Jeff_Toronto
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2017
- Messages
- 133
- Reaction score
- 176
All you pros have it down to a science and as much as you can learn from your posts and no matter how many articles you read or youtube videos you watch... I 100 percent underestimated the anxiety I would feel the first 80 hours after getting my first fish..... had to share.
My dt and qt tanks are cycling and progressing well. Was time to get my first fish. Knew I was going with a couple clown fish. Really wanted something more exotic over standard ones but faced with a dilemma. In the back of my mind i hear "first fish you're gonna kill them" have never kept fish and had zero clue what to expect. Did I do everyhing correct? What if I missed something critical? Decided to go with a snowflake clownfish.
I get to lfs with my cooler in hand, cold out some wanted to protect my new friends in transit, pick out the two clowns I like after 20 minutes or watching amd having lfs feed them to make sure they are eating. All good, I pay and start driving home (15 min) and two people Honk. I'm driving slow because in don't know if bouncing around will scare my fish.
I'm doing ttm so have tank 1 ready to go and now 73 hours of anxiety.
Bring fish to temp in tank for 20. Ok still swimming and don't seem to be breathing heavy. Time to drip acclimate. Do that for 45 min the whole time starring at the fish like i known what I'm looking for... ok still good. Now rubber meet the road.... add to tank. Oh look they are swimming around and don't look completly stressed. I must have done something right.
I stare at my fish for 4 hours just observing in facination. Hmmm is this behavior normal are they ok? Will they survive the night? 1am i decide to see if they will eat something. Nope. Ok they say expected. Sleep time.
Wake up at 5am wondering if they are ok. Rush downstairs and sigh of relief they are still swimming. Whew....
Get up and attempt to feed again. Nothing. Oh well. I stare at ammonia badge and it hits me. How long for ammonia to spike? They are in tank for next 3 days and I don't know what to expect. Nervousness sets in but I goto work.
Drive home day 1 and they are doing well after 24 hours. Still not eating in try pellets, seaweed, mysis and flakes. Even lettuce. Nothing.. how long will they last without food? But they look ok. Stare for hours and goto bed.
Next day at work I'm nervous. Are they ok? Is ammonia spiking? Are they stressed? Floating to the top ? Get home that night and all seems well. They are even starting to eat a little. Whew. One more day of unexpected to go. Last day in tank one. Water looks dirty... that ok? Just make it through to rank change.
Buy nest camera so i can keep an eye on at work feeling better. Get home and ammonia still looks good. Fish eating like crazy and time for tank change. Goes smooth and they are set for next 72 hours.
That first 72 hours not knowing what to expect was insane. A new experience and learned a lot. Next 72 will be easy if they remain healthy.
Fun times and having a blast
Named them buttercup and westley
My dt and qt tanks are cycling and progressing well. Was time to get my first fish. Knew I was going with a couple clown fish. Really wanted something more exotic over standard ones but faced with a dilemma. In the back of my mind i hear "first fish you're gonna kill them" have never kept fish and had zero clue what to expect. Did I do everyhing correct? What if I missed something critical? Decided to go with a snowflake clownfish.
I get to lfs with my cooler in hand, cold out some wanted to protect my new friends in transit, pick out the two clowns I like after 20 minutes or watching amd having lfs feed them to make sure they are eating. All good, I pay and start driving home (15 min) and two people Honk. I'm driving slow because in don't know if bouncing around will scare my fish.
I'm doing ttm so have tank 1 ready to go and now 73 hours of anxiety.
Bring fish to temp in tank for 20. Ok still swimming and don't seem to be breathing heavy. Time to drip acclimate. Do that for 45 min the whole time starring at the fish like i known what I'm looking for... ok still good. Now rubber meet the road.... add to tank. Oh look they are swimming around and don't look completly stressed. I must have done something right.
I stare at my fish for 4 hours just observing in facination. Hmmm is this behavior normal are they ok? Will they survive the night? 1am i decide to see if they will eat something. Nope. Ok they say expected. Sleep time.
Wake up at 5am wondering if they are ok. Rush downstairs and sigh of relief they are still swimming. Whew....
Get up and attempt to feed again. Nothing. Oh well. I stare at ammonia badge and it hits me. How long for ammonia to spike? They are in tank for next 3 days and I don't know what to expect. Nervousness sets in but I goto work.
Drive home day 1 and they are doing well after 24 hours. Still not eating in try pellets, seaweed, mysis and flakes. Even lettuce. Nothing.. how long will they last without food? But they look ok. Stare for hours and goto bed.
Next day at work I'm nervous. Are they ok? Is ammonia spiking? Are they stressed? Floating to the top ? Get home that night and all seems well. They are even starting to eat a little. Whew. One more day of unexpected to go. Last day in tank one. Water looks dirty... that ok? Just make it through to rank change.
Buy nest camera so i can keep an eye on at work feeling better. Get home and ammonia still looks good. Fish eating like crazy and time for tank change. Goes smooth and they are set for next 72 hours.
That first 72 hours not knowing what to expect was insane. A new experience and learned a lot. Next 72 will be easy if they remain healthy.
Fun times and having a blast
Named them buttercup and westley
Welcome to the club. Enjoy your fish. Sounds like you are doing just fine.
