General timelines for common "fish worries"

[CloruroDiSodio]

Hi gang,

I want to pick the brains of more experienced aquarists to get some information on general timelines for certain aspects of our hobby that we worry (or should worry) about. Basically when do you know you are "out of the woods."

For instance, assuming we start with a healthy fish (in appearance) and that water quality is good:

1) How many days need to pass before you know a fish was acclimated properly? i.e any ill effects due to pH imbalance etc

2) How many weeks before you can assume it is ich or velvet free?

3) How much flashing is considered normal before it should indicate a problem? i.e one flash per minute, one per second etc

Just trying to get some general guidelines for everyone

thanks

[CloruroDiSodio]

bump

[almees]

1. depends on the fish, i'm comfortable after 24 hours if the fish looks good

2. (4-6 weeks of having no fish in your tank ) will kill of existing ich

3 not sure of the question...


Hope that helps

[NirvanaFan]

1. 48 hours
2. 5 weeks
3. I also don't know what you're asking.

[CloruroDiSodio]

Thanks for the onfo guys. For question #3, by flashing I mean scratching against rocks etc. I know if a fish is flashing "enough" it is usually a sign of a parasite or fluke

[username in use]

I relax when a fish has been eating in my tank for a week.

5-6weeks for ich

My fish never "flash" as you say, so I would be concerned if they started at all.

[wooden_reefer]

Originally posted by CloruroDiSodio
Hi gang,


2) How many weeks before you can assume it is ich or velvet free?

3) How much flashing is considered normal before it should indicate a problem? i.e one flash per minute, one per second etc

Just trying to get some general guidelines for everyone

thanks

2. six weeks but only with active treatment against ich. Otherwise, about six months in a tank without treatment with many fish prone to ich. That is to say, after six months in a tank well populated with prone species of fish and there has not been any observable ich, I say ich does not exist.

3 healthy fish rarely scratch against rock etc. If you can see it more than once for the same fish in the same day, there is a parasite, in general.

[MazdaSPD3]

Not trying to highjack the thread, but how about "breathing/gill movements per minute?

Its probably hard to answer but the other day at the LFS I noticed a tang that was breathing extremely calm, maybe 60 "breathes/min" vs my own tang which is going at maybe 90/120 breathes/min. The only difference I noticed between the two is that the LFS had the fish in a 8''x8'' cube specimen section of their holding tanks, while mine has 5'x2' to swim around in.

[wooden_reefer]

Originally posted by MazdaSPD3
Not trying to highjack the thread, but how about "breathing/gill movements per minute?

Its probably hard to answer but the other day at the LFS I noticed a tang that was breathing extremely calm, maybe 60 "breathes/min" vs my own tang which is going at maybe 90/120 breathes/min. The only difference I noticed between the two is that the LFS had the fish in a 8''x8'' cube specimen section of their holding tanks, while mine has 5'x2' to swim around in.

First, fish has mood too.

In general, the large angels should have a slow rate of gill plate movement when they are very relaxed and in great conditions than the tangs and butterflies, IME.

Of course, after a lot of movement all fish breathe fast.

Slow rate of gill plate movement is like low blood pressure for us, generally good but not for the extreme.

[MazdaSPD3]

Awesome, I will assume my fish is fine then.