Moving can be tough on a kid. New places, new school, making new friends, meeting new bullies . . . I’m sure some of you can relate. So can your fish. Life can be tough even after getting shipped halfway around the world. So how can we, as responsible aquarists, help them out? The answer can be complicated, as social dynamics in an aquarium can be complex and ever-changing!
That yellow tang that you bought six months ago is hitting maturity and is starting to stake out a larger territory, pushing that algae blenny competing for the tang’s favorite grazing rocks toward the clownfish pair in the corner who, just by sheer chance, are feeling frisky for the one-hundredth time this year and protecting their spawning area.
这pajama cardinalsthat usually hang out near the clownfish have migrated passed the火焰鹰(who is contemplating whether the new cleaner shrimp you bought last week will fit in its mouth) and have settled underneath theroyal gramma’s shelf so she now feels she has to show how big and bad she is to these new intruders.
这dominant female lyretail anthias begins her plans to take over the harem and oust the male that has been getting a little skinny avoiding the yellow tang at feeding time.
But wait! The provider is coming! They all stop for a few minutes when you walk up to the tank to feed and contemplate adding a new fish because “everyone is getting along so great right now.”
这些动力必须由水族馆每天观察到。注意到趋势,调整岩石工作,目标进食someone a bit more—all can alleviate some of the growing pains that a tank can have. Obviously, the fish that are already in there have a much better chance of survival than some newcomer that is fresh off the plane and just “thrown to the wolves.”
那么如何智能地添加新鱼?这里有一些技巧和技巧可能有助于该过程。显然,这不是研究您打算保留和确定它们是否适合您当前居民的坦克友的单个鱼类的捷径,但这可能会产生实质性的差异。
Quarantine and condition
Whether it is a passive quarantine (observation without medicating) or proactive quarantine (prevention of disease through medication), conditioning and quarantining a new fish is the number one way to ensure things go smoothly when introducing it. Fish that are physically in good condition and are not suffering from any health maladies are better able to avoid and defend themselves from fish already established in the tank. Quarantine allows fish to rest after their big move as well as settle in to your time schedule and feeding regimen.
我建议隔离期至少两个星期。基本的,裸露的隔离系统should be an appropriately sized aquarium for the type of fish you are quarantining—usually between 20 and 60 gallons for the average hobbyist. An aquarium top, filter, heater, and PVC pipes for cover are all you need to make a functional quarantine system. The quarantine system should be placed at least 20 feet away from the display to prevent cross contamination and preferably shouldcycled加入鱼之前。
分离使心脏成长
我对此很惊讶,很多养殖者穿过ir fingers when adding new fish to their aquarium. Sure, it goes alright a lot of the time, but it can go horribly wrong too. Social acclimation is a tool that should be utilized more than it is. When public aquariums move fish into predatory shark tanks, they often utilize an isolation pool. This isolation pool is usually separated from the main tank with a plastic mesh gate. The new fish are able to orient themselves, de-stress, and acclimate to tank conditions without harassment from established fish in the system before being released. This can be imitated in an aquarium very easily. You can buy premade acclimation boxes or make your own with a large plastic container with premade holes. You can also use a soldering iron to make holes in the plastic for ventilation.
较大的鱼显然需要比塑料容器所能提供的更多空间。可以用切割蛋箱的切割来修复这一点,以安装在水箱内,并纵向切割乙烯基管,并在鸡蛋箱的两端安装,以在水族馆的前后从前到背部形成一个舒适的密封。这将坦克的一部分划分为您的新居民适应。
分离适应使已建立的鱼看到,闻到并与新鱼类相互作用,而不会对任何一种动物进行物理损害。
灯亮,不熄灭!
当最终释放新鱼时,请使用柔和的照明,但我建议(与普遍的信念相反)在灯光熄灭之前不要这样做,以便可以将新鱼引入已建立的坦克伴侣。我已经看到“灯”适应的方法非常错误,并且由于坦克很黑,您无法评估新鱼的情况或在需要时采取行动。
新鱼迪也在明显增加sadvantage. It has never explored the caves in your live rock and has no idea where your other fish sleep or have staked out a territory. I’ve seen new fish get pummeled all night because they picked the wrong sleeping spot but are obviously too disoriented to find their way out of that sleeping spot! The first day is an “intelligence-gathering mission” for your new fish, and it is a lot easier to gather intelligence when you can see!
打破摩擦
第一天发布了新的鱼,评估它的表现很重要。如果事情发生糟糕,请不要犹豫采取行动。像仔细重新排列几块岩石那样简单的事情,可以极大地帮助您。贴在坦克侧面的镜子也可能使领土鱼类攻击它们的反射,与新移民一段时间。增加您的feedingsfor the first few days can also distract fish into accepting their new tankmate.
Just sump it
持续的侵略性鱼可能是一个主要问题。在一个完美的世界中,这些鱼将在其他所有人定居并对自己的家中提出要求后,将被添加到水族馆中。您可以通过暂时去除持续的侵略性鱼并将其放入sumpor your quarantine tank (after it’s been sterilized properly), then reintroducing it to the tank after a week or two.
这ever-changing dynamics of an aquarium can be a daunting challenge, so be prepared. With these steps, you can greatly improve your chances of introducing fish into your aquarium without aggression or mitigate those aggression issues. Remember that all fish are different and sometimes even the best-laid plans can still go off track.