Preping for first shipment

[Lauren]

I've recieved fish & snails through the mail just fine. But never anything that wasnt super hardy. So I'll be getting my first discus shipment soon and I think I'm prepared but I want to know if theres any previous threads on recieving a shipment, or any tips the regulars could offer. Anything I should have within arms reach just in case?

Thanks

Lauren

[brandy]

When I receive fish, I normally raise the tank temperature to 88-90 degrees a couple days ahead of time and add salt at 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. This will help ease stress on the fish until they adjust to their new surroundings. When the fish arrive, put them into a 5 gallon bucket with their shipping water. I add a cup or two of tank water to the bucket every 5 minutes. (When the bucket starts getting full, just dump some of the water out.) After about an hour, net the fish and place in the tank. It's best to leave the tank lights off and don't feed them until the next day. If all fish look fine after a week, gradually lower temperature and discontinue salt use.

I've never had much of a problem when I've received fish, they normally come through okay. You may want to have some general antibiotics on hand just to be on the safe side. Try not to worry about them too much, shipping discus (if done properly) is really not that big of a deal.

[RyanH]

Hey Lauren,

Don't be too afraid to use the "plop" method if your fish arrive cold, sick, with leaky bags, or severely stressed. It is sometimes better to remove them from extremely adverse conditions quickly instead of slowly.

Also, If you do decide to acclimate them slowly, I would drop an airstone into the bucket while you add tank water.

If your water is about the same or warmer and the pH is about the same or higher, I see no reason to wait. Just dump them in. (carefully ofcourse :))

hth!!!

[Lauren]

Thanks, It seems like I have the general right idea, I will raise the temp a tiny bit more as its already close and add a little salt.

Ryan, thanks for the note on the stressed etc ones, without direction I mightve acclimated them anyways and make things worse by leaving them in the condition longer. Hopefully they should arrive fine, I have total confidence in everything except the fedex man - I should have a shotgun ready in case the box shows up banged up LOL

Lauren

[RyanH]

I agree with you that fedex is the biggest variable. But keep in mind before you commit a brutal homicide that fedex usually doesn't know when they are shipping live fish. I think it's against their policy to do so. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong.

:)

[Lauren]

LOL I'll keep that in mind Ryan thanks :D
Luckily I think Shawn still has quite afew Fedex connections even though he doesnt work for them anymore, its possible should something catastrophic happen it can be fixed. But I'm trying not to worry about such things.

Lauren

[Webzilla]

I would Run down to your LFS and pickup some Melafix and use that... I always use that for my shipped fish, it works great on stress and shipping wounds and it works quickly.. IMO..

John.....

[Lauren]

Luckily I have some of the concentrated Melafix on hand (pond version), I've never seen it at any chain or LFS around here so I ordered it online awhile ago

Lauren

[Carol_Roberts]

I have tank at normal temp (84) with 1 or 2 tablespoons salt per 10 gallons.

Open box of fish. Pull out bag, place by tank. Cut off top and pour out most of water. Reach in bag, gently grasp discus and plop in tank. Repeat until box is empty. leave on low light. feed next day.

[Webzilla]

Lauren,

I have always been a believer in melafix. I have just recently seen just how good this stuff is after getting fish shipped to me that arrived with amonia burns. It's has been 13 days and there is no sign of this on any of the fish that survived the first day. I lost one fish out of 5 due to a shipping mistake.

My methodology is to put 1 cap full per 10 gallons the morning the fish are to arrive. When you get your fish in the tank and if there is any body scrapes, fin damage or even any damage around the gills I dose every day after WC's the amount of water I change. So if you change 40 gallons put 4 cap fulls. If I'm not mistaken Melafix is Melafix it will work in Fresh and Salt water and even ponds. It is wonderful stuff.

In cases like mine that were so badly damaged I doubled the dose the first 4 days and one and a half for 3 days and then went to the 1 cap per 10 gallons.

And you can mix this with salt if the need be.

IMO No discus keeper should be without Melafix. Never know when someone in your tanks gets beat up and you need to help repair him/her.

Hope this helps!

John.....

[Howie_W]

The best of both worlds...

Lauren,

I tend to take a middle of the road approach. I agree with Carol on the temp...84F is a good maximum, as the fish will arrive in water that has cooled down.

I also agree it's good to get them out of thier ammonia infested shipping bags and into your tank asap.

Just before they arrive I would have the tank already salted. I usually place all the bags in a bucket filled half way with water from the tank. Place all fish in their bags in the bucket, cut off the tops of the bags, and slowy continue to add water from the tank into the bucket, allowing it to fill up the bags, and spill out into the bucket. This does not have to take long. Once complete, begin removing the fish from the bags and into the tank. Last step is to slowly raise the temp. in the tank to 88F. I also usually leave the lights off in the tank for the first day.

Howie

[kpix99]

Lauren,
Don't You worry Its all about the people that are packing Your Discus! hint,hint,hint ;)

Cary + Family 8)

[Lauren]

So excited, cant wait!
One of the main reasons I chose GLD for my first shipment is that exact reason Cary! Thanks for dealing with all my questions & emails, really made me feel very comftorable through the process :D

Lauren

[Lauren]

Thanks for everyones tips, Cary called me and told me exactly how he wanted me to prepare and what to do. It was a huge help (thanks Cary!)

They all arrived alive and well, afew of the bags leaked a tiny bit, nothing major just some wet newspaper. I followed all Cary's directions and everyone is alive and well today. My worry factor went from about 90 to 40 after the first few hours they were in the tank. The night before the shipment arrived I only slept about a grand total of 4-5 hours and my dreams were of the fedex man arriving at the door, ringing the doorbell & as hard as I searched I could not find the front door where he left the package with fish in it!!! ::) ::)

Luckily, it was only a dream! LOL

Lauren

[Howie_W]

What no pictures ???

You're not getting off that easy missy! ;)


Howie

[kpix99]

Hi lauren,

Have not heard from You! Hows everything Going?
Please keep Us posted ;D

Cary + family ;)

[Lauren]

Cary,
I PM'ed you right when I got them ??? ??? ???

Check photo gallery, I posted pics just a minute ago :D:D

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=11;action=display;threadid=21136