FoxTrot Classics by Bill Amend for March 30, 2013

“Hey, Paige, water you up to?”

When I was a young teen, my parents bought me an aquarium from the pet store, complete with fish. What the overzealous salesman didn’t tell them is, you should let the new water in the aquarium sit for several days or a week before introducing fish into it. Some lived, some died.

Paige should’ve set up in her bedroom, silly girl.

I have been told NEVER to change all the water in an aquarium at once. First let the tap water set for at least 30 minutes to an hour and then take maybe like 1/2 a gallon out of lest say a 15 gallon tank and then put in the 1/2 gallon of fresh water. To change the whole 15 gallons should be done over a number of days like a week or so. That is what I have been told.

A cubic foot of water is 62.4 lbs. Salt water a little more. In other words – HEAVY.

I agree with the species research part, but drinkable water is fine to any fish in any quantity after half an hour to let excess chlorine evaporate. I have raised and sold thousands of fish and never lost significant quantities in brand new (refurbished) tanks. Fish, if not genetically degenerated by interbreeding are very tolerant animals. If the temperature is OK they will survive about anything.The problems lie mainly in how they were handled by the person before you. Sick fish will die.

What you write is very sensible and I can’t discuss it, but we were not talking humans, talking about tank fish, raised for generations in tap water… Although I bought on occasions wild specimens with no more problems…