If You Need to Fresh Water Dip

[paul b]

If you really need to freshwater dip you need to make sure the temp and pH of the fresh water is the same and if the fish sinks to the bottom, or tries to jump out it needs to be removed fast. Fresh water kills flukes but it also kills tangs, just slower.

It broke my heart but I had to fresh water dip my new copperband because the gill flukes were just to much for her. She lost the flukes and had no problems.
As you may know I am "almost" totally against medication as it rarely turns out well and I truly feel it is what causes most diseases, not the other way around which is why my fish "never" get sick.

I also feel if you want to observe a fish for some reason I would not put it in a small tank, especially a tang, with PVC fittings.
That alone would make a healthy fish sick. I would use red clay bricks or even clay flowerpots. Fish are intensely afraid of anything pure white and won't go near it.
Also if you can see the fish, it can see you. Pvc is also to big. Fish like and need to jam themselves into tight places so other fish such as moray eels don't eat them and they are horrified if they can't feel secure.
In the sea a fish would be eaten instantly if it was in a PVC fitting.

Put a PVC elbow in your reef and see what the fish do. I bet they run and hide. Pure White is a color fish never see and it reflects all the colors of the spectrum. Our fish, in a tank see all of those colors which is frightening, almost like seeing me in a Speedo. 

All our fish live below 30' in the sea and they don't get to see all those colors in one place. Only blue light penetrates there. It's like when I was young and used to go to Disco's.
(I am a great dancer ) They used to have psychedelic colors brought out by black lights. It was garish and if you have never seen it before, even scary, especially to a fish which may not have ever gone to a disco.

These were below 30' deep. The only reason you see the yellow on the moorish Idol is because of the flash on my camera. Everything else is blue.

See any White PVC in there?




There is a colorful spotted moray eel in the center, but all you see id blue.



In an observation or quarantine tank use blue or some muted color like clay bricks. The clay won't absorb medications and you can make tight holes that make the fish feel secure.

To be successful in this hobby we need to be fish doctors and physiologists so we not only know how they feel physically, but more importantly Physiologically which we often fail to recognize which is the reason for all the disease forums.
Again, just my opinion of course.

 

 

[DelRayTank]

Great write up. I QT all my fish and actually really enjoy the QT process. I’ve had terrible luck with wrasses of all kinds getting through QT and I think sterile tank is the problem, as is solitude. 
 

I’m currently QTing a Melanarus wrasse and I picked up some other fish to QT together with the wrasse. I put some coral skeletons in the tank but will add a couple of flower pots to replace the pvc in the tank in an effort to make the wrasse more comfortable. 

[jason the filter freak]

@paul b how do you pH match fresh water?

[paul b]

You add baking soda or calcium until the pH matches your tank. 

pH is just a measure of acid or alkalinity.

[jason the filter freak]

@paul b would Kalk work?

[AlanM]

Seems like kalk would work. It is calcium hydroxide and combines with CO2 in the water to make calcium and carbonate ions,  raising the pH in the process.

[paul b]

Anything would work if it changes the pH

[astroboy]

Interesting point that fish don't care for white things. It sure makes alot of sense.