How To Introduce Fish into Aquarium

In this article, we are going to the process of add fish into aquarium. Make sure you have prepare your aquarium before your fish arrived home. So when you brought a new fish from shop store or online. You receives a plastic bag packing your fish with oxygen and some old water that coming from the fish previous tank.

If you order multiple fishes, those fishes size are over 4cm length, it is better to require the seller bag them separately. It is safety for each fish that have enough oxygen to consume. Also, they will have enough space in bag without hitting each other during transportation.

The Photo above were my pair of Betta Macrostoma in bag, they arrived home safety and healthy! 😀

When you fishes arrive home, first thing to do drop the bag float on the fish tank water. Remember, you DO NOT open the bag at this moment! Even the fish are moving, jumping, trying to swim out the bag, DON’T feel mercy about that. This is very important step, floating the bag in tank water gives the water temperature inside the bag to equalize with water temperature of the aquarium. Let it float for 15 minutes should be enough generally for most species. For species that are sensitive of water quality and temperature, you should wait for 20 minutes or more.

Add the fish into Aquarium gently

Once both aquarium water temperature and new fish plastic bag water temperature are sync-up. You can touch with hand , in general, both are the same temperature.

Now, there are way that aquarium hobbyist usually do in the process to add new fish into aquarium. Generally, you open the bag, pour some of the water from the bag into a bucket carefully, remind the fish inside the bag with little water as possible. Lastly, you hold the bag pour the fish slowly into the aquarium. Usually, this method are fine, but there are cons. I am going to mention another way for your fish and your aquarium water quality more safety way.

A More Safety Way to add fish into Aquarium

Here is my way I usually did for my fish, and I am also going to explain why.

1 – Pour the water and fish into a bucket carefully

2- Take some of your aquarium water into a smaller jar/bucket with dripping function.
Here is the kind of dripping bucket I am using.

3 – Drip aquarium water slowly into the bucket. Meanwhile the water dripping, it increase fresh oxygen from the air into the bucket, it let the fish feel better. You can also turn on an air pump with air stone into the bucket. Remember, drip slowly wait for about 20 minutes, let the fish get use to the aquarium water first.

4 – After 20 minutes, net the fish into aquarium gently. Then let your fish rest in day 1, DO NOT feed the fish at this moment!

So why am I doing more steps and wait 20 minutes more?

First, your aquarium water parameters cannot be 100% same as the previous water that the fish live. If you pour the fish out from bag, for sensitive fish or less healthy fish due to transport, they will get sick easier afterwards.

Second reason, during transport from seller to your home, water in the plastic bag will turn bad quality for sure. All the fish waste and harmful chemical in it, that cause your aquarium water quality turn bad. Therefore, pour the fish from bag directly cause those water go into your aquarium eventually. Sometimes, parasite are going to introduce into your aquarium also. That is like “put a rat into your rice bowl”, do you feel that?

Aquarium hobby can train your patience and considerate. Challenge yourself to keep your fish healthy, and your fish in good state!

Here is my little Flowerhorn, in good shape after one month arrived ! 🙂