Fish Stresses = Disease = Death?

The oceans are the most stable environment in the world.  Most fish & other marine life have never had to develop coping mechanisms to deal with temperature changes, salinity changes, poor water quality etc.  Other stress factors are: being collected (especially at stores who chase the fish!!), put in a bag of water (have you seen stores "spin" the bag to close it?!  Yikes!) , transported in the dark to your home (no insulated container - only to get cold in the winter or overheated in the summer!!) only to be hung in your tank for acclimation with the bright lights on! (please turn them off)  Then they're put in an unfamiliar new home (your tank) where you can bet your bippy (because big fish eat little fish in the ocean)  they're thinking "who is in here that's going to eat me?!!" Here comes the final blow...having an established fish in your tank chase them!!!  (damsels wouldn't do that now would they?  ;) All the above stresses lower a fish's immune system making them susceptible to deadly viruses & parasites (Ick being the most common).  Think of it like the cold virus is to us humans.  We walk around exposed to the cold virus at all times but why aren't we sick with a cold all the time?  Our immune systems, when healthy, fights off the viruses.  Let us get stressed, over tired, don't eat well etc. & we're more than likely going to get sick.  The same for fish.

So now you understand why I go the extra mile by providing complimentary insulated take-home boxes for local customers...and many other steps here in-store in an effort to increase your chances of having a healthy new fish pet.  It's up to you to do all you can to reduce stresses from the store, to & at your  home as well.