freshwater dip recovery time?
- Thread starter Gfoot2000
- Start date
jamesdean3
New member
whoaah . A FW dip should really only be about 1-2 mins tops. hope the little guy is alright. did you research this before you did it?
jacob.morgan78
New member
Tooooo long... Update?
Jeff
Premium Member
Huh?
sporto0
New member
DIP PROCESS
Process directions are given as if you are using the colander suggested equipment.
1. Acclimate the fish in its bag, to the quarantine tank water according to: It Was Acclimation, I know. . .. If you have followed this procedure, the room should already be darkened. But if not, darken the room enough only so you can see what you're doing and can see the fish in the water.
2. After this acclimation and while fish is still in its transport bag: Gently pour the fish and water into the empty bowl with the colander insert in it. Cover the colander. (Now the fish is inside the plastic colander, which is inside the bowl, which now contains the bag water).
3. Lift the covered colander and let the water drain away out of the colander (and away from the fish). Hold for two seconds.
4. Insert covered colander into bowl with freshwater bath in it, and sink it.
5. Set timer for 5 minutes and start the timer.
6. For the first 5 minutes watch how the fish is doing through the lid or by peaking under the lid. Tangs often pretend to be dead. Don�t be fooled! If the fish is in legitimate danger, stop the bath and proceed to number 9.
7. After 5 minutes, check the fish again and start the timer again (for another 5 minutes).
8. Repeat 7. until the fish has been in the bath for 30 minutes or until the fish is in legitimate danger (see below: Signs of a fish in trouble).
9. Fill the still empty dry (third) bowl with quarantine tank water.
10 When time has come to stop the bath, raise the covered colander out of the bath, sink it into the rinse container of quarantine tank water to rinse off excess bath water. Pause just a few seconds.
11. Raise colander and sink it slowly into the quarantine tank so that the fish can quietly swim out
TIME IN THE BATH
A freshwater bath experience is more stressful to the novice aquarist that it is to the fish. Most fishes can handle an hour in this bath, but 30 minutes is plenty. With experience you can tell the difference between a fish faking stress and one that is really in trouble. Hard to explain in writing, but I�ll try.
Signs of a fish in trouble. Often tangs (and a few other fishes) sink to the bottom of the bath and �play dead� laying on their side. It is okay to prod it gently with a clean plastic rod or the long spoon handle, with no sharp edges. If it flops about or swims or swims then falls over �dead� again, it is okay. Once some time goes by the tang will probably swim around. You�re mostly interested in how it�s breathing. Watch the gills.
Some fish will go into their defensive mode by erecting all spines, changing colors, changing patterns, or any combo of these. What the aquarist wants to do is don�t read too much into such antics, but to look closely at the fish to see how it is breathing. Rapid or normal breathing is okay for the first few minutes, but the methylene blue should calm the fish down shortly after the first few minutes (see below). If the fish is breathing very fast or not at all, with any one or more of those 'defensive' signs, the bath should stop.
Process directions are given as if you are using the colander suggested equipment.
1. Acclimate the fish in its bag, to the quarantine tank water according to: It Was Acclimation, I know. . .. If you have followed this procedure, the room should already be darkened. But if not, darken the room enough only so you can see what you're doing and can see the fish in the water.
2. After this acclimation and while fish is still in its transport bag: Gently pour the fish and water into the empty bowl with the colander insert in it. Cover the colander. (Now the fish is inside the plastic colander, which is inside the bowl, which now contains the bag water).
3. Lift the covered colander and let the water drain away out of the colander (and away from the fish). Hold for two seconds.
4. Insert covered colander into bowl with freshwater bath in it, and sink it.
5. Set timer for 5 minutes and start the timer.
6. For the first 5 minutes watch how the fish is doing through the lid or by peaking under the lid. Tangs often pretend to be dead. Don�t be fooled! If the fish is in legitimate danger, stop the bath and proceed to number 9.
7. After 5 minutes, check the fish again and start the timer again (for another 5 minutes).
8. Repeat 7. until the fish has been in the bath for 30 minutes or until the fish is in legitimate danger (see below: Signs of a fish in trouble).
9. Fill the still empty dry (third) bowl with quarantine tank water.
10 When time has come to stop the bath, raise the covered colander out of the bath, sink it into the rinse container of quarantine tank water to rinse off excess bath water. Pause just a few seconds.
11. Raise colander and sink it slowly into the quarantine tank so that the fish can quietly swim out
TIME IN THE BATH
A freshwater bath experience is more stressful to the novice aquarist that it is to the fish. Most fishes can handle an hour in this bath, but 30 minutes is plenty. With experience you can tell the difference between a fish faking stress and one that is really in trouble. Hard to explain in writing, but I�ll try.
Signs of a fish in trouble. Often tangs (and a few other fishes) sink to the bottom of the bath and �play dead� laying on their side. It is okay to prod it gently with a clean plastic rod or the long spoon handle, with no sharp edges. If it flops about or swims or swims then falls over �dead� again, it is okay. Once some time goes by the tang will probably swim around. You�re mostly interested in how it�s breathing. Watch the gills.
Some fish will go into their defensive mode by erecting all spines, changing colors, changing patterns, or any combo of these. What the aquarist wants to do is don�t read too much into such antics, but to look closely at the fish to see how it is breathing. Rapid or normal breathing is okay for the first few minutes, but the methylene blue should calm the fish down shortly after the first few minutes (see below). If the fish is breathing very fast or not at all, with any one or more of those 'defensive' signs, the bath should stop.
blennielove
New member
I have done the fresh water dip/bath up to thirty minutes on several of my fishes. It was a routine that I did...I can't say if it helped or not. I think it depends on WHY you are dipping or bathing in the first place. I saved a really sick Randall's goby from eminent death with a fresh water bath that lasted 40+ minutes - he was very sick from marine ich and was floating around in the tank delirius. I placed him in a temperature matched, pH matched fresh water dip and he not only lived through it, but started acting normal within minutes of going back in the tank. I've dipped a possum wrasse for 15 minutes and after a year, he is still with me today. A melanurus wrasse was dipped for 15 minutes and he died 2 months later - I think from parasites as he got really bloated looking and then not eating...
I do and will do dips but only if I KNOW WHY I am dipping.
I do and will do dips but only if I KNOW WHY I am dipping.
schabiazabi
New member
sporto0 got it right. I believe he got the info from Lee.
Yes, the dip should last for about 30 minutes in order to remove the stuff a naked eye does not see. There are different parasites we are not aware of. Full dip process helps us eliminate them. Btw, fish can survive more than 30minutes in freshwater.
The dip should be in freshwater with Methylene Blue. The PH must be exactly like the one in the acclamation water. Water temp should be the same or 1 degree higher. I use 7 drops of M. Blue per 1 gallon of water. M. Blue is the last thing you add after you checked your PH. M. Blue can not be overdosed as you will cook the fish.
Remember some parasites do not respond to copper, or other medications. There is a chance to remove them with freshwater dips. I do it to all my fish no matter how small.
Yes, the dip should last for about 30 minutes in order to remove the stuff a naked eye does not see. There are different parasites we are not aware of. Full dip process helps us eliminate them. Btw, fish can survive more than 30minutes in freshwater.
The dip should be in freshwater with Methylene Blue. The PH must be exactly like the one in the acclamation water. Water temp should be the same or 1 degree higher. I use 7 drops of M. Blue per 1 gallon of water. M. Blue is the last thing you add after you checked your PH. M. Blue can not be overdosed as you will cook the fish.
Remember some parasites do not respond to copper, or other medications. There is a chance to remove them with freshwater dips. I do it to all my fish no matter how small.
Jeff
Premium Member
jacob.morgan78
New member
Wow.. This is the first I've heard of this... Pretty interesting
Jeff
Premium Member
This goes against every rule I have ever followed in almost 25 years of reefkeeping, especially step 8. I do not recommend do any of this just for the heck of it. What I do recommend is buying fish from a reliable store to avoid the minimal chance of flukes or whatever you feel is a possibility.
Netting, bagging and transporting fish is highly stressful for the fish and cuts their survival rate down. The steps you posted above increase the mortality rate greatly in my opinion and is not even close to being worth trying.
How many times have you tried this and how many fish have you lost doing this due to the fishes cells exploding?
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