If You Need to Freshwater Dip

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Paul B

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If you really need to freshwater dip a fish you need to make sure the temp and pH of the fresh water is the same and if the fish sinks to the bottom, or tries to jump out it needs to be removed fast. Fresh water kills flukes but it also kills tangs, just slower.

It broke my heart but I had to fresh water dip my new copperband because the gill flukes were just to much for her. She lost the flukes and had no problems.
As you may know I am "almost" totally against medication as it rarely turns out well and I truly feel it is what causes most diseases, not the other way around which is why my fish "never" get sick.

I also feel if you want to observe a fish for some reason I would not put it in a small tank, especially a tang, with PVC fittings.
That alone would make a healthy fish sick. I would use red clay bricks or even clay flowerpots. Fish are intensely afraid of anything pure white and won't go near it.
Also if you can see the fish, it can see you. Pvc is also to big. Fish like and need to jam themselves into tight places so other fish such as moray eels don't eat them and they are horrified if they can't feel secure.
In the sea a fish would be eaten instantly if it was in a PVC fitting.

Put a PVC elbow in your reef and see what the fish do. I bet they run and hide. Pure White is a color fish never see and it reflects all the colors of the spectrum. Our fish, in a tank see all of those colors which is frightening, almost like seeing me in a Speedo. :rolleyes:

All our fish live below 30' in the sea and they don't get to see all those colors in one place. Only blue light penetrates there. It's like when I was young and used to go to Disco's.
(I am a great dancer :p) They used to have psychedelic colors brought out by black lights. It was garish and if you have never seen it before, even scary, especially to a fish which may not have ever gone to a disco.

These were below 30' deep. The only reason you see the yellow on the moorish Idol is because of the flash on my camera. Everything else is blue.

See any White PVC in there?




There is a colorful spotted moray eel in the center, but all you see is blue.



In an observation or quarantine tank use blue or some muted color like clay bricks. The clay won't absorb medications and you can make tight holes that make the fish feel secure.

To be successful in this hobby we need to be fish doctors and physiologists so we not only know how they feel physically, but more importantly Physiologically which we often fail to recognize which is the reason for all the disease forums.
Again, just my opinion of course.
 
Great writings as usual. Did your new copper and make it through the dip? If so, what do you plan to do next?
 
Yes he made it fine and a lot of flukes fell off. Unfortunately that fish never ate and I should not have bought it. I could see right away that it was drugged and if I would have watched it in the store for one minute I would have seen that.

You win some you lose some. :rolleyes:
 
I have the fake plastic logs and rocks freshwater people use as decorations....I put those in with pvc once....and every single fish huddled inside the fake decorations together. Not one used a pvc hideout. Even a Blenny chose a black filter sponge to hide behind over pvc.

That was one of the first and last times I tried PVC. I bought some more fake plants and hideouts instead.
 
Yes he made it fine and a lot of flukes fell off. Unfortunately that fish never ate and I should not have bought it. I could see right away that it was drugged and if I would have watched it in the store for one minute I would have seen that.

You win some you lose some. :rolleyes:

what did you see to know it was drugged?
 
It is easy to tell with copperbands when they are drugged. He was swimming with his snout slightly pointing up, They usually swim straight or a little facing down as they are hunting for food. His eyes were not moving or focusing. His gaze was fixed straight ahead and he hid to long when I put him in the tank.
He had no interest in food and wouldn't even look at live worms hitting his nose.

You have to have been looking at copperbands for many years to notice these subtle things but I have noticed that copperbands are the easiest fish to tell if they are drugged

I would have seen this right away if I looked at the fish in the store.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

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