Improve survive rate of newly bought fish

[Dez Ching]

I mean putting the new fish in quarantine cage. And at the same time putting a mirror near where the quarantine cage is for say one week. And when u release the new fish into the main tank, and quarantine cage removed, leave the mirror there so that the aggressive fish still attack his mirrored image rather than the new fish.

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Sorry bro, too cheem for me to understand.

Coz why will the aggressive fish still swim towards the mirror where the quarantine tank was when the new fish isn't there anymore?

Although if it sees its own mirror image and will attack "itself", it will not swim there in the first place what since, it's empty(with the new fish not there anymore). Maybe too cheem for newbie like me to undersand... can make simpler terms please?

[Kingking]

Sorry to have it too cheem for you, didn't mean to confuse anyone.

Hope I can explain this method more clearly.

In my tank (3 sided view), I have some tangs (Yellow Tang and Tomini Tang) already in my Display tank.

And when I buy a new fish, (Hippo Tang), I will put this hippo in the quarantine cage in the DT.

The quarantine cage is hang by the side of the tank. At the same time, I will paste a mirror (the one purchased from IKEA),

mounted up using blue tag just below the quarantine cage so that the existing tang will focus on its mirrored image,

and not disturb. Though the new fish is being caged up, at times, the existing tangs will disturb him by picking at the cage

when the new fish is near the edge.

The new fish will be quarantined say for a week or two. And after the two weeks quarantine, I will release the new fish into the

display tank. The quarantine cage will be taking out but the mirror remain attached to the side of the tank.

This way it will reduce the chance of new fish being attacked by the other two tangs because the existing tank will still busy

at attacking at their mirrored image.

Hope this clarify a bit.

[Dez Ching]

Sorry to have it too cheem for you, didn't mean to confuse anyone.

Hope I can explain this method more clearly.

In my tank (3 sided view), I have some tangs (Yellow Tang and Tomini Tang) already in my Display tank.

And when I buy a new fish, (Hippo Tang), I will put this hippo in the quarantine cage in the DT.

The quarantine cage is hang by the side of the tank. At the same time, I will paste a mirror (the one purchased from IKEA),

mounted up using blue tag just below the quarantine cage so that the existing tang will focus on its mirrored image,

and not disturb. Though the new fish is being caged up, at times, the existing tangs will disturb him by picking at the cage

when the new fish is near the edge.

The new fish will be quarantined say for a week or two. And after the two weeks quarantine, I will release the new fish into the

display tank. The quarantine cage will be taking out but the mirror remain attached to the side of the tank.

This way it will reduce the chance of new fish being attacked by the other two tangs because the existing tank will still busy

at attacking at their mirrored image.

Hope this clarify a bit.

I see your idea now. That means before the territorial fish can attack the new fish, it will have to first swim near and up and see it's own image and so-called attack itself first(this will keep it busy), and not disturb the new fish which is in the Quarantine tank. I see.

But lets say if you released the new fish, and remove the Quarantine tank, why would the territorial fish still wants to swim towards the mirror? Because it is so used to swimming to the mirror? I think this idea may be workable. Because the terroritorial fish can never win the fish that is in the mirror... haha (it reminded me when we fight fighting spiders using mirrors in the past)

[Kingking]

Yeah, somehow marine fishes always tends to attack its own kind first, based on color and shape.

So a yellow tang will attack another Yellow tang first rather than disturb others.

And when new fish like hippo tang (though same species) is added, the Yellow Tang will attack itself (mirror image),

rather than disturb other.

This method works for me for fishes like Picaso trigger fish and some Angel fish like Majestic and Blue face.

Other expert please chip in whether you all use this method too.

Of course a separate Quarantine Tank is best but I don't have the option of putting another fish tank in my house.

[M&M]

Hi I have a question as well on newly bought fish. Is it a true or a myth that you can't feed the fish on that day you introduce into the tank or the day you do a water change.

[domvonn]

Hi I have a question as well on newly bought fish. Is it a true or a myth that you can't feed the fish on that day you introduce into the tank or the day you do a water change.

U can feed , the challenge is whether it wants to eat .

[Kingking]

Yes sometimes before I buy the fish back I asked the LFS to feed the fish I intend to buy with some food to see whether it eats or not, if it doesn't, sometimes I don't even buy it.

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[diki88]

Hi I have a question as well on newly bought fish. Is it a true or a myth that you can't feed the fish on that day you introduce into the tank or the day you do a water change.

now that u mentioned this, I recall reading an article where for a new fish, even if it eats, most of it are not being absorbed for some reason due to stress.

im guessing its for newly arrived fish as opposed to newly bought fish tht could have been awhile at the lfs and even pellet trained.

for after WC, I dont think so.

to give a morally conscientious advice, quarantine all fishes. new fishes usually succumb to stress and then all other diseases set in when stressed. so quarantine first.

if u dont quarantine, even though u must, adding a fish straight into the tank is not that bad. there maybe conspecifics inside the tank but usually after a few flares over a few days, things will settle down. fishes especially non-obligate carnivores from my experience have this herd/mob instinct inbuilt them. they see other fishes eating, they will follow suit.

this is not to say this method will work. some fishes hate a particular fish. all the more if they came from the same location where they recognise each other and know that the other fish will compete with it for food.

[CFOh]

Some good reference on new stocking. [PFK Issue 09 SEPT 14 Pg17.]

Cheers and Happy Reefing...

[shy88devil]

Some good reference on new stocking. [PFK Issue 09 SEPT 14 Pg17.]

new fish.jpg

Cheers and Happy Reefing...

Tats a great article for newbies like me ! Thumbs up

[Merry Goround]

Some good reference on new stocking. [PFK Issue 09 SEPT 14 Pg17.]

new fish.jpg

Cheers and Happy Reefing...

wow nice, always thought this method was a rushed method, I do exactly those 4 steps all the while but instead of placing it in the tank I put in a pail of my tank's water. Usually off the lights for half a day for me.

so far 0 issue. +1

[Guest]

Or wait for your tank to stable like 6 months. I add a powder blue after 6 months. No white spot at all. First time in my life. Reward for Being patient waiting a long time before adding fish

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