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Re: NFC: Collection Deaths/acclaimation deaths

    I've had problems in the past with acclaimation deaths. Often fish are
shipped, and the bags water drops in Ph levels and rise in ammonia levels. Water
temp doesn't seem to have much affect, except with fish with a high O2
requirement. Cold, clean water, often fast flowing or large, frequent water
changes--all three provide a high O2 level and minimize the biological load on
the inhabitants-- when transported, all three of the above parameters are
violated. In sensitive fish that is fatal. When I ship these fish I starve them
for several days(no waste excretion=lower ammonia), only ship the fish in small
numbers ---in bags with  moderate to low water levels with a large cavity of
air(or preferably to ship with pure O2 instead of air with the same gas volume),
this limits the BOD(biological  oxygen demand). Fish will suffer temp extremes
fairly well. But increased temp. lowers the amount of O2 that water will carry.
Low O2 levels are common for fish being shipped. A closed  biosphere, gradually
warming, increasing ammonia levels, high biological oxygen demand, sensitive
fish equals a lot of stress on the occupants of the bag. Fish in clean, cold,
fast flowing streams don't have any of this to deal with. Ammonia is fatal at
high Ph levels, worse than at lower Ph's, but excessive time intervals of even
low levels of ammonia will cause gill damage. This gill damage limits gas
exchange, induces stress because of the increased effort to get enough O2 and
get rid of CO2 (a high O2 level may not be enough). If you ship fish, use
something to absorb ammonia, keep the O2 levels up, bag lightly, keep the water
cool if from cool waters (but keep all fish at the right temp during cold
weather when shipping). Styrofoam boxes help maintain temp, receiving the fish
in apprx. three days isn't real bad, packing light after fasting the fish, using
O2 to bag with minimal water/maximum gas volumn, these are all good strategies.
But fish show up dead or soon die after shipping. After receiving, I put the
fish in a 5 gallon bucket with an air pump running in it. I add some ammonia
absorber in the bucket, and have another 5 gallon bucket above the first bucket
that drips or flows tank water into the fish bucket for acclaimation purposes. I
got a whole shipment recently that was dead in a week and a half, they were
packed too dense, it happens with sensitive fish.      ! (".*) !    I've done it
myself.  Fish that don't die during shipping may die for the next few weeks due
to gill damage from ammonia-- signs are red gill areas, rapid breathing,
secondary illnesses due to stress. That is why you watch recently arrived fish
at the shop for a bit before purchasing them. Sorry if this was long or
excessive.

"Steven A. Ellis" wrote:

> Josh
>
>      Instead of putting the jar in the tank, gradually add water to the jar
> from the destination tank (a few cups at a time) until the temperature is
> approximately the same. Works for me.
>
> Steven A. Ellis
> Kennesaw, GA
>
> At 06:22 PM 4/16/00 -0400, you wrote:
> >Hey Everyone.
> >This has happened to me a few times before:
> >
> >I empty out the minnow trap, put the fish in the jar, and bring them
> >back.  I set the jar in the tank, top above the water line, and the fish
> >die.
> >
> >I have two theories on this:
> >ONe is that the DO2 in the water plummets and that kills everything.
> >The streams relatively turbid, and I typically take the water from the
> >very edge....
> >Two is that the temperature change is just too quick and too broad a
> >range, even though the change by heat moving from outside teh jar to
> >inside it is pretty slow.
> >
> >The last collection to survive complete was a jar set on the desk for a
> >bit too long, by accident.  This supports the temperature thing, BUT the
> >water was taken from farther out.  I was on another log and could dip
> >from deeper water where there was more velocity and higher flow, i.e.,
> >more DO and less junk in the water.
> >
> >Any opinions on this?
> >--
> >end
> >  ____^__
> >><,Darwin,>
> >Joshua L. Wiegert
> >NFC Lists Administrator                          Wiegerj at paulsmiths_edu
> >www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/1680/        owner-nfc at actwin_com
> >ICQ 69551951                                     AIM UID: Etheosoma
> >Feel free to contact me by any of the above means for any reason.
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