Another acclimation question thread

Requiemiero · Mar 3, 2020

Hi all,

I read up everywhere I could about acclimation, but I'm still confused because of all the different ways people acclimate.

Is this right?

Fish

Float bag to match temp for like 20 minutes, match the initial bucket/tank salinity to the salinity of the bag, and then put fish into that bucket/tank with zero bag water. Then slowly match the salinity of the bucket/tank until it matches the DT, and place fish into DT.

Inverts (Snails, shrimp, anemones, corals)

Drip acclimate by making a little hole in the bag and dripping some DT water into the bag slowly for like 45 minutes. Empty bag water a little and keep dripping some more until all original bag water is gone, then put invert into tank. Dumb question, does it have to be DT water, or can it be freshly made water that matches salinity of the DT?

Am I mixing up something?

Ron Reefman · Mar 4, 2020

IMHO, you are making this WAY to complicated for yourself. Fish and inverts acclimate pretty easily.

I dump the fish or inverts into a 12ox deli cup and make it about 1/3 full with bag water. Add tank water with a turkey baster over the next 10 minutes. When the cup is 2/3to 3/4 full, let it sit for a few minutes, then dump the water down a drain and dump the fish or inverts in the tank.

I've received some damaged fish after being shipped. But I've never lost one due to acclimation.

NeonRabbit221B · Mar 4, 2020

Shipped fish and inverts should not be drip acclimated due to ammonia in the bag in most cases. Temp acclimate and drop soon after opening the bag. If the invert was shipped with a fair amount of water I will do as Ron suggested. Get parameters from shipper if possible.
LFS inverts and fish similar to what was posted
For coral and sensitive inverts I setup an air line and air valve and siphon water from DT so its roughly a drop a second for 2 hours.

mike550 · Mar 4, 2020

Ron Reefman said:
IMHO, you are making this WAY to complicated for yourself. Fish and inverts acclimate pretty easily.

I dump the fish or inverts into a 12ox deli cup and make it about 1/3 full with bag water. Add tank water with a turkey baster over the next 10 minutes. When the cup is 2/3to 3/4 full, let it sit for a few minutes, then dump the water down a drain and dump the fish or inverts in the tank.

I've received some damaged fish after being shipped. But I've never lost one due to acclimation.

Completely agree! Simple is good.

I actually temp acclimate in the bag then take out half the bag water. I then add QT water about a shot glass at a time over next 30 min or so. Take out the fish and into the QT.