Adding Shipped Fish

[MichaelReefer]

Hello,

I just purchased my first fish from an online vendor, and just wanted to see what the "protocol" is for adding them. I know you are supposed to dispose of the water in the bag but I also was reading that people just throw em right in and dont necessarily drip acclimate, just put the bags into the tank to equalize the temperature? My general protocol when I get a new fish from the LFS is to drip acclimate for at least an hour?

I guess drip maybe isnt necessary because you have to throw the water in the bag away anyways?

Appreciate any advice! Thanks!

 

[Westside Guy]

This beginners guide should answer your questions.

Beginners Guide to Acclimation and Quarantine

Beginners Guide to Acclimation and Quarantine Your beautiful new display tank is up and ready for fish. You have come up with your stocking list and you are finally ready to buy your first fish but you aren’t confident on how to proceed. I am going to walk you through a basic acclimation and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Qasimja]

i pretty much do the same as that guide suggested i dont drip acclimate fish anymore and i havent had any lost or stressed out fish doing it

 

[WVNed]

I used to float and toss. Now a lot of stuff comes in hypo salinity water and I don't anymore.
I clip the bag to the top of the tank and add water slowley to it over an hour. Then I dump the water in the bag into a bucket and put the livestock into the tank

 

[ccejka]

I would seriously recommend a quarantine set up. You don't need much a tank, and HOB filter with some floss in it.

Its probably the hardest thing to do in the hobby IMO, but fish in a tank that isn't one that you look at all the time or having another tank to maintain. But if you do end up with a sick fish you will be happy you are treating it in a separate tank from your display.

I am guilty as the next reefer of acclimating and dropping them in the tank but each time I do I have a nervous break down about my 225 gallon display.

 

[AZMSGT]

Shipped fish suffer from ammonia issues worse than any. As soon as you open that bag and let O2 in the ammonia oxygenates and spikes and can kill and do damage quickly.

Let me be clear. I have no experience with shipped fish at the moment. On Wednesday I will. My shipper is a QT expert and the shipping water is set at 1.025. So when I go to acclimate, my process will be to turn off lights, float. When 45min is up, I’ll pour the fish and shipping water into a net and bucket. Catching the fish then put it into my tank. This method is written about in several places for shipped fish. No need for a QT since they will be arriving pre QT treated.

Now if the Salinity is off, I would prepare a QT tank. having it waiting around 1.012. Take a sample of a bag with a needle and raise my QT SG to match while floating the fish in that tank. Once the fish are in the matched water I would raise the SG over a day or two. Then tank em.. Again.. getting fish from a Pre-QT person.

 

[JasonK84]

Ask the shipper what the salinity of their tanks are and match your QT/observation tank to that. I get shipments from LA at 1.018 to 1.019. As long as your salinity is within .02 of the shipping water then just temp acclimate and add fish. Add as little shipping water as possible.

 

[Sump Crab]

Ill get killed for this but I just float for temp and then pour fish into a net and add it to the tank. Fish are a lot more tough than we give them credit for. I cant remember ever losing a fish due to this method and usually they are feeding almost immediately. I believe that the Ammonia in the bag coupled with the stress of being contained in the bag outweigh the initial shock of a minor salinity or water chemistry change.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Ask the shipper what the salinity of their tanks are and match your QT/observation tank to that. I get shipments from LA at 1.018 to 1.019. As long as your salinity is within .02 of the shipping water then just temp acclimate and add fish. Add as little shipping water as possible.

Didnt think about that! I contacted Live Aquaria and they said "The California facility maintains a specific gravity of 1.018-1.020 for fish and 1.023-1.025 for corals and inverts at a water temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. At our LiveAquaria Coral Farm & Aquatic Life Facility, the Coral System maintains a specific gravity of 1.025 at a water temperature of 76-78 degrees Fahrenheit. The Marine Fish System maintains a specific gravity of 1.025 at a temperature of 77-78 degrees Fahrenheit. "

I am normally around 1.026-1.027, so I may drip acclimate a bit, or do you think it would be ok?

 

[JasonK84]

Didnt think about that! I contacted Live Aquaria and they said "The California facility maintains a specific gravity of 1.018-1.020 for fish and 1.023-1.025 for corals and inverts at a water temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. At our LiveAquaria Coral Farm & Aquatic Life Facility, the Coral System maintains a specific gravity of 1.025 at a water temperature of 76-78 degrees Fahrenheit. The Marine Fish System maintains a specific gravity of 1.025 at a temperature of 77-78 degrees Fahrenheit. "

I am normally around 1.026-1.027, so I may drip acclimate a bit, or do you think it would be ok?

Which did you order from? LA or DD? If From DD then your good to temp acclimate and release. If from LA the change will be great and fish have a much harder time acclimating to a higher SG than if it were lower in your tank.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Which did you order from? LA or DD? If From DD then your good to temp acclimate and release. If from LA the change will be great and fish have a much harder time acclimating to a higher SG than if it were lower in your tank.

Not sure, it hasn't shipped yet so I dont know where it's coming from. Dont see anything in the order notes.

 

[mta_morrow]

Ill get killed for this but I just float for temp and then pour fish into a net and add it to the tank. Fish are a lot more tough than we give them credit for. I cant remember ever losing a fish due to this method and usually they are feeding almost immediately. I believe that the Ammonia in the bag coupled with the stress of being contained in the bag outweigh the initial shock of a minor salinity or water chemistry change.

Same^^^^^^

 

[JasonK84]

Not sure, it hasn't shipped yet so I dont know where it's coming from. Dont see anything in the order notes.

Go to the page where you ordered from. It’ll tell you there where it ships from.
Here’s a couple of examples:
This one is from DD (Wisconsin facility)

This one is from regular LA (California)

 

[MichaelReefer]

It only says it comes from California, I dont see which facility.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+39+250&pcatid=250

 

[JasonK84]

It will arrive in 1.018 to 1.020 but probably on the lower side since that’s my experience.

Do you QT/ observe in a separate tank or acclimate to your display?

 

[MichaelReefer]

It will arrive in 1.018 to 1.020 but probably on the lower side since that’s my experience.

Do you QT/ observe in a separate tank or acclimate to your display?

I normally dont QT. I will put it in a bucket and drip acclimate and observe for an hour or two. Make sure its not hurt and all and then put him in.

 

[DHill6]

Shipped fish suffer from ammonia issues worse than any. As soon as you open that bag and let O2 in the ammonia oxygenates and spikes and can kill and do damage quickly.

Let me be clear. I have no experience with shipped fish at the moment. On Wednesday I will. My shipper is a QT expert and the shipping water is set at 1.025. So when I go to acclimate, my process will be to turn off lights, float. When 45min is up, I’ll pour the fish and shipping water into a net and bucket. Catching the fish then put it into my tank. This method is written about in several places for shipped fish. No need for a QT since they will be arriving pre QT treated.

Now if the Salinity is off, I would prepare a QT tank. having it waiting around 1.012. Take a sample of a bag with a needle and raise my QT SG to match while floating the fish in that tank. Once the fish are in the matched water I would raise the SG over a day or two. Then tank em.. Again.. getting fish from a Pre-QT person.

Whom did you order from, pre QT?

 

[Tamberav]

I normally dont QT. I will put it in a bucket and drip acclimate and observe for an hour or two. Make sure its not hurt and all and then put him in.

Dripping shipped fish exposes them to ammonia. Add some ammonia lock to the bag water to help with this.

Your fish will come in around 1.018-1.020 since it is from Cali facility.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Dripping shipped fish exposes them to ammonia. Add some ammonia lock to the bag water to help with this.

Your fish will come in around 1.018-1.020 since it is from Cali facility.

Can you clarify? You're talking about dripping them with the water that's in the bag, correct?

What is my best way to prep it then? Just put him in?

 

[miamijaaz]

I usually float for 15 minutes, open the bag and drip acclimate for 30 min tops and then scoop the fish out and into the tank. This has always worked for me, but my last shipment I screwed up and accidentally dropped a yellow tang into my sump shipping water and all (after the 15 min temp acclimation). I thought I would lose him for sure, and ran fresh carbon to counteract the shipping water in my tank, but... nothing happened. He’s just as healthy and happy as the other two tangs that went through the drip acclimation. Now yellow tangs are generally hardy fish to begin with, and so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it, but he’s alive and healthy. Can’t really argue with the results.