New Fish Acclimation Issue

[marxman]

Hi All,

My LFS ordered a Singapore Angelfish for me last week. They kept it in store for 2-3 days and said it was looking ok. I picked up the fish 2 days ago and brought it home. When I brought it home, I placed bag in tank for 30 minutes, then I dripped tank water into bag for about 45 minutes.

I then placed the fish in my display tank, it swam around for the rest of the day until evening when it went and hid behind my rock work. Since then it has been wedged in the rock work. I can coerce it out for a bit, but will go straight back. My tank is peaceful and other fish don’t harass each other.

I have noticed that he is breathing somewhat fast, and has not eaten.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can try? I hate to accept that some fish just don’t acclimate well.

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Hi All,

My LFS ordered a Singapore Angelfish for me last week. They kept it in store for 2-3 days and said it was looking ok. I picked up the fish 2 days ago and brought it home. When I brought it home, I placed bag in tank for 30 minutes, then I dripped tank water into bag for about 45 minutes.

I then placed the fish in my display tank, it swam around for the rest of the day until evening when it went and hid behind my rock work. Since then it has been wedged in the rock work. I can coerce it out for a bit, but will go straight back. My tank is peaceful and other fish don’t harass each other.

I have noticed that he is breathing somewhat fast, and has not eaten.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can try? I hate to accept that some fish just don’t acclimate well.

how long have you had it? a day? if you've only had it for a day then it might need to get used to the tank. what did you try feeding it?

 

[Dbichler]

Don’t try to coerce it out anymore that will just stress it out more. He will eat when he gets comfortable enough and hungry. Best course now is just watch from a distance and make sure no major issues.

 

[marxman]

Had him 2 days.
Have fed the tank frozen brine, mysis, and seaweed.... didn’t eat any.

I have mixed up a smaller QT style tank with water of lower salinity than my DT as I ow my LFS runs at 1.014. Is there no use in trying to move him in there?

 

[LiamPM]

Had him 2 days.
Have fed the tank frozen brine, mysis, and seaweed.... didn’t eat any.

I have mixed up a smaller QT style tank with water of lower salinity than my DT as I ow my LFS runs at 1.014. Is there no use in trying to move him in there?

No not so soon - Will just stress her more, she needs time to settle to the new surroundings.

Keep a close eye and let it get to the 4-5 day mark and if she still hides and hasn't eaten then look into the next course of action.

2 days of hiding and not eating is not out of the ordinary yet.

 

[marxman]

Thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it.

forgot to mention that as well as the heavy breathing, he seems to have wedged himself under a rock, kinda lying down. I mention that because I’ve had other fish that when new and shy went into the rock work, but were upright.

Does that change anything?

 

[JumboShrimp]

I moved my Purple Tang from my DT (where I thought it was being harassed, because it would basically only dart from rock to rock, and come out to eat) into a hospital tank, to let it chill, and to make sure it got vitamin soaked foods. It looks fine, but for 4 days now it is just peaking out of the same spot, and won't explore the tank, and immediately stopped eating. (It was eating great in the DT.) So I'm hoping like you, it just needs to take it's sweet time to become brave and venture out, and resume eating.