When to dip

[q]

So I was reading this other reeeeaaaaalllyyy
long post and want a boiled down answer.
Trey, when do you reccommend fresh water dips and in general for what.
TerryB, what are alternatives for dips.
READ THIS BEFORE PROCEDING
I know you two strongly dissagree on some things so I am asking your OPINIONS for the sake of knowledge. I can see validity in both but wow!! 1900 dips.
Fortunatly I have the luxury of time to weigh my decisions and hindsight will provide wisdom soon enough.

 

[jimi]

Was not addressed to me but here is my opinion anyway. For new fish hyposalinity is the way to go, low stress, very effective, and well tollerated. In my opinion dips are a last resort granted dipping has been used for sometime but hyposalinity is fairly new and very effective and far less stressful then dips.

 

[fishgirl]

Well, this wasn't for me either, but I just wanted to say that IME FW dips DO NOT WORK! When my yellow tang got ick when I first bought him I tried a dip - didn't work! Tried it numerous times with damsels, clowns, triggers - never works. In fact, it stresses them even more. When I first got a fish - healthy as could be - did a dip as a precaution - it GAVE him ick and blackspot b/c of the stress. IMO, isolation, greenex, copper, hyposalinity, or cleaner shrimps are very effective - my YT has never been sick again (the only time he was sick was when I gave him a FW dip!! )
I'm sure it has worked for others - but not once for me
[ June 23, 2001: Message edited by: Fishgirl ]

 

[tangs_in_pacifica]

Re: Dipping,
I'd love to see how the experts do it.
-How long do you dip?
-Are there some fish that are more sensitive to dipping than others?
-Aside from a PH of ~8.2, what other water prep do you do?
Thanks!
BTW,
Trey is absolutely right re: the dipping not causing the parasites. The dipping just stresses them out (THEM=PARASITES) and causes the fish to display symptoms of an already present infection. So, if the fish doesn't have symptoms, they may appear during or soon after a dip. If the fish already has some signs of infection, they will appear worse during or after a dip. If you see parasites as a result of dipping, this is because the nasties are moving to the outer skin of the fish in an effort to gt the f**k out of Dodge, because of freshwater that is inhospitable to the nasty little inverts.
[ June 24, 2001: Message edited by: tangs_in_pacifica ]

 

[beth]

Well, I can tell you why people are afraid to dip, including me. When you put a fish in fresh water, he immediately keels over, looks like you've just dumped him in poison rather than water and stiffens up like he has rigor mortis. Probably, to many home aquarist, the immediate result of seeing this is shock and a nerve-racking-feeling that your about to have a direct hand in killing off or torturing your newly acquired fish, or, worse yet, your pet fish that you are quite fond of.
After the fish gets over the initial shock as described above, he will start swimming, some, but again will start to sway or keel over more, and some fish experience rapid breathing or abnormal breathing.
So, that is basically why so many fear a dip.
A concise listing of procedures accompanied by the requisites of water parameters and conditions under which to dip, may resolve some of these fears that hobbyist have about dip and result in more people using it, if they can clearly understand its benefits and are confident that they are doing it absolutely correctly.
So, Trey, if you’re up to it and have the time....

 

[tangs_in_pacifica]

Originally posted by Beth:
<STRONG>When you put a fish in fresh water, he immediately keels over, looks like you've just dumped him in poison rather than water and stiffens up like he has rigor mortis.
So, Trey, if you’re up to it and have the time....</STRONG>
I haven't seen this sort of response to FW dips? Actually, I've had some fish seem so at home in the dip (for at least few minutes) that I've tested the salinity of the FW just to make sure I didn't accidentally dip it in tankwater. I have, however, seen fish react very badly when thrown straight into Saltwater after a FW dip. Next time I'm definately transfering them into a low salinity solotion, before I return them directly to standard saltwater.
I know that my results might be freakish/unusual... I'd like to see if I've been doing things right.
[ June 24, 2001: Message edited by: tangs_in_pacifica ]

 

[i3luedragon]

This is how my I did my dip to save my Clown. Took him out with a net, rushed him to his Freshwater neighbors. They said, "jump right in man, it's great in here". My Clown was struggling a little bit, but then clamed down and was lying on his side (which is normal). Then struggled some more. The struggling helped shake a lot of the ICK to the bottom. I SAW white spots float to the bottom.
In the end I saw about 3 spots of ICK left and I dumped Mr. Clown to a QT. My Freshwater fish are still alive and so is my Clown. Maybe people don't dip in the right Freshwater environment and temperature. Do people know to dip Freshwater is not tap water?

 

[dr. jay]

Stupid question Trey.... Do dolphins get ick???
Man if your clown is talking to you.... maybe you need a freshwater dip
My kid had a little white spot on his arm the other day.... I was tempted to pour cupramine copper on it. Before my wife grabbed me by the shirt coller I was dissapointed to find out that is scratched off on its own.
Hey..Its hot!!!... Maybe I need a freshwater dip.... Im going swimming !!!!!

 

[q]

Thanks for the replies to all. The more posts the better.