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Hello Neurotica ...

First of all, I'd make sure the fish are in complete darkness in transit. This will help the acclimatisation process.

Next, I'd keep all 6 of them together. If you're worried about the condition of the water in the bag, then take an extra big bag with you when you pick them up, and ask the LFS to put them in that with a decent amount of water.

Third, you won't need to turn the heating in your car on unless you're in a part of the world where winters are pretty cold (i.e., you're driving along snowy roads). Pandas like the cooler end of the temperature scale, and won't suffer unduly unless the temperature drops below 16°C for any length of time. If you have a polystyrene foam lined box to put the bag in, so much the better, as this will conserve heat. The infamous 'poly boxes' so beloved of show aquarists here in the UK are a BIG asset to any fishkeeper who has to travel. If you haven't got a poly box, but the LFS has one spare to let you take them home in, then accept the offer, be very nice to the LFS because poly boxes are valuable items!

Fourth, when acclimatising them to the aquarium, spend time, and leave the lights off. If you can pick up some live food when you pick up the Pandas, so much the better. Leave the lights off once they're in the aquarium, and drop in live food. They'll be able to hunt it down quite happily, as they home in with their barbels on live food, rather than using sight. They can feed in complete darkness if they have to!

Finally, congratulations on getting 6 Pandas. If they 'bed in' nicely into your aquarium, then your life will never be the same. You won't need a television set ever again!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Done that. Nice cute Pandas!

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Cali, you and the others can head over to the Photo Booth of the Forums and check out some of the pictures I took last night.

YAY! More Pandas to join the happy throng!

Pity you don't live in the same country as me - you could have had my offspring from the 2003 spawning to add to your collection .... then I could let Mata Hari and the boys loose in the breeding aquarium and raise a bigger batch of babies

Last edited by Calilasseia at 20-Feb-2005 15:21

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I picked them up yesterday morning Cali, and they seem to all be doing just fine.

I also took some pictures of them last night, but I just haven't had a chance to get them onto the computer yet. I will probably do so later tonight.

Right now I am off to get some live bloodworms for them. So look out for some pictures late tonight!

Let me know when they arrive! And if you can, post some pics too ... can't have Mata Hari and the boys being the only immortalised Pandas on the Board

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks Calilasseia. I am definitely looking forward to getting these little guys (or gals) home.

Unfortunately this morning I came down with the flu, so I was unable to take the 45 minute drive to get them. ]:|

However, I am feeling much better as of now and hopefully I will feel well enough in the morning to go and get them.

After reading all the wonderful things people have to say about them, I am just so excited and definitely cannot wait to share pictures with everyone here.

Plus, when I had my pair of Cherry Barbs by themselves they didn't really do a whole lot. Just a lot of hiding. (Which I expected.) Once I added my 7 Harlies, those Cherry Barbs really came to life. They even school with the Harlies. So, I can only imagine how much the activity level is going to increase after I add these Pandas! I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll be sure to keep everyone here updated!

No worries Neurotica, I just want to see lots of happy Panda fans on the Board

Believe me, once the initial hurdles vis-a-vis acclimatisation are over, and they're settled in, they'll provide endless hours of entertainment. As I keep telling people, you'll never need a television set again - you'll never get repeats, you won't have to pay an exorbitant licence fee to watch them, they're more intelligent than most TV presenters, and you'll never see a Party Political Broadcast in your aquarium!

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I very much appreciate your comments Cali. Hopefully I will be picking up these little guys tomorrow morning.

(Granted the fish store did get them in as I ordered.)

I will definitely be posting pictures if all goes well.

I think I am worrying a little too much about bringing my Pandas home.

I have read everything possible about them, but I still wonder if everything is going to be alright. However, my 9 other fish are happy and healthy, so I must be doing something right. I need to just stop worrying and everything will be just fine.

Thanks again Cali.

My tank has finally cycled and I have finally found a store which has Panda Cories!

I called all the fish/pet stores within an hour radius of where I live and only one place could get me some Pandas. So, of course, I jumped at the offer and reserved 6 of them. (I agree with the post on this board a while back about getting them all together to help reduce stress.)

However, since I (unfortunately) am paying a heafty price for these Pandas, I want to do everything I possibly can to help ensure they do not die shortly after coming home.

Although, here is my first major problem... They will be delivered to the fish store either Thursday night or Friday morning. Unfortunately due to my work schedule, the only time I am going to be able to pick them up is Friday morning. I know that it isn't the best thing for them to have just arrived at the fish store and then travel back home with me. (I know every fish can respond differently) But do you think this is going to cause a catastrophic disaster?

My next problem is that the fish store is a 40 minute drive from my house... Any serious problem there?

Next, I have read over Calilasseia's fabulous article about Pandas, and in it it states:

Furthermore, a little extra care and attention acclimatising new arrivals is welcome, as juvenile Pandas in particular seem to be somewhat e to shock if suddenly transferred to water whose chemistry differs significantly from the water in which they were raised.

I know that for my Cherry Barbs and my Harlies, I floated the bag in the tank for a half hour. Then put 1/4 cup of tank water into the bag every 15 minutes for an hour.

How should that process be altered to best acclimate my Pandas?

Also, my final question has to do with the days before my Pandas are brought home... Unfortunately due to some over feeding recently by my mom (who wanted to see the fish eat) there is a good amount of junk on the bottom of the tank. (Some fish flakes and some tubifex worms.) I'm going to hold off feeding for the next couple days so that I do not add to that and prevent any type of spike of any kind. However, I have read that Pandas do not like junk on the bottom of the tank.

So, should I vacuum the gravel before adding the Pandas? Should I do this the night before, two nights before, does it matter?

I greatly appreciate anyone who can answer these questions, offer opinions or just give any tips they have about Pandas. I have read most of the things available on these forumns in preperation for my Pandas, however, these questions above are ones I still need answers to. So, a HUGE thanks to anyone who can help me out!

One question I wanted to add...

Since they will be enduring a 40 minute car ride, plus the hour and a half to acclimate them to my tank, is it a good idea to have them all in the same bag or would two separate bags for the 6 of them be better? I figure it would be less stressful for them all to be together, but is having all 6 in the same bag going to pose any kind of problem with the amount of water in the bag, the size of the bag, etc.?

Still looking for Calilasseia...

In a perfect world I would love to have a QT tank. Unfortunately, it is basically impossible for me to do so. Due to my living arrangements and other reasons (all of which might take me forever to explain) I can only have my 20 gallon tank set up, nothing more.

Yes, there are other fish in the tank right now. A pair of Cherry Barbs and a school of Harlies. All of which are doing wonderfully and have no problems.

My only saving grace is the fact that I have visited the place where I am getting the Pandas from. This fish store is the best one I have ever seen. All the people working there know everything about proper fish care and are much more informative than most employees at pet stores. The tanks are kept in perfect condition. All the fish look in tip-top shape. Granted, this doesn't mean anything about where the Pandas are coming from before they get to this fish store. But in talking to the manager/owner, she has never had a problem with any fish and the people she gets her fish from are breeders that she apparently has a great deal of respect for. So, in knowing all of this, I trust this store and the quality of the fish that they recieve.

The only problems I believe I will have with the Pandas is anything that will be caused by stress and not caused by the Pandas being sick in the first place. So, that is why I am so concerned about keeping the stress level down as much as possible.

I definitely appreciate your concern, OldTimer, and I definitely understand that it would be a lot better if I did have a QT tank. But unfortunately I don't. (One of the reasons I try my best to only buy fish from reputiable stores.) Thanks though.

You mentioned in your post that your tank had just cycled. Are there currently any other fish in this tank? My biggest concern would be introducing new stock that I wasn't able to observe at the store and were so new whether or not I would be introducing some sort of disease not immediately identifiable. Do you have a hospital tank set up? I would want to make sure there were no problems with the new fish.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Thanks sirbooks!

Yes, I definitely took actions to keep my mom from trying to ever feed my fish again. I also took the opportunity to educate her about how that isn't a good thing and about how it has the potential to be very bad for the fish. So, I think I will not have a problem with her anymore since she now understands why that is a bad thing to do.

I don't really see a problem in letting the fish stay at the store for a day, cories are usually pretty hardy fish.

My problem isn't that they have to stay at the store for a day... My problem is that they might not arrive at the fish store until the morning I go to pick them up. Therefore, they will arrive at the fish store and then within an hour or two they will be coming home with me. Others have said that getting fish the same day they have been shipped isn't a good thing. But unfortunately I cannot do anything about it if they don't arrive until the morning I go to pick them up. That was my concern, if that would be too much for them.

And thanks, Sirbooks, for verifying that Pandas are fairly hardy. I was reading more and more posts about people being worried about the hardiness of their Pandas and I was starting to get really worried that they were really delicate fish. Granted I plan on doing everything I can to make sure everything goes well, but it is nice to know that they aren't as delicate as some people say they are. Thanks again!

Once again, anyone else care to comment?
(I'm awaiting a comment from Calilasseia.)

Sure, a gravel vacuuming and a water change will help to make sure that your tank is in good condition for the new fish. Definitely clean up the gravel, and make sure that your mom won't touch your food or tank again. Family can be a problem, which is why mine are not allowed to touch my fish stuff.

I don't really see a problem in letting the fish stay at the store for a day, cories are usually pretty hardy fish. They should definitely survive the drive home, forty minutes isn't that long. I've taken an hour and a half to bring cories home before, and they suffered no ill effects.

As for acclimation, the process you mentioned should be okay. As I mentioned, cories are pretty tough fish.

Hope that helps.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Thanks for your comments, Cup_of_Lifenoodles.

Anyone else care to jump in?

I dunno. I've always found pandas to be fairly hardy. Even the occasional fry that pops up in my tank seems to adjust easily to the conditions of the nursery tank.