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Introducing New Fish

Home Fishkeeping Articles Freshwater My First Freshwater Aquarium Introducing New Fish
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Beginner's Quick Guide: Aquarium Setup
My First Freshwater Aquarium
Quick Start
Selecting Your Aquarium
Understanding Filtration
Understanding Nitrogen Cycle
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Types of Filters
Light Tubes and Light Sets
Decorative
Introducing New Fish
Feeding Your Fish
Maintenance Guide
My First Betta
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My First Planted Tank
Common Aquarium Fish Diseases
Overfeeding
Why Is My Aquarium Water Cloudy?
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INTRODUCING NEW FISH

After running your filters for a week, it’s time for you to choose your fish and it’s very important to choose only healthy fishes to avoid problem in your aquarium. You may want to set up a small quarantine tank to keep your new fishes for 1 week for observation for possible illness before introducing them into your main aquarium tank.

It is always recommended to transport your fishes back home to your aquarium tank as soon as possible after you have make your purchase to avoid drastic water temperature change that might occur in the bag that is use to bag the fishes. As soon as you reach home, observe the following steps of introducing the newly purchased fish into your aquarium tank to minimize stressing the fish.

  • Switch off the aquarium lighting during the acclimation period. Place the sealed bag of fishes into the aquarium tank to equalize the water temperatures between the bag of water and the aquarium water for approximately 20 – 30 minutes.
  • Open the bag and gently replace 1/3 of the water in the bag with your aquarium tank water and let it rest for another approximate 5 minutes. Repeat this step at least twice.
  • Carefully submerge the whole bag into your aquarium and slowly guide or let the fishes swim out of the bag by itself. DO NOT POUR the fishes into your aquarium tank as this will create tremendous stress on the fishes and some of the more sensitive breed might not be able to survive through this ordeal.
  • Do not feed the newly introduce fishes for the first 24 hours as it takes some time for the newly purchased fishes to get acclimatized to the new environment.
Avoid Overstocking Your Aquarium

It is recommended for hobbyists to gradually increase the amount of fish into their tank to prevent any ammonia spikes, which causes bacteria bloom and turns water cloudy. Overcrowding the aquarium tank is definitely a no-go as it can cause problems such as low oxygen level, high nitrate and ammonia levels. Hence, it is not recommended.

Find out how much fish you can add into your aquarium tank using the below calculator.

Note:
– Use this calculator only as a general guideline.
– The needs of different fish varies; hobbyists should always have an in-depth understanding about their requirements before adding them into the community tank.