Sedating Entire Aquarium

[TrickySpot]

Hi guys,
 
If you have lots of skittish fish and need to do prolonged work on your tank like aquascaping or deep cleaning, can you sedate all your fish at once with clove oil? Has anybody done this, or does anybody regularly add clove oil to their tank to keep their skittish fish calmer?
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Martin
 

 

[fluttermoth]

No, I've never done it and wouldn't advise it either. Clove oil, being an oil, would be very difficult to remove from the tank once you'd got it in there. Plus it would make it stink of clove oil for a long time.
 
Even skittish fish (I have hatchets, so I know the dilemma!) are usually alright if you move slowly and do half the tank at a time so they can get up the other end. Lower the water level before you start, if you have jumpers like my hatchets.
 
It would be extremely unethical to keep fish sedated all the time. If you can't cope with their behaviour, don't have skittish fish!

 

[majerah1]

Agreed. There really is no reason to sedate them when working as it can also have an adverse effect on some species. Get more relaxed hardy fish if the ones you have are too shy or jumpy for your liking. 

 

[looking-glass]

Just turn the light of and leave them to settle after you've finished, whatever you have to do shouldn't upset them that much, they will soon be back to normal again.
 
As said above as well just lower the water a little if you have any jumpers