Fish from different sources

[aquadon2222]

It's generally recommended to buy fish from one supplier. However, I really like to get as many different statins as I can, mix in some albinos, rafflesias (my have), so I have bought from 4 different suppliers. The fish from one supplier tend to struggle, hiding, not eating etc while the others are thriving. Any tips on getting the ones from the troubled fish to assimilate into the rest of his tank mates?

[Second Hand Pat]

Did you follow good QT procedures?

[Madaboutdiscus]

Did you qt them?

~Victoria

[Larry Bugg]

Are they all a similar size?

[Elliots]

How long have you had the fish that are hiding? They may just need time.

[DonMD]

Here's hoping that you didn't import any problems. Fingers crossed!

[Chad Adams]

It's generally recommended to buy fish from one supplier. However,

Never a good way to start out.


Please answer questions about QT.

[aquadon2222]

I buy from reputably vendors here, but of course fish coming from different parts of the world are likely to contain different microbes that they've developed immunity to, but fish from other sources haven't. All of my vendors quarantine, but in light of the above, that doesn't necessarily solve the problem, so I QT all my fish now and treat prophylactically with antibiotics before putting them into the main tanks and that's fixed the problem for the most part. I always buy fish in the 4-5" range and try to grow them out from there, so I've had no size/bullyin issues. However, my European breeds still tend to be the ones who don't do as well with the Asians. I get my basic strains from Europe (turqs, pigeons etc) and my albinos and spotteds from Asian suppliers, and the Euros tend to be "less comfortable" in the tank than the others (hiding, don't feed with the group) and generally don't do as well.

[DonMD]

So of course reading your post I first off thought that buying fish from different sources would increase the chances of cross-contamination of various pathogens. Now, as you explain that you follow QT procedures, I'll go back to your original question: is there any way to get them to assimilate with the rest of the group? You also imply that the European fish are the least likely to "assimilate."

The only thing I can think of to get a fish out of a funk is live food. Live black worms. I think they all go for that. I don't feed those because I'm always concerned about bringing in unwanted pathogens. But if you have fish that are not sick, only reticent, then you might try that. Just a thought. Good luck.

[aquadon2222]

So of course reading your post I first off thought that buying fish from different sources would increase the chances of cross-contamination of various pathogens. Now, as you explain that you follow QT procedures, I'll go back to your original question: is there any way to get them to assimilate with the rest of the group? You also imply that the European fish are the least likely to "assimilate."

The only thing I can think of to get a fish out of a funk is live food. Live black worms. I think they all go for that. I don't feed those because I'm always concerned about bringing in unwanted pathogens. But if you have fish that are not sick, only reticent, then you might try that. Just a thought. Good luck.

I'm nervy about brining in live black worms myself. My fish's diet is 1/2 sterile mysis shrimp, 1/4 sterile blood worms, 1/4 New Era discus pellets. I believe that I have identified the problem: my Germans we're raised in BeefHeart, and ignore everything else that I feed them, lose weight and go off and hide. I do not want to introduce a new food source like BH to most of my fish whom are thieving n the above diet, and foui the water of a large (320 gal) tank just to serve BH.