Longest Possible Safe FW Dip?

[rastaangel]

My 40g is a hell of alot bigger them what I see most tangs in on display at stores. But were wondering of path here LOL
1. How long can you FW dip a fish?
2. Would you do a FW dip then add the fish to your DT w/o being QTed

[whatcaneyedo]

Why freshwater dip a tang? Take your time, look around, choose a healthy specimen and plop it into your display. I've only purchased two tangs: a powder blue and a purple. Both had been in captivity for several years before I acquired them and have done well in my system ever since they were introduced. Many fish are tough to find 'used' but tangs are not one of them.

[rastaangel]

I dont have that luxury as I live atleast 2 hrs from my LFS so I cant watch it for weeks before I buy it

[marie]

The longest (and only time) I've been able to leave a fish in fresh water was about 90 sec's.....I thought I had killed it

I am in the same boat with choosing healthy fish. I am a long ways away from the nearest fish store and have to rely on someone else to choose my fish so I can't afford to not quarantine, especially after I lost half my stock to marine velvet.
That said, I quarantined and treated my Achilles successfully for 8 weeks

Here's Doofus 6.5 yrs ago, recovering from fresh water dipping and copper treatment

[whatcaneyedo]

The Total Pet (our only SW LFS) in Prince George isn't exactly the alpha omega of aquarium stores... The tangs I bought were from other hobbyists.

[rastaangel]

I have largely considered that as a option BUT most people that are selling the tangs I want are either to large for there system and thus prob to large for mine as well, selling cuz of aggression and/or they want way to much money

[dreef]

I've never dipped any of my fish..and i'm 3-1/2 hours from that store you go too :P I've had my tangs for years. I just pickup the phone and order and go to the depot..to get my treasures.

[TimT]

I have given lots of fish a 15 minute fw bath to clean them of ick, velvet and flukes. If the bath is done correctly and the fish is healthy/strong enough there is usually never a problem.

You must make sure that the water is at the same temperature, pH and has been aerated for several hours to equalize the dissolved oxygen levels. Typically well water has low to no dissolved oxygen.

If the fish goes rigid with fins erect and maybe also twitching it has gone into shock and must be removed from the fw bath immediately. Observe the fish to make sure it starts to breath properly, if it does not then gently hold the fish near a powerhead so it gets a gentle flow through it's mouth. That helps carpet surfers if they are not too far gone.

Fish will normally lay on their sides in a fw bath.

If a fish has an open wound NEVER give it a fw bath.

You are dealing with some extremely sensitive fishes. IMHO Achilles are probably the most sensitive tang available. They are followed by the powder tangs.

For whether to FW dip an Achilles tang, I would NOT dip it if all the following were true;
there was a properly sized UV sterilizer on your tank,
the temp of your system was always stable(within 0.2°f),
the fish showed no signs of ick or scratching at the store and none of it's tank mates were scratching either,
it had not gotten cold during transport.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Tim

[daniella3d]

why FW dip? it's harsh on a fish. I would do a one hour dip with Paraguard and then yes quarantine the fish and if everything is fine after 4 weeks then in the display tank.

As for how long to FW dip, as long as the fish stand it, usually not very long, no more than 20 minutes or so. Paraguard is safer and the fish usually show no sign of stress. A 40 gallons aquarium is no bigger than any 40 gallons aquarium, it is still 40 gallons. A fish need its vital room to breath and have enough oxygen. If the aquarium is overcrawded and something goes on the edge than fish die from lack of oxygen. I see it so often. This is why I don't put any more fish in my 75 gallons although it looks empty of fish.

Originally Posted by rastaangel

My 40g is a hell of alot bigger them what I see most tangs in on display at stores. But were wondering of path here LOL
1. How long can you FW dip a fish?
2. Would you do a FW dip then add the fish to your DT w/o being QTed

[TimT]

I prefer to try and stay away from chemical meds whenever possible due to them usually containing carcinogenic components.

There are several advantages to a FW bath over a Paraguard bath for fish that are healthy and strong.

1. FW is free.
2. FW is non toxic
3. FW does not need to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner
4. FW is not a carcinogen
5. FW will not stain your skin, clothes or the aquarium silicone
6. FW works no matter what the concentration
7. FW is safe for human consumption :-) Important if you have young kids.
8. FW does not leave a fish injured
9. FW does not stress a fish by burning it's gills and skin like Paraguard does.

I have observed lots of fish show no stress reaction at all when going into a FW bath. Even anthias and fairy wrasses don't freak out. I can only remember two fish going into shock out of 100's that I have given FW baths too. One was a rabbitfish and the other a pacific sailfin. I have only lost 4 or 5 due to pre existing ick infections that were quite severe. As a wholesaler I have been doing FW baths on fish for about 10 years so have done a lot of them.

If a fish is in a weakened condition due to parisitization then a hyposalinity treatment in a QT may be a better option.