Acclimating Shipped Fish

[Letterkenny]

For the TL/DR, see questions in bold.

I have ordered my first fish online and wanted feedback on my acclimation plan. I ordered a pair of clowns from one of Sustainable Aquatic’s vendors. While I know this is risky, I am not planning to QT these as they will be going into my nem only office tank with no other fish. If I notice something, I will move them into the QT. I am assuming that my salinity will be higher than that the clowns are shipped, thus, necessitating a drip acclimation. I don‘t believe I have seen this suggested but to avoid the ammonia issues with the shipped water, is there any reason why I cannot just set up a gallon or two of water in a 5g bucket with clean salt water and just dilute it to match the shipped bag SG and drip acclimate in this to the DT Salinity? It seems that after temp acclimation, you can just drop them in if the SG is the same so I would imagine this technique would reduce stress. If taking this approach, how long would you drip acclimate?

 

[Cstar_BC]

For the TL/DR, see questions in bold.

I have ordered my first fish online and wanted feedback on my acclimation plan. I ordered a pair of clowns from one of Sustainable Aquatic’s vendors. While I know this is risky, I am not planning to QT these as they will be going into my nem only office tank with no other fish. If I notice something, I will move them into the QT. I am assuming that my salinity will be higher than that the clowns are shipped, thus, necessitating a drip acclimation. I don‘t believe I have seen this suggested but to avoid the ammonia issues with the shipped water, is there any reason why I cannot just set up a gallon or two of water in a 5g bucket with clean salt water and just dilute it to match the shipped bag SG and drip acclimate in this to the DT Salinity? It seems that after temp acclimation, you can just drop them in if the SG is the same so I would imagine this technique would reduce stress. If taking this approach, how long would you drip acclimate?

I think you may be forgetting other variables such as alkalinity, ammonia for sure , pH etc

I believe after temp acclimating , a 15-30min drip is perfect.

Just remember to keep lights off , and I normally drop them in with power heads off for an hour so they have a chance to calmly swim around and find their home base before being blasted with current .

Hope this helps !

 

[ichthyogeek]

Counter-Question: Why not just super-dose Prime when the fish come in to neutralize the ammonia, and drip acclimate afterwards?

My only concerns with setting it up as you explained, is that it doesn't take into account the pH changes, especially if the bag isn't a breather bag. There's also a concern about using different salt mixes (vendor might use IO, you might use TropicMarin, etc.) which will most likely have different salts in them.

 

[Sallstrom]

For the TL/DR, see questions in bold.

I have ordered my first fish online and wanted feedback on my acclimation plan. I ordered a pair of clowns from one of Sustainable Aquatic’s vendors. While I know this is risky, I am not planning to QT these as they will be going into my nem only office tank with no other fish. If I notice something, I will move them into the QT. I am assuming that my salinity will be higher than that the clowns are shipped, thus, necessitating a drip acclimation. I don‘t believe I have seen this suggested but to avoid the ammonia issues with the shipped water, is there any reason why I cannot just set up a gallon or two of water in a 5g bucket with clean salt water and just dilute it to match the shipped bag SG and drip acclimate in this to the DT Salinity? It seems that after temp acclimation, you can just drop them in if the SG is the same so I would imagine this technique would reduce stress. If taking this approach, how long would you drip acclimate?

This is good questions I think.

Yes, and the reason is the diference in pH. If you would have used tank water and also adjusted the pH, then it would be the same way we do it. Moving the fish from the transport water into a acclimation bucket(with adjusted tank water), then start drip acclimation. Time depends on how big the differences are in pH and salinity.

I'm not sure how this could be done at home in a simplified way. Perhaps Prime would be a way, but I havn't tested that so I'm not the one to give advice on that. @Lasse might have some good ideas?

 

[Lasse]

When we talk about long transport (>18 hours) there is some very important issues that you have to notice. During the transport -the fish excrete carbon dioxide into the bag, hence lower the pH. I have measured pH as low as 6.5 in transport bags. During the same period - the fish also excrete NH3/NH4 into the bag - I have measured concentrations around 1 - 2 ppm total NH3/NH4 in bags (>24 hours transportation). Now you must know that´s only the NH3 that´s toxic for fish. NH3/NH4 always comes together as a pair and the ration between them is mostly pH depended. At pH around 7 - around 99.99 % is as the non toxic form NH4 - at pH 8.5 - 15 % of the pair is in the toxic NH3 form. Lucky for us - during transport the fish both lower the pH and rise the NH4/NH3 concentration. It means that if the bags pH is around 7 - 2 ppm of total NH3/NH4 of is total non toxic because the NH3 part is only around 0.01 % of this.

But now you open the bag and start the drop acclimation - but your perfect water will also rise the pH and suddenly you have toxic levels of NH3 in the bag. IME - this is what killing fish during long transport - not the other parameters. I have during the last 15 years been with during unpacking after long transports (up to 48 hours). More than 20 000 fish has pass my hands. The best method we used was to prepare the receiving tanks (your bucket) with a low pH (we bubble CO2 into the system -> pH below 7). After this - we just open the bags, net the fish and directly into the pH lowered tanks. No drip acclimation whats ever. When all fish was putted in (it was a system with many tanks) - we stop the CO2 regulation of the pH and let it slowly rise during the night ( CO2 was aerated out). Tank light out during the process

The next best method was to use an NH3/NH4 blocking agent (like prime) and acclimate with a cup of tank water now and then during a 30 minutes period. However the prolonged handling time often stress the fish to much and we could lost stress sensitive fishes.

Sometimes we received fish in very bad condition when we have not lowered the pH. Best method in those cases was just to net the fish from the bag and directly put it into the receiving tank. IMO - the stress factor is very important - more important than differences in salinity, ions and pH in bag/receiving tank (if not NH3/NH4 is involved)

How to lower the pH in a receiving bucket or tank at home? It is very common in Sweden with home carbonising of tap water for human consumption. I use to take a small amount of such water and mix in the receiving bucket - but use a pH indicator - it not much you need. If you do not have this at home - buy a good carbonized bottle of mineral water and use a small amount of that to lower the pH - but be careful - pH should be just below 7 in the receiving bucket or tank. When you have put your fish in the bucket with pH lowered tank water - just start to aerate it - CO2 will disappear - pH rise. When pH have raised (2 - 12 H) to tank levels - just move the fish into the display tank.

If you use the CO2 method - (either with gas or carbonated water) be careful that the pH not get below around 6,5. pH just around 7 is OK

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Letterkenny]

So can I just dump all the shipping water into a bucket, load it with prime, and then drop acclimate?

 

[Letterkenny]

How much prime should I use?

 

[Cstar_BC]

So can I just dump all the shipping water into a bucket, load it with prime, and then drop acclimate?

Yes I’ve done that , there are directions of the bottle for ratios

 

[Lasse]

Yes - if prime really works as a free ammonia gas blocker. I have no experiences with prime.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Letterkenny]

I ended up putting 1ml into the bucket. Was probably higher than dose but seemed to do the trick and they are now happy in the DT. Just need to work to get them to host the nems now.