Picking up discus

[Chris25]

Hi all!

I'm going away for the weekend (3 hours drive away) and have found 10 minutes drive from where I'm staying some nice discus for sale. It seemed like fate!!!
I'm coming home on the Monday and the guy who is selling them is not available just before I leave as he's working away. So my plan is to pick up the discus on the Sunday evening as late as possible, (I have polybox and big bags) then bring them back to the house I'm staying in, open the bag up and put a heater and air stone in the bag overnight and then simply bag them up just before I leave for the 3 hour journey home on the Monday morning? They would be in the bag for around 18 hours and only tied up for around three for the drive home.

Does this seem like a reasonable solution to you guys? Do you think the discus would be fine for the one night?

I messaged the guy I want to buy them from suggesting this and he said, the problem I'd have is re-bagging the fish in the same water, it will most probably wipe them out due to a spike in parameters.I'd be better bagging them up on the Sunday and leaving them sealed in poly box with heat packs & oxygen until I get home Monday.

I don't quite understand this spike in parameters as either way the fish would be left in the same water for the duration?

Any idea's or suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[NC10]

The only thing I can think of is that Discus, or any fish for that matter, are shipped out around the country every day. Unless you're going to opt for express delivery, they're going to be bagged up for a good 24hrs before finally reaching their destination and that's without the benefit of your added heater and airstone. Obviously no guarantees, but I reckon you'll be fine. Get as much water as you can with them and keep them as dark as possible to try and minimise any stress is all I'd probably do.

I would watch out for the heater in the bag though. Not sure it would or could melt the bag if it touched, but now is not the time to be finding out

Good luck

 

[Lindy]

Why not take a water container with you and get some more water off the bloke selling them so they can be rebagged in fresh. I wouldn't take the fish trade as an example of shipping as an awful lot of fish die while in transport. There is also something I remember reading on here about opening bags of fish and floating them on water surface to slowly bring up bagged water temp, the ammonia/fish waste or something(i'm no chemist) came into contact with the air and became more toxic?[DOUBLEPOST=1397130865][/DOUBLEPOST]Personally I'd just drive home early....

 

[James O]

Personally I'd just drive home early....

+1

 

[Chris25]

Thanks for those comments. I did think I could take a few litres of clean fresh water and do a partial water change before re-tying the bag and driving home. I could empty the bag into the polybox when back at the house avoids the heater melting the bag, then fill the bag with some of their water and some of the clean water and re-bag them for driving home.

Driving home early isn't really an option as it would cut short other people's holiday and it wouldn't be fair to them.
If its not possible to pick them up on the Sunday and drive home on the Monday I'll leave them, the fish's health comes first. I thought fish are shipped for a lot longer than this and it wouldn't be a huge problem.

 

[James O]

Complex = stress

You want shortest duration in bag with zero interference between capture and release.

 

[harryH]

I used to have my own business and have bought and sold Discus frequently.

Obviously if the bags could be inflated with oxygen that would be the best option. However in your case I would definitely not be opening the bags and using airstone or heater.

My advice would be to at least double bag the fish in strong bags that are plenty large enough You do not say what size the fish are. Large discus 4" plus I would bag individually but smaller may be bagged 2 or more (again depending on size) together.
The weather is quite mild now so the fish will be fine for 24 up to 36 hours if in a polystyrene box and are best IMO left undisturbed. (quiet).

When you get home you can use the usual practice of opening the bags, gradually introducing your tank water into the bags until you equalise the water parameters before netting the fish from the bags to your tank (lights off.) You should not really encounter a problem.

This assumes your own tank is well aged and that the water parameters of your tank are not too far divorced from the sellers water parameters. ( worth asking).

Hope this helps, never any guarantees but it's the way I've done without drama.

Harry.[DOUBLEPOST=1397133498][/DOUBLEPOST]

I did think I could take a few litres of clean fresh water and do a partial water change before re-tying the bag and driving home.

Once the Discus have been bagged up at the sellers..leave them undisturbed until you get home or you'll stress them.

 

[roadmaster]

I would place a few drop's of Prime dechlorinator in the bag's with fish.

 

[Chris25]

Thanks people!

The discus are 2.5". It looks like it's an option then! I have large bags from where I had discus of the same size ordered before and all 10 came in one large bag (double bagged). Would smaller bags with say 5 fish each be better? Or individually? My only concern with multiple bags is keeping them all warm with heat packs and not overheating the box. It came with 3 heat packs last time.

Can I use an oxygen spray that chemists sell? Or would Oxygenating Tablets be an option? (Assuming I can find either before Sunday)

Thanks again!

 

[Edvet]

We used to take the discus in buckets with a lid, just make sure there isn't a sharp point on the middle of the bottom. We took them to shows and they were fine after 6-12 hours in a bucket. Just make sure you dripadjust them to their new home.

 

[Claire]

Don't use the oxygenating tablets - they're really no good. Just put a drop or two of prime in the bags as they're getting bagged up as that locks ammonia as well as other stuff. Bag them then put them in a big poly box. If they're going to be kept in your house/hotel then in your car then they won't need extra heating as the ambient temperature will be warm, and you could even overheat them with heat packs. Pad them out with some newspaper and don't open the box again until you're ready to acclimatise them into your tank.

 

[Gruff]

Sounds like too much extra stress on a weekend away. If you are going out for a meal or have something planned Sunday night then pick up the fish in afternoon/eve use a heat pack in the box, go and have your meal out or w/e then just drive home later Sunday night.