Osmotic Stress Relief?

[David]

I missed a bunch of posts in the recent thread, so sorry if this has
already been discussed.

I am wondering to what degree, if at all, can this hard water/soft
water osmotic stress be relieved? My intuition is that it probably
depends upon so many variables that the answer probably ranges from
"yes" to "no". However, are there any simple-minded techniques or
practices that one might employ, (such as gradual changes during
quarantine)?

Or is the best practice to look up the parameters that the species
evolved in, and just make sure that one's own water supply is
consistent? (But this then begs the question, "was the fish
bred/raised under those same evolutionary conditions?")

Or, as one chap said, "I'm over-thinking the problem". Maybe, because
there are so many variables, one should just buy the fish and see what
happens???

Thanks and regards, David

[Richard Sexton]

I'm not sure what the actual question is here.



In article >,
David > wrote:
>I missed a bunch of posts in the recent thread, so sorry if this has
>already been discussed.
>
>I am wondering to what degree, if at all, can this hard water/soft
>water osmotic stress be relieved? My intuition is that it probably
>depends upon so many variables that the answer probably ranges from
>"yes" to "no". However, are there any simple-minded techniques or
>practices that one might employ, (such as gradual changes during
>quarantine)?
>
>Or is the best practice to look up the parameters that the species
>evolved in, and just make sure that one's own water supply is
>consistent? (But this then begs the question, "was the fish
>bred/raised under those same evolutionary conditions?")
>
>Or, as one chap said, "I'm over-thinking the problem". Maybe, because
>there are so many variables, one should just buy the fish and see what
>happens???
>
>Thanks and regards, David


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[David]

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 17:33:00 GMT, (Richard Sexton)
wrote:

>I'm not sure what the actual question is here.
>
>
Hello Richard, the question is:
>>I am wondering to what degree, if at all, can this hard water/soft
>>water osmotic stress be relieved? (When new fish are introduced.) Are there any simple-minded techniques, rules-of-thumb, or
>>practices that one might employ, (such as gradual changes during
>>quarantine)?
>>

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
David > wrote:
>On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 17:33:00 GMT, (Richard Sexton)
>wrote:
>
>>I'm not sure what the actual question is here.
>>
>>
>Hello Richard, the question is:
>>>I am wondering to what degree, if at all, can this hard water/soft
>>>water osmotic stress be relieved? (When new fish are introduced.)
>Are there any simple-minded techniques, rules-of-thumb, or
>>>practices that one might employ, (such as gradual changes during
>>>quarantine)?
>>>
>

If that question is "how to I safelyacclimate fished fromhard
water to soft" the answer is "slowly". Couple of hours on
a drip should be ok.

--
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633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

[Elaine T]

Richard Sexton wrote:
> In article >,
> David > wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 17:33:00 GMT, (Richard Sexton)
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I'm not sure what the actual question is here.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Hello Richard, the question is:
>>
>>>>I am wondering to what degree, if at all, can this hard water/soft
>>>>water osmotic stress be relieved? (When new fish are introduced.)
>>
>>Are there any simple-minded techniques, rules-of-thumb, or
>>
>>>>practices that one might employ, (such as gradual changes during
>>>>quarantine)?
>>>>
>>
>
> If that question is "how to I safelyacclimate fished fromhard
> water to soft" the answer is "slowly". Couple of hours on
> a drip should be ok.
>
I do it a bit differently when my house is colder than the tank. I
float the fish in a plastic fish-only tupperware container in the tank
to keep the fish warm and add tankwater about 1/8 cup at a time to get
the fish to mostly tankwater in a couple of hours.

In the summertime when room temps match tank temps, I use a drip like
Richard does. Airline tubing with a little valve or a knot in it works
like a charm. If the fish seems distressed at any point, slow down the
acclimation.

--
__ Elaine T __
><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><

[David]

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 22:31:14 GMT, Elaine T >
wrote:

>Richard Sexton wrote:
>> In article >,
>> David > wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 17:33:00 GMT, (Richard Sexton)
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I'm not sure what the actual question is here.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>Hello Richard, the question is:
>>>
>>>>>I am wondering to what degree, if at all, can this hard water/soft
>>>>>water osmotic stress be relieved? (When new fish are introduced.)
>>>
>>>Are there any simple-minded techniques, rules-of-thumb, or
>>>
>>>>>practices that one might employ, (such as gradual changes during
>>>>>quarantine)?
>>>>>
>>>
>>
>> If that question is "how to I safelyacclimate fished fromhard
>> water to soft" the answer is "slowly". Couple of hours on
>> a drip should be ok.
>>
>I do it a bit differently when my house is colder than the tank. I
>float the fish in a plastic fish-only tupperware container in the tank
>to keep the fish warm and add tankwater about 1/8 cup at a time to get
>the fish to mostly tankwater in a couple of hours.
>
>In the summertime when room temps match tank temps, I use a drip like
>Richard does. Airline tubing with a little valve or a knot in it works
>like a charm. If the fish seems distressed at any point, slow down the
>acclimation.

OK, Richard and Elaine both -- I've got it!! (I'm a bit slow
sometimes). I also now understand why my OP didn't make sense:

I was under the impression that the hard/soft water thing was a fairly
long-term, if not permanent, structural adaptation of the gill
membranes to the water hardness that the fish was raised in.
Consequently I was thinking that it might require a long time, if even
possible at all, to adapt the fish to a significant hardness change.

If we're talking just a couple of hours, in the manner that either of
you describe, that is what I would have done anyway. So I guess I
was, again, over-worrying the problem.......:( Thanks!