A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Bringing new fish home- questions

Hi All,

I saw an ad online offering gold fish free. Couldn't pass the offer. So in a few hours I will be picking up 3-6 inch comets, about 15-20 of them ( depending on how many the owners can catch). I will be transporting them home (1 hour drive) in buckets. Then I will put them in awaiting isolation tanks. So, I need to know, is there anything specific I can do to make this transition and recovery from transport go smoothly? ANy pointers, advice, cautions?

Many thanks ahead of time!

- Converse

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Converse on July 16, 2012 at 8:53am

Greetings Again,

The 'great gold fish addition' did not happen yesterday. The owners said they were unsuccessful at catching any of the fish. They are not giving up. It seems the pondliner they have does have a leak and they expect the water level to be down enough to be able to more easily get some fish today (or in the next few days). It sounds to me like the fish I'd be inheriting would be rather stressed out even before they are put in any buckets. The owner has been trying unsuccessfully to net them.

This is why I wanted to find out if there is anything to do to help with a transition. I have brought fish home before, but not by bucket at so long a distance (over bumpy country roads)...after having been chased and such before being plopped in a bucket. Any pointers? There's no fish-version of dramamine? Valium? Or is there really no need to worry. If it is really just a matter of bringing them home and hoping for the best, then so-be-it.

- Converse

Permalink Reply by Converse on July 17, 2012 at 4:12pm

So no one has replied to my questions...So I apologize if they are 'dumb" ones "everyone" should know the answers to....but inspite of my lack of confidence in moving in the larger amount of larger fish, they all made it home alive and are in isolation tanks.

It turns out that the owners actually went swimming/wading in their pond and just caught the fish by hand since their net broke in the process of trying to catch them. We met them at a mid-way point between our places. So I'm sure the fish, all 24 of them, are rather stressed. The fish are Comets, ranging in size of 3 inches to over 6 inches long. Very beautiful ones, and I feel very blessed to have been able to get these.

Today I fed them redworms and pot worms. I was not sure how they would be recieved since the owners had been feeding them pelleted food...But actually they did not hesitate to snatch up what I gave them. Only a few redworms actually made it to the bottom of the tanks before they were eaten.. The fish all made it through the night well, and seem active and healthy. Next step is to add them to the AP system in a week or so.

Permalink Reply by WaterFish22 on October 23, 2012 at 10:44pm

Hey, I just joined this group, I will post pics of my fish transport system... LOL!
It's just a simple broken cooler, a standard air pump, coleman power inverter and and when I'm moving fish around i plug it in to the car and air shoot out and keeps the fish alive.(They also sell battery power air bubbles but I like to go all out and I used to use my laptop in my car so I had inverter.
You could also mix Prime and Stress Coat with the water.

Make sure when your stocking a new tank with fish you always do more water changes and test the water more often the ammonium and nitrates will kills your fish in no time flat!