Here Fishy, fishy..

One more fish died. One of the newer fish that I added was having a hard time acclimating. His dorsal fin never really perked up and he struggled to eat.

The rest of the fish look hearty. They are swimming and eating just fine. I think I did a better job of introducing new fish to my system.

I decided to chat with a pet store associate that was knowledgeable about fish. I spent about 30 minutes chatting with him about my system and some of the dramas I have encountered. The main issues have been introducing new fish to the system. I was recommended to try a drip acclimation for new fish. Fish at the pet store live in water slightly different than mine. Basically, I siphoned water from my tank into a bowl containing the new fish with the pet store water. The idea: slowly get the fish used to a change in water quality. After about a half hour I added the new creatures to my system.

I learned a lot by talking about my system with a gentleman who knew almost nothing about aquaponics but was able to approach me from an aquatic perspective. This is the second time that someone with a fish's perspective has allowed me to resolve appropriate issues. I will continue to value and foster relationships with those who understand the marine and aquatic worlds.