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OK so I failed with my first attempt with a gold nugget... I'm NOW going to be trading my 18" Jardini Arowana for an L046. Any tips on acclimating so I don't lose a fish I've been waiting 3 years to get?

Hi

The L046 is generally, certianly in my experience a relatively tough fish.

I think the trick is the usual slow release into your water by adding small smounts of your tank water into the bag.

Lights off for the first few hours at least.

What seemed to work for me when I had some L046s was to fed plenty on frozen blood worm in the same spot every evening just after lights out. For weeks, even months the fish would not come out, even when I would sit with a torch on. However come the morning all the blood worm would be gone. What I would say is reduce any competition for food to help your plec(s) along.

Apart from this, keep the water warm 28C ish. Plenty of current and oxygen. Lots of caves, some bogwood and thats about it. The more space the better as your fish become older but to begin with, again imo, the smaller the space the more comfortable the feel.

Again, in my time keeping a group of L046s I found them to be very hardy, surviving two house moves and a number of power cuts.

That said, when your paying the sums of money listed these days it would almost be worth employing round the clock Zebra plec security watch.

Regards

Tom

Nice, thanks man.

Hi

There is another method of adding fish that I have been using recently which I know the stingray guys use. That is the drip method. the idea is that you open the bag with the fish in it and then get an airline tube and start a siphon down the tube. The tube should also have a knot in it so that it is only dripping the water out of the end. Have this drip into the bag with the fish so that the new fish is introduced very slowly to the new temp and ph. i have used this on fish that I have got in, especially if they have been shipped.
I usually drip for about 45-60 minutes, and also have another tube taking the water out of the bag into a bucket.

this is a slow and steady way to introduce the fish. After about 45 minutes I find that the water is the same as that in my tank and so i can slowly release the fish into the tank.