When you say hand dipped, as in literally you grab the fish w/ your hand and place him in the DI water? (DI water is your processed RODI water, correct?)
The better process would have been heat the DI water, then remove the heater, then add fish?
What/how do you decon your equipment?
Hi Gaspipe,
Not ignorant questions for sure!
Yes, well not exactly grabbed, just scooped. Get your hand completely wet and slowly move toward the fish until you have it cupped very lightly, then close your grip just enough that it can't flop around or escape then quickly lift it out and into the next container. This only works with either a slow fish, or very confined area, like from the shipping bag to a cup or tank. You are unlikely to catch a fish in a larger tank without a net or trap.
The theory is that your skin (cleaned and thoroughly rinsed of soap or chems) is less damaging than a net for some smaller tooth/spine-less fish (Of course if the fish gets away and flops on the floor, then that's way worse than a net!) Some people choose to hold a net under or around their hand. I make sure to hold whatever container right above where I'm going so it's more of a quick here to there motion, the less contact the better. You want little or no water exchange. Others feel a net is always better, whatever you feel comfortable with.
This morning I planned to leave the heater in the water for a couple hours. I planned on removing the heater prior to dipping, since it is just like 5 minutes or so, and then since I don't want anything that came off in the dip to be on the containers used, or the heater in this case, they all need to be cleaned.
For sterilization, many people use bleach, though some peroxide or vinegar but you need a lot of that, like non-diluted 3-9%+ or something to be fully safe, where bleach just a few spoonfuls is plenty for even several gallons. The vinegar or peroxide you can just rinse and use, or wait 24 hours if you want to let it dry. For bleach you need to rinse well, then let dry at least a day or two, some like to wait a week just in case...but at least make sure you can't smell it any more before using again. Chlorine evaporates quickly, even out of water, so when it's dry it should be fine.
I will use vinegar when I want to remove calcium carbonate, or coralline algae from equipment, but typically bleach for anything else. 24 hours or so in either case, ideally with a pump running the whole time circulating. Then rinse well and let set for several days until completely dry.
