.... (& I also agree that the smaller fish are hardier than the adults)

 

[MrWhite]

So true fish are much hardier than people say sometimes i think every one just goes a little over bored

 

[AdAndrews]

My fish were tested pretty much up to the limit this week... ignorant little me didnt think about the heatwave until about 2 days in when i gazed at the temp to find it at 29 degrees celcius they must had been boiling! so i quickly changed about 15% for cold water, and montiored it every hour checking it didnt go much past 26. plus after shinanigans yesterday i must have took the water out of the tank and forgot to replace it. so the water level was down thus causing the internal jewel built in filter to cut out.. probably about 6 hours without that on, i have now rectified that and have been testing the water, it seems to be fine.. a mystery as many people say if you turn off your filter the bacteria will die. have to keep a close eye on it the next few days.........i am truly a bad fishkeeper but gladly all of the fishies are fine, and to boot my wcmm seem to have enjoyed the warmer water(due to the heatwave) and were chasing each other more than usual, hopefully i could see my first spawn

PHEW

 

[loraxchick]

this is a very interesting thread...i always use cold water from the tap for water changes! it happens in nature with rain, so....
i have a thought that by being so "scientific" (as LV puts it) we are breeding LESS hardy fish in the long run...fish that wouldnt survive a less coddled upbringing are now "artificially" being able to live to reproductive age, breed and are producing a less hardy fish overall...it's called natural selection! survival of the fittest (and who wouldnt want to keep the "hardier" genes at the forefront? less worry and healthier fish, really).
always interesting threads Ludwig!
cheers