Acclimating delivered fish

[ReefJCB]

So every time I’ve ordered from online vendors, the instructions indicate 15+ min temp acclimation in a bag, and 30+ min drip acclimation for salinity and pH.

The majority of hobbiests I’ve spoken with say to just temp acclimate due to the ammonia being toxic in the bag once you open it up.

I’m currius to see what everyone’s thoughts are. I’m also currius about the disconnect with the vendors and the hobbiests. These are reputable and well known vendors. It is interesting if they are giving such conflicting advice from what hobbiests are actually doing.

 

[PigFarmer]

check the shipping salinity levels.. if its real close no reason to drip IMO.. Also if theres a bunch of free floating fish waste in the shipping bag you know theres gonna be ammonia.

 

[Sod Buster]

I go from temp acclimate right into a fresh water dip for 5 minutes, then right into an observation tank at about 1.021 salinity adjusting as to what the bag water reads. I could see doing the drip method if they put the fish in a bigger bag with a gallon of water, but a quart, not for me.

 

[JayKim]

I always drip acclimate as long as I can. Slow drip and throw away part of the water, little faster drip and throw away part of the water... keep going until it's mostly the tank water is in the bucket. than temp acclimate and put the fish in

 

[d2mini]

Live Aquaria (Divers Den) has a very specific acclimation procedure.
I always follow that when ordering from them (the only place I order from).

For local purchases I just float for temp.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

The longer the fish is in the bag the more important it is to adjust for PH. PH is logrimithic so you can kill a fish fast due to the ammonia levels in the bag if you raise the PH to fast. Ammonia is more toxic to the fish as you raise the PH level!
Drip only works if you dump the fish in a container that allows the waste water to overflow into a waste drain or container. Slow drip and you have to keep the temp stable for the fish as well to match the tank. It works better if you have a set up that takes hours if the PH in the bag is really low....even overnight if the PH is around 7 in the bag. This is how the wholesalers do it when getting hundreds of fish at a time. Or they set up a system with CO 2 injection to lower the PH to match the bags or at 7 and raise the PH over 24 hours by reducing the CO 2 injection rate.

 

[Deinonych]

Temp acclimate only then place in QT with salinity matched to transport bag. Drip acclimation exposes the fish to ammonia toxicity as noted above, and is unnecessary.

 

[nonstopfish]

Float for temperature, match QT salinity only if QT is higher, 5 min FW dip, up to 90 minute Ruby Rally Reef bath using QT water, into QT. All fish, whether local store or shipped overnight.

 

[evolved]

Temp acclimate only then place in QT with salinity matched to transport bag. Drip acclimation exposes the fish to ammonia toxicity as noted above, and is unnecessary.

This!

Float the bag in the QT, make a very small hole in the bag to pull out a water sample - test the arrival salinity. Then adjust the QT salinity to match. Open the bag and release the new fish into QT - discard bag water.

 

[Sod Buster]

A fish can handle lower salinity better than higher.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Even if not running a qt. A small 5-10 gallon tank separate tank and 2 bottles of water 1 salt one fresh. I mix the salt on to 37 ppt.

Then adjust based on shipping bag. Before your shipment arrives ask for the salinity so you are close in this tank. If not running a qt slowly adjust over a couple days to your dt. Total cost is $20-30 which the fish easily cost more than.