How stressful is it for fish to be moved from one tank to another?

[Rube_Goldfish]

Short version: how much does it stress fish to be netted and moved from one tank to another?

Long version: I have a planted 55 gallon community tank, a planted 10 gallon tank with only Amano shrimp, and a 10 gallon quarantine tank with an Apistogramma cacatuoides trio just coming out of quarantine. Ultimately, I want the Amanos and apistos to all end up in the 55 gallon tank, but I want to give the shrimp a week's head start to learn the hiding places, get comfortable, and get any initial molting out of the way before the apistos join them. So that will leave the apistos in a somewhat empty quarantine tank (with no plants) and a nicely planted tank with no fish.*  Would the apistos be better off staying where they are, or being netted out to a "better" tank, only to be netted out again a week or two later?

Full disclosure: the two 10 gallon tanks are arranged vertically, and the qaurantine tank, on the bottom, is a lot harder to work in. Also, the planted one is much more nicely lit. So I might just want the apistos in the planted tank for my benefit and not theirs, and therefore I'm rationalizing to myself...

*This tank will ultimately house a Neocaridina davidii colony, but they might have to wait until after the holidays.

[Anjum]

The answer no one wants to hear: it depends 😂 

I'd be inclined to just leave the apistos where they are since it's only a week. 

My "it depends" personal experience is with 2 SAE. They were in the same tank but I had to split them up b/c they weren't getting along. The more dominant one went into a temp holding tank & weeks (months?) later, they each went into larger tanks. The dominant one didn't miss a beat in either move. Immediately went to exploring the new tank. The subordinate one hid for 2 weeks after it moved to a bigger tank, even though it had been free from the aggressor for weeks/months. 

[Gannon]

It depends on this fish(some are more prone to shock from changes than others), how catching them went (often this is the most stressful and harmful part of the process if not done right), how different water parameters are tank to tank, etc there are million things that play into it. Just do your best and be cautious within reason and chances are they'll be 100% okay. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 12/20/2022 at 4:03 PM, Anjum said:

The answer no one wants to hear: it depends

Unfortunately it's the most common AND most accurate answer to most questions in this hobby lol