Stress reducers

[Astrivian]

Does any one have any recomendations of chemical stress reducers for fish during transport? Aside from dark bags, don't shake them like the little girl in Finding Nemo, etc., some additatives advertise stress reduction (Stress Coat, aloe vera stuff, etc.). Does anyone know if these actually work? When doing a major cleaning for my discus, i typically remove them into a large bucket (with airaetor) and add a bit of stress coat. I guess it works, they have not died yet anyhow.

From what i have seen so far online, most of the products for freshwater can also be used for saltwater provided the don't have any medications in them. But on a more specific, chemical level, what are the chemicals and/or nutrients proven or suspected to reduce fish stress durring transport. Note that i am not necessarlly asking about reducing stress in the aquarium, proper water conditions are number one there.

[Rob]

i personally have never used any, and have never had issues. either with transport from LFS, or to temporary moving them to containers for various reasons..

im sure there are valid things they do, but i cant comment on them.. sorry

[Astrivian]

Haha. Very few posts on this, i take it most people are in your shoes Rob. So, let me posit another related question:

How important do you all take the slime coat protectants? Do you use a water conditioner with a slime coat (e.g. Tetracoat, Stress Coat), or just a chlorine and choloramimine (sp?) remover (e.g. Prime)?

[CarmieJo]

I use (and recommend everyone use) RO/DI water so I don't need a dechlorinator. Back in the day when I worked at the LFS we routinely put a squirt of Stress Coat in the bag with the fish to help reduce shipping stress. Can't say if it was really helpful but we went through gallons of the stuff.

[Rob]

im with carmie, following the normal rule of using RO/DI or distilled water, the need for conditions are no longer required. that said, o now my LFS doesn't use these conditions, and as noted i do not an anything like this.

i do think that the fishes slime coat is very important to there health, but the use of a product like this is best suited for when you have problems, rather than as a regular treatment

[V]

this is just my opinion, i belive its a definate question mark about most products on the market in this regards. unless it contains a mild antiseptic the ingedients that make up products like these have to be able to indigestable, take your simple aloa vera extracts & the like! these maybe be benifical to the outside, but can cause irratation internally! fish with every gasp constantly take in everything u add to the tank! so unless your fish has been bashed from pillar to post via netting or simular, i see reason for this addition! the LFS did the squirt thing before doing up the bag here too, i think it took on the "piece of mind" factor for the buyer more than anything!
as for the declorinators, the folks are on the money, u shouldn't need it unless your drawing from the tap! & then these add-in product to combat it mearly bond new atoms on to it, it drops like "flock: in your green swimming pool!
lol

[Astrivian]

Very good point V. From what i can (or cannot, rather) find regarding these additives, it doesn't seem like any real, scientific, statistically-grounded research has been done regarding the viability, or potential harm, of these products. I wonder if in a decade or so we will look back and think of aloe vera for fish in the same context as cyanide or other chemicals.