"SaltyDog Says"
Always be careful when buying new fish. Apply these rules when buying fish from your LFS..
1.Always check the fish out!!!
First things first. When buing a fish... alway's check him over to the best of your ability.
Look for diseases that you can spot on the surface of the fish.
Things to look for are : white spots, slimey patches, damaged, frayed, or collapsed fins, discoloration, and check the way the fish is behaving in the tank. If he Looks stressed out..Darting around the tank...scratching on rocks...floating in the corner or just plain sick....Question your LFS about the fish...You can never ask to many Questions Never buy a sick fish... it's not worth your time, or money.
2 Always Ask your LFS to feed the fish.
A fish can be sick on the inside too. Fish can have parasites on the inside of them as well as the ones they carry on the outside. Ask yor LFS if they will feed the fish you are interested in buying.
If they agree to feed the fish....which sometimes they will and sometimes they won't.....Then at least you can determine weather the fish is somewhat healthy on the inside, and eating before you take it home.
3.Always check out the tank you want to buy from.
Always look around in the tank you want to buy from.
It's a good rule of thumb to never buy a fish from a tank that already has sick fish, or has dead fish floating around in it. Although the fish you want to buy may look healthy, chances are he may be an unhealthy fish, and may infect the rest of your tank after you introduce him. BEWARE!!!
"SaltyDog Says"
Always ask your LFS to double bag your fish, and if you live a long way from the LFS...ask for more water in the bag so the fish have more oxygen to make the long trip..
4.Set up a Hospital/ Quarantine tank.
Alway's quaratine your fish when you bring them home from your LFS. It's better to be safe than sorry.
I myself have learned that nothing goes into a healthy tank until it has been quarantined, and observed for a few days. It's never worth taking a chance when introducing new fish to your tank.
I keep a 10 gallon hospital tank around just in case I need it.
Do not attempt to take care of a 10 gallon salt tank right away without good established water.
Get A Jump Start From Another well established tank., check Gravity, or Salinity daily. The more evaporation the more you will have to adjust gravity of the water.
I put a few pieces of base rock in the tank. Some old fiji rubble and tonga mixed in (Dead Rock)
This gives the fish a place to hide, and feel safe while he heals or acclimates to the tank.
Plus it livens up a dreary empty hospital tank.
"SaltyDog Says"
Never attempt to treat your reef tank...this could kill some corals and inverts.
Medicating the tank
I medicate the hospital tank with GREENEX...It's a anti-protozoan agent.(Not on the market anymore)
This medication will stain the corners seals of your tank blue, so it's best to use a cheap,or old tank.
There are lots of medication chemicals on the market, make sure you follow the directions closely.
Be sure to remove any activated carbons from your filters, because this will remove the medication that has been added to the water. If your fish is okay after observing him a few days, it's now time to acclimate him to his new home free from disease. Replace Carbon in your filters if you wish to clean up the medicated tank. Also do a partial water change after all is said and done.
10 Gallon Hospital Tank
10 Gal tank, 10 Gallon Heater, 10 Gallon Whisper Filter, Small air pump for more oxygen. Light strip.
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