Help for idiot friend

**slinky** · 01-26-2008, 01:07 AM

I'm not sure what to do here - a friend thinks I'm now the new local fish person since my tank looks great (thanks to all of you) and I appear extremely knowledgeable on the subject (thanks to all of you, a little reading, and in the valley of the blind, the one eyed man is king.) So here goes.

He had a few fish he was moving to a new tank in a new apartment. I told him to make sure that the water was pretreated in his transfer tank, etc. What he forgot was that the water coming out of the tap is VERY cold right now in the winter probably around 60-65F degrees. He put his fish in there (couple of Bolivians and 4 cories) and arrived at his destination probably 20 minutes later. He immediately put them into the new water upon realizing his mistake, not listening to my advice on the bag floating treatment either. The fish are apparently hiding on the bottom and in the back - obviously because they are in shock.

I'm wondering if this short but perhaps seemingly endless time period (for the fish) might seriously harm them. Nobody can be sure of course but I told him that they will probably be OK but need some time to recover, unclench fins, etc. Unless they stay this way for more than a day, they should probably be fine. This is at least my best guess and I told him I'd ask some real experts on the chances of survival here and what expected complications might arise and what to do. Anyone else experience stuff like this?

**Dave66** · 01-26-2008, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by slinky

I'm not sure what to do here - a friend thinks I'm now the new local fish person since my tank looks great (thanks to all of you) and I appear extremely knowledgeable on the subject (thanks to all of you, a little reading, and in the valley of the blind, the one eyed man is king.) So here goes.

He had a few fish he was moving to a new tank in a new apartment. I told him to make sure that the water was pretreated in his transfer tank, etc. What he forgot was that the water coming out of the tap is VERY cold right now in the winter probably around 60-65F degrees. He put his fish in there (couple of Bolivians and 4 cories) and arrived at his destination probably 20 minutes later. He immediately put them into the new water upon realizing his mistake, not listening to my advice on the bag floating treatment either. The fish are apparently hiding on the bottom and in the back - obviously because they are in shock.

I'm wondering if this short but perhaps seemingly endless time period (for the fish) might seriously harm them. Nobody can be sure of course but I told him that they will probably be OK but need some time to recover, unclench fins, etc. Unless they stay this way for more than a day, they should probably be fine. This is at least my best guess and I told him I'd ask some real experts on the chances of survival here and what expected complications might arise and what to do. Anyone else experience stuff like this?

Just wait 'til folks in the town know you have aquariums. They'll start 'donating' fish they can't keep, or whole tanks. I have a storage room FULL of 10 gallons that folks have 'given' me; I plant herbs and flowers in some of them in the spring.
I've been given red tail cats, tiger shovelnose, rays, pacus, balas, clown knifes, couple peacock bass, several plecos, Jack Dempseys, you name it over the years. Since I don't keep that kind of stuff, I have to find suckers, I mean folks, to take them. Just kidding. I make sure they have the ability and space to keep such things.
As for your friend, you can lead him to water, you just can't make him drink. Some folks, like my sister, you can give step by step directions on how to do something and it goes in one ear and out the other. Sometimes you just gotta shake your head and let them screw up.

Dave

**mitcore** · 01-26-2008, 02:52 AM

i think that you will have to wait and see on the fish
there is a high chance they will die due to shock or possibly get ick from the stress, what a shame the friend didnt listen if they had then maybe you wouldnt have to have asked

good luck and keep us updated on the fish

**digital3** · 01-26-2008, 05:43 AM

You need to get your buddy on this forum so we can start talking some additional sense to him. LOL!

**NickFish** · 01-26-2008, 11:03 AM

Like you said no way to tell for sure but with Bolivians (why was he starting with those anyway? Not the best beginner fish) that are fairly sensitive to water temp changes I think they may not survive. They would be very very stressed, could refuse to eat, or die of ich caused by the stress.

**slinky** · 01-26-2008, 07:25 PM

Idiot friend's fish are fine. The water was probably about 67-70F and it just felt much colder in a warm apartment. They needed a full day to get out of the initial shock but are swimming as they did in the past. When I've moved my fish it has been strange that sometimes they are perfectly fine, others it will take them several days to quiet down.

Everything Dave66 said is now true, lol. Questions do not stop coming and I need to refrain from feeling the compelling need to educate him on everything on my time. I'm trying to get him to invest time here. :) Thanks for the comments guys.