Finally, my new fish arrived yesterday. I was beginning to think this shipment was truly cursed: First the fish were sent to the wrong address (
Aquabid had an old mailing address on file). On the second attempt, all but three fish survived the cold journey. Then I sent some extra money to Deb and Al at Black Lagoon Tropical Fish to cover the cost of shipping for attempt three, and didn't hear anything from them for a while. When I emailed them a reminder, Al replied with an apology, saying that I had somehow fallen off their shipping list.
So, they are now here, alive and well -- seven daffodils and four additional j. transcriptus.
My four year old son was almost as thrilled as I was to see them yesterday. When we got home from our day at work and school, we went to look at them floating in their bags in my 20 and 55 gallon tanks. (I had come home from work earlier in the day to wait for them and floated them almost immediately after they arrived.)
He, of course, wanted me to release them immediately, but I calmly explained to him that I needed to help them get used to the new aquarium water first. I then had him help me open the bags and pour some water into them. We did that a few more times before dinner, and then a few more times after dinner. When the fish were ready to be released, my son expected that I would dump them right in. I told him that the new fish were nervous and scared and that the fish who were already in the aquarium weren't nice to newcomers. "So," I said, "We have to make sure that every fish in the tank feels like they are new. If they all feel the same way, none of the fish will think to be mean to the new fish." I think he got it.
I turned off the lights in both aquariums, and my son "helped" me do a 40% water change on both tanks. During the water change, he and I also rearranged all of the rocks in the aquarium (except for those near the baby j. reganni). I then filled both aquariums with new water using my "Python" (a feat that amazed my son -- "Wow, you can actually put that on the faucet! The water goes through there and comes all the way over to there!") After the tanks were filled, I netted the fish out of their bags and put them into their aquariums.
Tonight, my son, wife, and I checked on the new arrivals and they are alive, adjusted to their surroundings, and doing well. Only one j. transcriptus and one daffodil seem to be being picked on by the other fish -- the others seem to be fending for themselves well.