Interesting fish behavior

[hamstercaster]

Just thought I'd share some interesting observations I had this week.  As many of you know, my tank has just cycled and it cycled with 20 Zebra Danios.  They had been alone in the tank with some plants, rocks, driftwood and flower pots.  They couldn't be happier.  They played and chased each other everywhere from right to left, top to bottom, unhindered in their own little world... that was up until Sunday.  Sunday a friend called me to know if I could take his Aulonocara jacobfreibergi (Undu Reef) as he was getting clobbered in my friend's tank by other tank mates of similar species.  He dropped in by late Sunday afternoon and I left him in the bag so the water temperatures would match.  The Zebras swam around the bag looking at their new tank mate and didn't seem frightened or anything.  Things changed drastically when I released the beast though lol.  Now, note that the Aulonocara was week and had a hard time swimming and staying on is "stomach" so it is why I took the chance to put him in the tank with the Zebras... Boy did the Zebras behavior change when he was released though.  It was the first time I saw my zebras school like that.  Usually they are scattered around the tank getting together only at feeding time or when I approach the tank.. but this time, it was for their survival.  As if they felt the threat right away, which is somewhat funny as these two types of fish don't live together in the wild and so they couldn't really know that he was or could be a predator...

But there's more... The Aulocara didn't make it though the night so their problems where soon over.  Now comes another interesting part of that story.  Wednesday I picked up a pair of Compressiceps Sumbu Dwarf from Pegasus.  They are both mature and have reached pretty much their maximum size of 3 inches or so.  Same thing again, leave them in the bag so to avoid a thermal shock.  The Zebras come sneaking around again wondering what their new tank mates are and all.... Then comes the time to release the new fishies in the tank.. not that there are two and they are still at least 3 times bigger than the zebras but this time around though, no schooling from the zebras' part.  No panick.  No staying on one side of the tank away from the Sumbus.  The Sumbus quickly claimed a spot of their own around my driftwood but even then, the zebras would swim down to the bottom just a inch or less in front of the Sumbus never seeming to worry about the fish being bigger and all..

I must say that I was amazed to a certain extent as the Zebras are not fish who live in the same waters of any of the two ciclhids stated above but yet, they were cautious and afraid one while they couldn't have cared less when the two others were introduced in the tank... Could fish have a certain way to sense what fish is dangerous and wich one is not???  I don't know but it certainly makes for interesting discoveries on my part 

[fishycanuck]

That is cool - maybe someone can explain it.

I note that you acclimate the new fish to water temperature only. Depending on the source of your new fish, it is wise to acclimate it to other parameters as well. You might consider putting the new fish in a large bowl and adding cupfulls of your tank water to the bowl over a few hours.... then pouring the whole thing into your tank. When I buy a fish from the store, I remove a cup of the bowl water each time I add a cup of my tank water, to reduce  the amount of "fish store water" that ends up in my tank.

Probably overkill, but I lose fewer fish!

[hamstercaster]

I guess that could be something to look at although I don't know to what extent it would make a difference.  Keeping the store or person's water I purchased the fish from in a bowl while adding my own water may not make that much of a difference me thinks... but maybe it does.  But in any event, I figure it would only buffer the ph of the water that came with the fish so much. Since my ph is high and I'm buying fish accordingly, I have every reason to think that the water the fish was kept in matches my parameters.. more or less.. maybe it doesn't... who knows.  Either way, the ph in the bowl would still not be the same as the ph in the tank and I wonder if a half hour or so in a bowl with a "buffered" ph is enough to make any difference or render the "shock" any less stressful for the fish.  Keep in my that is only me asking myself these questions and pondering the answers I can come up to.  Many may see things differently and may leave their fish to get accustomed to new temperature and water parameters for a few hours or so.

As these fishies were tanked raise, I figured that they are used to different water parameters due to water changes, being changed tank etc and that these differences may not play as much as a role as if these fishes were wildly caught.... I got that explanation from a member here and think it makes sense but then again, I'm still quite the newbie and I am also basing myself on the Zebra Danios experience... I bought them in a section of my LFS where most fishes are from neutral to acidic ph waters and I have litterally thrown my Zebras in alkalyne water and they did not seem to be bothered at all as they were very active from the get go and their behaviors never changed except for when I introduced the Aulacara.  So I don't really feel worried when it comes to putting alkalyne water fishes in my tank.. maybe I should, maybe not.. I guess only time will tell.. So far the compressiceps are acting very normally... staing still in their little cache and around it, never going too far and hiding anytime they see some movement around the tank.  They've been feeding so I don't think I have anything to worry.

But you did bring up an interesting point that I had not thought off and that got me thinking and writing yet another lenghty post lol 

[gonna_b_no_1]

IMO you should quarentine any fish you bring home for a few weeks..no matter where it comes from.

get a bucket and "drip" your fish .  Once you feel that they are ok, you can net the fish out of the pail and not have to use any of the water the fish came home in.

[hamstercaster]

I will quarantine fish in the future.  This time around, I only had Zebras to lose if anything was wrong with the other fishies.  I like my zebras and don't want to cause undo arm to them either but with no quarantine tank or anything, I didn't have much choice and keeping fish in a pail or bowl for a few weeks doesn't sound like a good plan.. or is it?  Next thing on my purchase list is to buy a 5 gallon quarantine aquarium....