Worst Fish Into Ever

etepperman · 03/05/2012, 08:44 AM

TITLE: Worst Fish INTRO ever.

One of those days when everything goes wrong. I came back from the LFS with a lovely purple tilefish, and a nice open brain coral. I start my process of acclimating the fish - basic drip method. While that is going on I decide to put my coral in the tank.

The leg of the ladder hits the bucket where the new fish is, the bucket falls over. Luckily I put the bucket in a Rubbermaid container, so the water is contained but now only 1/2 inched deep. The fish is flopping all over the place. I try several times to pick up the fish with my hands, but cannot get it, so I try to pour the water back into the bucket, in the process the fish jumps out. Now he in on my floor flopping around, again I try to grab him, but no luck getting a hold. He flops around and then leaps under my lazy boy. I look under the edge but cannot see him. He is right in the middle. I don't want to slide the chair for risk of crushing the fish. So with all my might I manage to pick up the chair. The poor fish was right in the middle, this time I grab him and put him back in the acclimation bucket.

Finally after 20 more minutes I put him in the tank. He has been hiding for the last three days, but is still alive. I wonder if I will ever see him again, or if I did some major psychological damage to that poor guy.

-E

Sugar Magnolia · 03/05/2012, 08:55 AM

Poor fish! I hope it makes it.

windyridge · 03/05/2012, 08:59 AM

That's horrible, what terrible luck. I don't know how long fish memories are but hopefully after a few weeks the whole episode will be forgotten! Maybe if you spend some quality time with him once he starts coming out you will be forgiven. :-)

windyridge · 03/05/2012, 08:59 AM

Double post

ChadTheSpike · 03/05/2012, 09:32 AM

Similar story, with good outcome, hope it makes you feel a little better.

I had just picked up 4 cleaner shrimp from the LFS and was draining excess water from the bag into my sink (that had unwashed dishes in it, one of which was a spaghetti pan with a little dish soap soaking), well one of the cleaners decided to do that superfast scoot thing that they do right out of the bag, across my and and into the spahgetti pot... I grabbed him as soon as I found him as I wasn't sure where he landed at first, but then found him in the fresh, soapy, spaghetti water, it was there for at least 30 seconds.

Put him in a separate container for acclimation (thinking what could it hurt). Then while setting up the container on my sump drip acclimation tray, I knocked the whole thing on the ground... so shrimp on the floor again. Have you ever tried to pick a shrimp up off the floor witout hurting it? - It's hard!

Finally I put it on the drip tray and did a full aclimation of a couple of hours (which I paid little attention to). I came back to introduce the shrimp and it was GONE. No where to be found, floor, sump, anywhere.

Anyway, I wrote it off and felt a little bad, but found the shrimp in my sump about two weeks later. I then caught it (had to remove all of my sump equipment), and put it in the DT where it still is today.

So, if a cleaner shrimp can live through a dip in soapy, spaghetti sauce filled fresh water, and being dropped on the floor, only to find its way into my system without acclimation. Your fish has hope!

etepperman · 03/05/2012, 10:27 AM

Nice Story Chad. Thanks. Gives me some hope for the Tilefile.

rpjaws74 · 03/05/2012, 12:36 PM

is he eating?

etepperman · 03/05/2012, 03:07 PM

Not yet. Just stays behind the rockwork since I got him. I am hoping that when I come home today I will see him, but I am not counting on it.

-E

snorvich · 03/05/2012, 03:43 PM

I think the outcome will be positive. Those fish tend to be reclusive under normal conditions (mine moved in with my goby/shrimp in their underground palace).

Rytek · 03/05/2012, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snorvich

I think the outcome will be positive. Those fish tend to be reclusive under normal conditions (mine moved in with my goby/shrimp in their underground palace).

Underground palace. LoL. Like it.

03/05/2012, 08:44 AM	#1
etepperman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 257	Worst Fish Into Ever TITLE: Worst Fish INTRO ever. One of those days when everything goes wrong. I came back from the LFS with a lovely purple tilefish, and a nice open brain coral. I start my process of acclimating the fish - basic drip method. While that is going on I decide to put my coral in the tank. The leg of the ladder hits the bucket where the new fish is, the bucket falls over. Luckily I put the bucket in a Rubbermaid container, so the water is contained but now only 1/2 inched deep. The fish is flopping all over the place. I try several times to pick up the fish with my hands, but cannot get it, so I try to pour the water back into the bucket, in the process the fish jumps out. Now he in on my floor flopping around, again I try to grab him, but no luck getting a hold. He flops around and then leaps under my lazy boy. I look under the edge but cannot see him. He is right in the middle. I don't want to slide the chair for risk of crushing the fish. So with all my might I manage to pick up the chair. The poor fish was right in the middle, this time I grab him and put him back in the acclimation bucket. Finally after 20 more minutes I put him in the tank. He has been hiding for the last three days, but is still alive. I wonder if I will ever see him again, or if I did some major psychological damage to that poor guy. -E

03/05/2012, 08:55 AM	#2
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Poor fish! I hope it makes it. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

03/05/2012, 08:59 AM	#3
windyridge Fish Mother Join Date: May 2011 Location: South Otselic, NY Posts: 1,403	That's horrible, what terrible luck. I don't know how long fish memories are but hopefully after a few weeks the whole episode will be forgotten! Maybe if you spend some quality time with him once he starts coming out you will be forgiven. :-) __________________ 92G Mixed reef, SCA-302 skimmer, 15g sump w/fuge & Eheim Compact Plus @650 gph, AI Sol Blue, Koralia 750 &Tunze Nanostream 6025, Apex Jr,Tomini, 6-Line, Brittle star, damsels, Gramma, RBTA/clown, PJ c Current Tank Info: 92G Corner Bowfront Mixed Reef

03/05/2012, 08:59 AM	#4
windyridge Fish Mother Join Date: May 2011 Location: South Otselic, NY Posts: 1,403	Double post __________________ 92G Mixed reef, SCA-302 skimmer, 15g sump w/fuge & Eheim Compact Plus @650 gph, AI Sol Blue, Koralia 750 &Tunze Nanostream 6025, Apex Jr,Tomini, 6-Line, Brittle star, damsels, Gramma, RBTA/clown, PJ c Current Tank Info: 92G Corner Bowfront Mixed Reef

03/05/2012, 09:32 AM	#5
ChadTheSpike Reef Engineer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts: 1,526 Blog Entries: 1	Similar story, with good outcome, hope it makes you feel a little better. I had just picked up 4 cleaner shrimp from the LFS and was draining excess water from the bag into my sink (that had unwashed dishes in it, one of which was a spaghetti pan with a little dish soap soaking), well one of the cleaners decided to do that superfast scoot thing that they do right out of the bag, across my and and into the spahgetti pot... I grabbed him as soon as I found him as I wasn't sure where he landed at first, but then found him in the fresh, soapy, spaghetti water, it was there for at least 30 seconds. Put him in a separate container for acclimation (thinking what could it hurt). Then while setting up the container on my sump drip acclimation tray, I knocked the whole thing on the ground... so shrimp on the floor again. Have you ever tried to pick a shrimp up off the floor witout hurting it? - It's hard! Finally I put it on the drip tray and did a full aclimation of a couple of hours (which I paid little attention to). I came back to introduce the shrimp and it was GONE. No where to be found, floor, sump, anywhere. Anyway, I wrote it off and felt a little bad, but found the shrimp in my sump about two weeks later. I then caught it (had to remove all of my sump equipment), and put it in the DT where it still is today. So, if a cleaner shrimp can live through a dip in soapy, spaghetti sauce filled fresh water, and being dropped on the floor, only to find its way into my system without acclimation. Your fish has hope! __________________ ~Chad "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Current Tank Info: 195 gallons of fun

03/05/2012, 10:27 AM	#6
etepperman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 257	Nice Story Chad. Thanks. Gives me some hope for the Tilefile.

03/05/2012, 12:36 PM	#7
rpjaws74 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 1,340	is he eating? __________________ rpjaws Current Tank Info: 500 glln system/ Reef

03/05/2012, 03:07 PM	#8
etepperman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 257	Not yet. Just stays behind the rockwork since I got him. I am hoping that when I come home today I will see him, but I am not counting on it. -E

03/05/2012, 03:43 PM	#9
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	I think the outcome will be positive. Those fish tend to be reclusive under normal conditions (mine moved in with my goby/shrimp in their underground palace). __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~