Typically when you buy fish to go into your aquarium you will receive them in a clear plastic bag which makes it easy to transport them home and also keep an eye on your fish.
Placing your fish into the dark will often help to keep them calmer and so a smart move is to take a brown paper bag with you to the aquarium shop into which you can place your bag of fish.
It goes without saying that once you have bought some fish you should aim to return home as soon as possible. So if you’re planning to buy some fish as well as do a number of other chores in town, try to make buying your fish the last job rather than buying them first and then leaving your new fish in the car while you go and do your grocery shopping or stop off for coffee.
Remember that fish can be very sensitive to vibrations and to to temperature changes and so you need to be very sensitive towards their needs – especially after the stress of just being caught and placed into a bag.
Once you arrive home it is a smart idea to remove the lid of your aquarium and float the bag(s) in the water for some time. Typically 30 minutes is sufficient to enable the water in the bag to match the same temperature as the water in your aquarium and taking the time to do this will reduce the stress your fish feel when they are finally released into their new home.
Once the temperatures are equal, and you have done a final check over your new fish to check they look healthy and disease-free you are ready to release them. Some aquarists actually specifically set up a quarantine tank to release new fish into to eliminate the chances of any diseases being passed on to their existing fish and this is a very smart idea though of course adds to your cost.
Whatever you decide, remember that fish can be fragile and so you should release them from the bag into your tank very gently. Snip open the top and slowly tip the bag on it’s side so that the fish can swim out naturally rather than being tipped out at speed.
Once your fish are all out fo the bag, carefully dispose of the bag and try to keep more of an eye on your tank than usual over the next 24-48 hours just to ensure that your new fish are settling in well and there are no signs of sickness or aggression.
