Longest Possible Safe FW Dip?

[fishytime]

Ive always felt that QTing a tang in a small tank is a bad idea......typically tangs do not ship/ move well,.......plus they are stress magnets and are claustrophobic.... so one could imagine what tangs sometimes go through when we buy them..........first they are netted, put in a small bag and shaken up, completely in the dark for anywhere from 1 - 3 days.....then they are put into a LFS environment, which if QTed, means being treated chemically in a small tank before being netted again and moved out to be put on display.....being on display usually means a smallish tank with little to no live rock for comfort and high volumes of people walking by and pressing their noses up against the tank.......then someone buys the fish, so it is netted and bagged again.....we take them home and freshwater dip it and stick it into yet another small tank for a couple more weeks......then we net it again and put it in our tank.......thats a lot of stress in a relatively short amount of time for a fish that doesnt take stress too well

[rastaangel]

Originally Posted by fishytime

Ive always felt that QTing a tang in a small tank is a bad idea......typically tangs do not ship/ move well,.......plus they are stress magnets and are claustrophobic.... so one could imagine what tangs sometimes go through when we buy them..........first they are netted, put in a small bag and shaken up, completely in the dark for anywhere from 1 - 3 days.....then they are put into a LFS environment, which if QTed, means being treated chemically in a small tank before being netted again and moved out to be put on display.....being on display usually means a smallish tank with little to no live rock for comfort and high volumes of people walking by and pressing their noses up against the tank.......then someone buys the fish, so it is netted and bagged again.....we take them home and freshwater dip it and stick it into yet another small tank for a couple more weeks......then we net it again and put it in our tank.......thats a lot of stress in a relatively short amount of time for a fish that doesnt take stress too well

You make a valid point, but you missed the nail LOL
I have a large QT, bigger then most peoples displays so its not like im sticking a 6" tang in a empty 20g. My QT is full of rock and what not to try to relieve stress yet every single tang I buy dies on me weither it was a fresh import or was held in there system for a month

[doch]

I think that the nail was hit directly. A 40gal tank is way too small for any tang, and this is part of the point that Fishytime is trying to make. Tangs need space to move. If they don't have enough room to swim, this may add to the other stresses of the capture and relocation. I tend to agree with him. The less stress the better for them. I've been looking for a powder blue for quite some time now, but haven't found one that looks healthy enough, and has been in an LFS long enough for me to grab.

[rastaangel]

My 40g is a hell of alot bigger them what I see most tangs in on display at stores. But were wondering of path here LOL
1. How long can you FW dip a fish?
2. Would you do a FW dip then add the fish to your DT w/o being QTed

[daniella3d]

why FW dip? it's harsh on a fish. I would do a one hour dip with Paraguard and then yes quarantine the fish and if everything is fine after 4 weeks then in the display tank.

As for how long to FW dip, as long as the fish stand it, usually not very long, no more than 20 minutes or so. Paraguard is safer and the fish usually show no sign of stress. A 40 gallons aquarium is no bigger than any 40 gallons aquarium, it is still 40 gallons. A fish need its vital room to breath and have enough oxygen. If the aquarium is overcrawded and something goes on the edge than fish die from lack of oxygen. I see it so often. This is why I don't put any more fish in my 75 gallons although it looks empty of fish.

Originally Posted by rastaangel

My 40g is a hell of alot bigger them what I see most tangs in on display at stores. But were wondering of path here LOL
1. How long can you FW dip a fish?
2. Would you do a FW dip then add the fish to your DT w/o being QTed

[TimT]

I prefer to try and stay away from chemical meds whenever possible due to them usually containing carcinogenic components.

There are several advantages to a FW bath over a Paraguard bath for fish that are healthy and strong.

1. FW is free.
2. FW is non toxic
3. FW does not need to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner
4. FW is not a carcinogen
5. FW will not stain your skin, clothes or the aquarium silicone
6. FW works no matter what the concentration
7. FW is safe for human consumption :-) Important if you have young kids.
8. FW does not leave a fish injured
9. FW does not stress a fish by burning it's gills and skin like Paraguard does.

I have observed lots of fish show no stress reaction at all when going into a FW bath. Even anthias and fairy wrasses don't freak out. I can only remember two fish going into shock out of 100's that I have given FW baths too. One was a rabbitfish and the other a pacific sailfin. I have only lost 4 or 5 due to pre existing ick infections that were quite severe. As a wholesaler I have been doing FW baths on fish for about 10 years so have done a lot of them.

If a fish is in a weakened condition due to parisitization then a hyposalinity treatment in a QT may be a better option.

[daniella3d]

Please state your reference that said that Paraguard is carcinogen and burn the skin of the fish??

I use it all the time and I never saw a fish being burned, quite the opposite. I use it to treat disease for weeks and never saw any burnt skin, not even in concentrated bath.

Originally Posted by TimT

I prefer to try and stay away from chemical meds whenever possible due to them usually containing carcinogenic components.

There are several advantages to a FW bath over a Paraguard bath for fish that are healthy and strong.

1. FW is free.
2. FW is non toxic
3. FW does not need to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner
4. FW is not a carcinogen
5. FW will not stain your skin, clothes or the aquarium silicone
6. FW works no matter what the concentration
7. FW is safe for human consumption :-) Important if you have young kids.
8. FW does not leave a fish injured
9. FW does not stress a fish by burning it's gills and skin like Paraguard does.

I have observed lots of fish show no stress reaction at all when going into a FW bath. Even anthias and fairy wrasses don't freak out. I can only remember two fish going into shock out of 100's that I have given FW baths too. One was a rabbitfish and the other a pacific sailfin. I have only lost 4 or 5 due to pre existing ick infections that were quite severe. As a wholesaler I have been doing FW baths on fish for about 10 years so have done a lot of them.

If a fish is in a weakened condition due to parisitization then a hyposalinity treatment in a QT may be a better option.

[Jan]

"You must make sure that the water is at the same temperature, pH and has been aerated for several hours to equalize the dissolved oxygen levels. Typically well water has low to no dissolved oxygen. "

Tim,do you use R/O water or tap and what do you use to equalize the PH?

[whatcaneyedo]

Why freshwater dip a tang? Take your time, look around, choose a healthy specimen and plop it into your display. I've only purchased two tangs: a powder blue and a purple. Both had been in captivity for several years before I acquired them and have done well in my system ever since they were introduced. Many fish are tough to find 'used' but tangs are not one of them.

[rastaangel]

I dont have that luxury as I live atleast 2 hrs from my LFS so I cant watch it for weeks before I buy it