does water change stress out fish

j86miu · 12/19/2011, 01:02 PM

I have one blue azure damsel, he seems to be fine for the most part and was swimming about the rocks in and out of caves... but yesterday I did a water change and it's not that he's swimming funny or breathing heavy, but he is in constant hiding right now...

His color looks good too so i'm wondering if the fish gets scared/stressed when I stick a mini bucket in his tank to do a water change. I also blasted the rocks and sand with the power head so maybe that added to it too?

LukeGI · 12/19/2011, 01:06 PM

You might have created an increase in ammonia when stirring things up...however I would also do a little verifying that your salinity was the same in the new water as was already in the tank.
How long after the water change is the fish still hiding?

GrimReefer82 · 12/19/2011, 01:11 PM

temp of new water is important too.

LukeGI · 12/19/2011, 01:28 PM

Agreed on the temp...forgot to mention that...

It might be worth mentioning here just what percentage of your water you are changing out as well...

LukeGI · 12/19/2011, 01:28 PM

Agreed on the temp...forgot to mention that...

It might be worth mentioning here just what percentage of your water you are changing out as well...

j86miu · 12/19/2011, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LukeGI

You might have created an increase in ammonia when stirring things up...however I would also do a little verifying that your salinity was the same in the new water as was already in the tank.
How long after the water change is the fish still hiding?

Temperate was the same as tank.. the WC was last night, he's sort of still in hiding right now but coming out a little more again...

I added some seachem prime to control the nitrate and ammonia just incase...

LukeGI · 12/19/2011, 01:35 PM

Did you mix the SW yourself? Or was it purchased?
Did you use RO/DI water for mixing the salt into?

j86miu · 12/19/2011, 01:38 PM

i have been mixing my own saltwater with ro water since the beginning... I think it's because I stuck one of those liter plastic jugs in there to do a wc which could've scared him... most people use siphons right? which is probably a little less intruding i would guess

LukeGI · 12/19/2011, 01:40 PM

Certainly possible the jug scared him...could there have been some bad chemical in the jug?

As for most using siphons...that is probably the most common, though personally I remove water from my sump via a spare powerhead, and pour the new SW into the display.
That particular fish might just be skittish too

uncleof6 · 12/19/2011, 01:44 PM

Yes, water changes stress your critters. Any sudden changes in the water chemistry, will affect the critters. Stability, is the very essence of the sea, though slow changes over time, occur, and critters take them in stride to a point. Liken the water change to a sudden chemical change in our atmosphere.

cloak · 12/19/2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j86miu

I have one blue azure damsel, he seems to be fine for the most part and was swimming about the rocks in and out of caves... but yesterday I did a water change and it's not that he's swimming funny or breathing heavy, but he is in constant hiding right now...

His color looks good too so i'm wondering if the fish gets scared/stressed when I stick a mini bucket in his tank to do a water change. I also blasted the rocks and sand with the power head so maybe that added to it too?

Sounds normal to me. I would be a little freaked out too if somebody came and rattled my cage. Putting your hands in the tank is one thing, but a bucket or a net is something completely different. Just give the fish some time to settle down and it should be fine.

Virtuoso · 12/19/2011, 01:59 PM

I think the bucket could have done it. One time I went to float a bag in my display tank and it was a little bigger than the ones I am used to so it dipped down significantly. It scared one of my Clowns so bad he actually darted into the Pistol Shrimp / Goby caves.

00Warpig00 · 12/20/2011, 12:25 AM

I try to minimize stress when I do water changes. Specially in my 20H QT tank. Since one main purpose of a QT is to provide refuge and a place for the fish to chill out. I have installed an "over the tank wall" small PVC pipe that goes to within a 1/2 inch of the tank bottom and attaches to hose outside the tank. I put my bucket on the floor in front of the tank below tank tabletop level I start a siphon in the hose and let it drain into the bucket. I never even open the lid on the tank. To replace water I fill my bucket and use a Maxijet to pump the new water in through the same tube/pvc.

In my 180 I have no such device set up yet but the next time I buy a utility pump I will get one friendly to do that sort of thing there too. for now I do my 75 Gallon water changes in the 180 after lights out and all my fish are in hiding anyway. I'm sure they are well aware something is up in their tank but this is a time they normally hide anyway. I pump out and back in the required water for the change all during lights out. After morning lights on all the fish come out just like every morning.

Has worked great for me so far.

Nick

jamesbaur13 · 12/20/2011, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j86miu

I added some seachem prime to control the nitrate and ammonia just incase...

Check your PH... I don't know how often you test it, but you would want see how different it is from what is typical.

I had a problem like this in one of my QT's. I found the problem to be ammo-lock crashed my PH by .3 at 1/2 the recommended dose as soon as it was added (instantaneous).

The sudden swing didn't kill my fish, but you could tell they were having a hard time.

Another thing to keep in mind if the PH did in fact change. Test for ammonia. At low PH ammonia is less toxic. If it's close or over .050 do small water changes over the course of a few hrs or wait for the bacteria to bring it down.

As uncleof6 was eluding too... don't go sudden. Either wait for it to sort itself out or do what you can in small amounts to correct it.

12/19/2011, 01:02 PM	#1
j86miu Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Queens NY Posts: 114	does water change stress out fish I have one blue azure damsel, he seems to be fine for the most part and was swimming about the rocks in and out of caves... but yesterday I did a water change and it's not that he's swimming funny or breathing heavy, but he is in constant hiding right now... His color looks good too so i'm wondering if the fish gets scared/stressed when I stick a mini bucket in his tank to do a water change. I also blasted the rocks and sand with the power head so maybe that added to it too?

12/19/2011, 01:06 PM	#2
LukeGI Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 240	You might have created an increase in ammonia when stirring things up...however I would also do a little verifying that your salinity was the same in the new water as was already in the tank. How long after the water change is the fish still hiding? __________________ "Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the souls of men." - Victor Hugo Current Tank Info: 180g Mixed Reef, 40B sump, LED lights

12/19/2011, 01:11 PM	#3
GrimReefer82 Roll Tide!!! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tuscaloosa, AL Posts: 341	temp of new water is important too. __________________ ~Chris~ Current Tank Info: 40 breeder mixed reef

12/19/2011, 01:28 PM	#4
LukeGI Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 240	Agreed on the temp...forgot to mention that... It might be worth mentioning here just what percentage of your water you are changing out as well... __________________ "Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the souls of men." - Victor Hugo Current Tank Info: 180g Mixed Reef, 40B sump, LED lights

12/19/2011, 01:28 PM	#5
LukeGI Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 240	Agreed on the temp...forgot to mention that... It might be worth mentioning here just what percentage of your water you are changing out as well... __________________ "Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the souls of men." - Victor Hugo Current Tank Info: 180g Mixed Reef, 40B sump, LED lights

12/19/2011, 01:35 PM	#7
LukeGI Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 240	Did you mix the SW yourself? Or was it purchased? Did you use RO/DI water for mixing the salt into? __________________ "Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the souls of men." - Victor Hugo Current Tank Info: 180g Mixed Reef, 40B sump, LED lights

12/19/2011, 01:38 PM	#8
j86miu Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Queens NY Posts: 114	i have been mixing my own saltwater with ro water since the beginning... I think it's because I stuck one of those liter plastic jugs in there to do a wc which could've scared him... most people use siphons right? which is probably a little less intruding i would guess

12/19/2011, 01:40 PM	#9
LukeGI Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 240	Certainly possible the jug scared him...could there have been some bad chemical in the jug? As for most using siphons...that is probably the most common, though personally I remove water from my sump via a spare powerhead, and pour the new SW into the display. That particular fish might just be skittish too __________________ "Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the souls of men." - Victor Hugo Current Tank Info: 180g Mixed Reef, 40B sump, LED lights

12/19/2011, 01:44 PM	#10
uncleof6 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: AWOL Posts: 12,013	Yes, water changes stress your critters. Any sudden changes in the water chemistry, will affect the critters. Stability, is the very essence of the sea, though slow changes over time, occur, and critters take them in stride to a point. Liken the water change to a sudden chemical change in our atmosphere. __________________ "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (oft attributed to Einstein; most likely paraphrasing by Roger Sessions; compactly articulates the principle of Occam's Razor) Current Tank Info: 325 6' wide Reef

12/19/2011, 01:59 PM	#12
Virtuoso Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 727	I think the bucket could have done it. One time I went to float a bag in my display tank and it was a little bigger than the ones I am used to so it dipped down significantly. It scared one of my Clowns so bad he actually darted into the Pistol Shrimp / Goby caves.

12/20/2011, 12:25 AM	#13
00Warpig00 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Schaumburg, IL. Posts: 621	I try to minimize stress when I do water changes. Specially in my 20H QT tank. Since one main purpose of a QT is to provide refuge and a place for the fish to chill out. I have installed an "over the tank wall" small PVC pipe that goes to within a 1/2 inch of the tank bottom and attaches to hose outside the tank. I put my bucket on the floor in front of the tank below tank tabletop level I start a siphon in the hose and let it drain into the bucket. I never even open the lid on the tank. To replace water I fill my bucket and use a Maxijet to pump the new water in through the same tube/pvc. In my 180 I have no such device set up yet but the next time I buy a utility pump I will get one friendly to do that sort of thing there too. for now I do my 75 Gallon water changes in the 180 after lights out and all my fish are in hiding anyway. I'm sure they are well aware something is up in their tank but this is a time they normally hide anyway. I pump out and back in the required water for the change all during lights out. After morning lights on all the fish come out just like every morning. Has worked great for me so far. Nick __________________ 180G - 5 Yellow Tail Blue Damsels, Two Lined Sleeper Goby, Royal Gramma, Flame Angel pair, Yellow Stripe Maroon Clown, Pearlscale Butterfly, Australian Harlequin Tuskfish, Magnificent Foxface, Yellow Current Tank Info: 180G FOWLR Established 10/2010 Last edited by 00Warpig00; 12/20/2011 at 12:30 AM.

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