How to acclimate with more success

[Thales]

I wonder if that made sense.

 

[schooncw]

Thanks! I never temp acclimated...


I’m buying magnets so I can temp acclimate, and pour some tank water inside the bags while the are floating. With my flow, the bags will sink, so I’m looking for reef safe magnets...do you think these are safe?

You MUST drip your fish in after floating the bag to equalize temperature, to account for the differences between the water and this is especially true for inverts. I float my bags, then place the bag-with a hole in the top-in a jug, in a bucket, insert the drip line and go!

 

[Paul Worley]

you need to float the bags for 15-20 mins to get them to the right temperature first. then slowly add water to get salinity close. then they go in the tank. temp, salinity & pH should be close

That's what I do with good success

 

[ss30]

Thanks! I never temp acclimated...


I’m buying magnets so I can temp acclimate, and pour some tank water inside the bags while the are floating. With my flow, the bags will sink, so I’m looking for reef safe magnets...do you think these are safe?

I use a cloths peg to attach the bag to the side of the tank to stop if floating around the tank.

 

[Rilo]

I float for 45min-1hour then drop them in. I've done this with coral that have been in the bag for 5 hours to fish. I haven't lost any coral or fish yet.

 

[solitude127]

Whichever tank the specimens are going into, turn off the lights to help reduce the stress

 

[KingReef]

I have been reading along with this and happened to get an order of fish from LA today. I have never checked the parameters of the water the fish arrive in, so I did that today. I typically float the bags for 15-20 minutes, then transfer the fish into a bucket and drip acclimate them. The bagged water tested at 1.020 salinity and the ammonia was off the charts! I have never seen an ammonia test so high before. I took out over half the shipping water immediately and replaced about 1/4 of it with tank water and then started my drip. Matching parameters is good, but how bad is it for the fish to stay in that ammonia filled water.... I spent about an hour with the fish in the bucket and then moved them to the tank.

 

[jokerman826]

Like others have said, temp acclimate first. Then I will recommend drip acclimate into a bucket. I use 5 gallon bucket. Usually has only about 1/2 gallon of water from the bag(s). I have a small pump in the bucket to provide some flow. When the bucket is at least half full thatbus when I transfer the fish to the QT. My drip acclimation takes roughly 4 hours. I have never lost a fish during acclimation doing it this way.

 

[Miami Reef]

I bought a coral beauty fish this past Sunday. I did what everyone told me in this thread, and I had amazing results. The fish is super active and did not get stunned at all during acclimation. I’m very happy, and now am excited for all future livestock! Thank you!

 

[Thales]

I have been reading along with this and happened to get an order of fish from LA today. I have never checked the parameters of the water the fish arrive in, so I did that today. I typically float the bags for 15-20 minutes, then transfer the fish into a bucket and drip acclimate them. The bagged water tested at 1.020 salinity and the ammonia was off the charts! I have never seen an ammonia test so high before. I took out over half the shipping water immediately and replaced about 1/4 of it with tank water and then started my drip. Matching parameters is good, but how bad is it for the fish to stay in that ammonia filled water.... I spent about an hour with the fish in the bucket and then moved them to the tank.

How high was the ammonia, and was the bag open?

If I were in a bag of ammonia and poo water, I would want to be out of it immediately. There is always a judgement call in acclimation - if the water is bad enough, I get the fish out right after I open the bag after floating temp acclimation.

 

[KingReef]

How high was the ammonia, and was the bag open?

If I were in a bag of ammonia and poo water, I would want to be out of it immediately. There is always a judgement call in acclimation - if the water is bad enough, I get the fish out right after I open the bag after floating temp acclimation.

The ammonia tested at 2 ppm (not .2, 2). I didn't see much floating in the water and the bag was air tight. I tested the water after I dumped it into the acclimation bucket. I will say that the fish are doing great today. Active and eating!

 

[EMeyer]

I've gone back and forth. These days I am doing something that I'm not sure I've seen yet in the thread (forgive me if I missed it). Its working better for me than any previous method.

I temp acclimate by floating, like everyone describes (~20-30 min). During this time I prepare a tub with water from my tank that I've diluted to match the water they're shipped in. (Its usually something RIDICULOUSLY low like 30 ppt). I aerate this water vigorously with a wood airstone.

After temp acclimation, I open the bags one at a time and pour them immediately into a net. I throw out 100% of the nasty fish pee water and put them straight into well aerated, temperature and salinity matched water from my tank.

The difference is night and day. I used to watch fish struggle and suffer during the long slow acclimation, regardless of whether I used prime or not. Laying on their sides, breathing heavy, acting stressed. Don't get me wrong -- if I used Prime, that method worked.

But the way I do it now, they plop into the clean water, look around, and immediately look happy and healthy. No heavy breathing or anything. Finally, I slowly replace this diluted water with normal seawater from my tank, and when the salinity matches, in they go.

I think getting 100% of the ammonia out right away is the way to go.