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Transporting and introducing fish

Before you buy your fish

• is it compatible with your existing fish (cannibalistic? territorial? community species?)
• is the water quality the same as for existing fish?
• will your set up be able to cope with additional fish?
• ensure the retailers know how far you have to travel, especially if it is a long way, or there is a time delay before reaching home. Ideally you should head straight home after purchasing your new fish

Transporting fish

When taking your fish home, avoid subjecting them to bright light, artifical light, natural light, extremes of temperature and rough handling.

Great care must be taken when transferring your new fish from the shop or wherever you acquired it, to its new home in your aquarium.

What to do

A change of environment is very stressful for your fish; moving house is, apparently, one of the top five most stressful things for humans!

Take the fish, still in the plastic bag, out of the outer wrapping carefully, avoiding exposure to excessive light and dramatic changes in temperature.

Float your new fish, still in its bag in your aquarium or pond. This will allow the water in the bag to gradually reach the same temperature as that of the aquarium (or pond). Different species of fish can tolerate longer stays in their bag, ask your OATA retailer for how long he recommends the fish should float.

Slowly introduce small amounts of your pond or aquarium water into the bag with the fish. This allows the new fish to become accustomed to the water chemistry in its new home.

Carefully release the fish. Opinion is divided how exactly how this should be carried out. Ideally the fish should be netted, but unless you are experienced in netting fish, this may cause unnecessary stress for the fish. Others advocate that the bag should be opened and the fish allowed to swim out of its own accord. Although this is probably less stressful for the fish, it is not necessarily a good idea to add a lot of 'alien' water to your set up. Ask your OATA Retailer for advice.