Help...Is it Shock?

So I just got my Two Spot Bristletooth Tang from Live Aquaria, and upon opening the box, the cooler, the outer bag, the second bag, and finally the specimen bag, my fish was just laying on the bottom!

Mind you, it is still alive, faintly flutting his fins, and I think his gills (hopefully). I am acclimating him now by floating him. What should I do? Is this normal for fish that are shipped via mail? I don't want him to die.

 

Stop acclimating the fish and put it right into the tank. Stat.

 

you are going to have to use the drip acclimating method. i know some ppl just let the temp adjust and dump em in. take a pic for sure. once the fish is acclimated using the drip. i would say 2-3 hours release him with the lights off to reduce stress. wish you the best.

 

The fish is starved for oxygen and may very well be swimming in a bag full of its own waste. Drip acclimation is only going to prolong its suffering. Put the fish in the tank right now.

 

Best of luck..I hope she is doing fine!!

 

From my understanding, increasing the O (via dripping) is going to increase the Ammonia levels as well.

I drip when I bring a fish home from the LFS. A fish that got shipped... that I would just float for temp and then dump in.

 

Correct. It's never a good idea to acclimate for long periods of time when you have a fish shipped. Even if they pump pure oxygen into the bags before shipping, a tang is absolutely going to suck it all up during the trip. I don't even float for temperature anymore. I'd rather have a fish get a few spots of ich than have it die of ammonia poisoning or oxygen deprivation.

 

i agree somewhat. it is most likely a O2 issue more than anything. i would still use the drip method and add an airstone when you can. the LFS store (J/L) uses this method and there are plenty of fish gasping for breath and/or lying on the bottom, no one is rushing around and dumping them into the tank when shipments come in. these arent cheap fish by anymeans and if was easier for them and beneficial to the fish i am sure they would use that method (cut and dump for all bags)

 

What makes you sure?

As plenty have said on here... following your LFS advise is not necessarily the best idea...

 

the owner wouldnt allow it. with a store that only sells SW, the staff is very knowledgable and the store doesnt sell crap. i think someone who is this exprienced wouldnt allow $1000's worth or fish to die if they could be just dumped in would increase their odds of survival, you cant sell dead fish. this is the best SW store in vancouver. ocean aquatics close second. i would never just dump something into my tank, thats IMO of course....