[smidoid]

There's probably an RHO article in here somewhere, but I'm having trouble getting a good list of stress symptoms for marine stock: there are just so many types.

Acclimation has been covered by the R/C Man so that probably doesn't need duplication, however, once in the tank... what then?

Here are a list of questions that I would like to see answered (if only anecdotally):

• How do specific types of fish show intro stress?
• How do we spot for signs of ill heath (apart from the obvious like death and Ick).
• What about inverts - which require more careful acclimation?
• How long should a fish be left alone before we suspect a problem.

I know there are no hard and fast answers here, but some guidelines would help! Steven Pro mentioned in another post a stress reaction that caused a fish to develop a white stripe for some hours! This is useful stuff to know.

Ok - who's first?

[The R/C Man]

Hey Marc!

I am partial to a biotope setup for home aquria in order to reduce stresses and to promote natural behavoirs. Some symptoms for fish could be irregular behaviors such as over agressiveness or excessive timidness.

[smidoid]

Sorry Greg, what's a biotope setup?

I think the clownfish I just lost was respirating too much; panting almost - that should have been a clue.

[64Ivy]

In my opinion, the very best reason to quarantene fish before introduction to the main tank is to alleviate stress. After what they've been through during the collection process, it's a wonder any make it at all. But I do think putting new fish directly in with established tankmates decreases its chance for survival even more...even if it initially looks okay. I use a small auxillary tank which is inline with my main system as a QT. If the fish shows no obvious sign of injury or disease, I'll usually just formalin dip it and, after drip acclimation, keep it in this tank for a few weeks just to 'rest up' and get its strength back. If it begins to show signs of a problem, it's much easier to remove and medicate in another, seperate tank. But I've found that just keeping them isolated for a couple weeks results in far less stress related problems later on

[smidoid]

I have a fuge for "stress relief" - although the resident crabs won't help. Ho hum. What worries me with that method is if the QT is in the main water column (as my fuge is) then anything like Broolynella or Ick will probably make it into the main tank.

Keeping them to rest up seems like a topper idea though. I can't imagine how stressful it must be to get transported all that way in a crate and them dumped into tank after tank full of different compadres! I can't even bear to move room - let alone house!

[The R/C Man]

Originally Posted by smidoid

Sorry Greg, what's a biotope setup?

I think the clownfish I just lost was respirating too much; panting almost - that should have been a clue.

A Biotope is a group of plants and animals co-existing in a similar area... Many reef tanks are a "hodge podge" of animals from many different areas around the world to include different oceans and depths. By choosing a specific "biotope" we can improve natural habits and behaviors with co-existing species. All the animals will benefit. For example, choosing corals from a certain depth allows the aquarist to set up a tank specifically to accommodate them. This would include lighting, water flow and temperature to name a few. Fish will behave more naturally as well. They will instinctively know there place with the other fish. This reduces their stress. These are just a few examples of why to set up our aquaria as a biotope. My new tank will be based on the shallow reefs of the RyuKyu Islands. The number of coral and indigenous fish there are staggering. No need to worry about not having any diversity in the tank.

[smidoid]

Originally Posted by The R/C Man

A Biotope is a group of plants and animals co-existing in a similar area... Many reef tanks are a hodge podge of animals from many different areas around the world to include different oceans and depths. By choosing a specific "biotope" we can improve natural habits with co-exsisting species.....

AH! Bring it on mate! I'm very fond of that idea since it means that our charges will live more naturally together and that means happier and longer.

I'm aiming for that already (though I haven't decided which biotype) it will have to suit (or be based on) whatever suits FPCs like Nemo since that's what the kids want. I think that right now I'm heading deep lagoonal (my lights aren't really strong enough for shallow lagoon).

[The R/C Man]

A PM you have!