Step by Step guide to Fish Acclimation

[Harlequinmania]

This maybe the mistake most newbie make during their first purschase of fishes from local LFS. Did this happen to you that when you happily bought the fish and pouring it straight into their tank and finding out the next day that their fish went missing ?

During shipping/ transportation of the fish from the place where it was caught and the day when you bought it from local LFS, the quality of the water will obviously be different from the condition of your tank; i.e; PH & Salinity. Therefore, great care must be taken in acclimating marine life that has been transported to prevent it from being stressed and increase the rate of survival of the fish in your tank.

Please adhere to the following steps for acclimating your new found fish into its new habitat/ tank. Though the process is lengthy (about an hour), however these steps will reduce the amount of stress and ensuring a longer life for your new arrival fish. It is recommend that all new specimens be quarantined in a separate aquarium for 10 to 14 days. If possible live rock should be cured again in a separate container.

Switch off aquarium lighting, and Diming the lights in the room prior to the release of the fish into it's new habitat will greatly reduces shock, stress and trauma of the fish into it's new habitat.

Allow the sealed bag to float in the aquarium for 20-25 minutes. (Do not open the bag at this time.) This allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature and climate of your tank. If the shipping bag is opened now the fish may die from suffocation.

Cut open the shipping bag just under the metal clip, and roll the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water.

Add a quarter-cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag, and float in the aquarium.

Repeat Step the step of adding a quarter cup of your aquarium water every 7-10 minutes until the bag is full of water. This is important, as adjustments to pH, alkalinity, and specific gravity take time for the fish to adopt. (Skins/membranes need time to exchange salt/water to equalize with the new aquarium water. Speeding up the process will suffocate the new specimen.)

Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag.

Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again and proceed to add small amount of aquarium water into the shipping bag every 5 minutes until the bag is full again.

Now, you are ready to release the fish from the bag and releasing it happily into it's new habitat aquarium

Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. (Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium, as it may contain Contamination will pollute your aquarium!! .)

Guidelines:

Do not rush. Be patient. This will only take an hour, but will ensure a longer life for your new friend.

As silly as this may sound, always go through the acclimation procedures. Many fish, though they appear dead, will be revived by following the procedures.

Do not place an airstone into into the shipping bag. This will create chemical reactions that will increase the acidity (increase pH) and result in toxicity.

We recommend that you keep your aquarium lights off for a few hours. This reduces the trauma and stress of your fish.

Watch salinity. Keep specific gravity at 1.023-1.025. Inverts & plants are more sensitive than fish to salinity changes.

Do not expose sponges, clams, scallops, and gorgonias directly to air. Follow the acclimation procedure. Instead of netting the specimen out of the bag, submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and remove the marine life from the bag. Seal off the shipping bag underwater and remove it from the aquarium. Discard both the shipping bag and the enclosed water. A tiny amount of the diluted shipping water will escape into the aquarium and you need not worry about that.

In some instances, your new tank mate will be hassled and harassed by one or all of your existing tank mates. This is common and will go away with time, but here are two possible solution to it:

(1) Place the "bully" in a perforated basket, while you allow the new neighbor to roam freely and adjust to its new environment. . A colander may be used. Just float the perforated plastic basket in the aquarium. Don't place the new specimen in this perforated basket because it must get acclimated to your aquarium (not the basket).

(2) Section off a portion of your aquarium using a perforated plastic lighting grid. When the new guy gets used to his environment, remove the partition.

You may shake off excess slime off a coral. Remember not to touch the sensitive flesh of it, though.

[Jameshong]

This maybe the mistake most newbie make during their first purschase of fishes from local LFS. Did this happen to you that when you happily bought the fish and pouring it straight into their tank and finding out the next day that their fish went missing ?

During shipping/ transportation of the fish from the place where it was caught and the day when you bought it from local LFS, the quality of the water will obviously be different from the condition of your tank; i.e; PH & Salinity. Therefore, great care must be taken in acclimating marine life that has been transported to prevent it from being stressed and increase the rate of survival of the fish in your tank.

Please adhere to the following steps for acclimating your new found fish into its new habitat/ tank. Though the process is lengthy (about an hour), however these steps will reduce the amount of stress and ensuring a longer life for your new arrival fish. It is recommend that all new specimens be quarantined in a separate aquarium for 10 to 14 days. If possible live rock should be cured again in a separate container.

Switch off aquarium lighting, and Diming the lights in the room prior to the release of the fish into it's new habitat will greatly reduces shock, stress and trauma of the fish into it's new habitat.

Allow the sealed bag to float in the aquarium for 20-25 minutes. (Do not open the bag at this time.) This allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature and climate of your tank. If the shipping bag is opened now the fish may die from suffocation.

Cut open the shipping bag just under the metal clip, and roll the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water.

Add a quarter-cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag, and float in the aquarium.

Repeat Step the step of adding a quarter cup of your aquarium water every 7-10 minutes until the bag is full of water. This is important, as adjustments to pH, alkalinity, and specific gravity take time for the fish to adopt. (Skins/membranes need time to exchange salt/water to equalize with the new aquarium water. Speeding up the process will suffocate the new specimen.)

Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag.

Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again and proceed to add small amount of aquarium water into the shipping bag every 5 minutes until the bag is full again.

Now, you are ready to release the fish from the bag and releasing it happily into it's new habitat aquarium

Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. (Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium, as it may contain Contamination will pollute your aquarium!! .)

Guidelines:

Do not rush. Be patient. This will only take an hour, but will ensure a longer life for your new friend.

As silly as this may sound, always go through the acclimation procedures. Many fish, though they appear dead, will be revived by following the procedures.

Do not place an airstone into into the shipping bag. This will create chemical reactions that will increase the acidity (increase pH) and result in toxicity.

We recommend that you keep your aquarium lights off for a few hours. This reduces the trauma and stress of your fish.

Watch salinity. Keep specific gravity at 1.023-1.025. Inverts & plants are more sensitive than fish to salinity changes.

Do not expose sponges, clams, scallops, and gorgonias directly to air. Follow the acclimation procedure. Instead of netting the specimen out of the bag, submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and remove the marine life from the bag. Seal off the shipping bag underwater and remove it from the aquarium. Discard both the shipping bag and the enclosed water. A tiny amount of the diluted shipping water will escape into the aquarium and you need not worry about that.

In some instances, your new tank mate will be hassled and harassed by one or all of your existing tank mates. This is common and will go away with time, but here are two possible solution to it:

(1) Place the "bully" in a perforated basket, while you allow the new neighbor to roam freely and adjust to its new environment. . A colander may be used. Just float the perforated plastic basket in the aquarium. Don't place the new specimen in this perforated basket because it must get acclimated to your aquarium (not the basket).

(2) Section off a portion of your aquarium using a perforated plastic lighting grid. When the new guy gets used to his environment, remove the partition.

You may shake off excess slime off a coral. Remember not to touch the sensitive flesh of it, though.

Thanks for sharing and welcome on board...new Admin !

[stevenkoh08]

his not new seen 03

[Jameshong]

his not new seen 03

Not new in SRC but NEW as an Admin !

[Harlequinmania]

Yes.. i have been in reefing in SRC for many donkey years now , and i hope my little help could make SRC a better place to be !!

[Harlequinmania]

Measuring cup method of Fish acclimation

Pros

• This method is a gentle, safe and easy way to introduce your new saltwater fish to your home aquarium, and usually takes less than an hour to complete.
• This method provides re-oxygenation of the saltwater in the bag and slowly introduces the fish to your saltwater aquarium’s level of pH and other water chemistries.
• You can use this method not only for saltwater fish acclimation but also for all other types of marine livestocks.

Cons

• This method may cause you to acclimate the fish too fast and having not enough time for proper saltwater fish to stabilize itseld in the new environment.

Instructions

1. Open the bag. If full of packing water, pour about half of it and discard.
2. Cut or fold the top of the bag if there’s any excess.
3. SWitch off all your aquarium light , to reduce any stress to the fish introduction to it's new environment.
4. Place the bag inside your saltwater aquarium and secure to the top with any devise that can hold it still making sure that no water from the bag gets into the aquarium or vice versa. This will help to stabilize the temperature of the water in the bag with the water in your tank.
5. Drop airstone into the bag for a couple of minutes to help with re-oxygenation. ( Optional )
6. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of you aquarium saltwater and pour it into the bag and wait 10 minutes.
7. Repeat this process until the water in the bag is full.
8. Remove half or 2/3 of the water in the bag and repeat process 6 above again until the bag is full.
9. Gently hand scoop, use a soft mesh net (you can usually get this from your local fish store), or use a small perforated container to lift the fish out of the bag and put it in your aquarium trying not to stress the fish too much.
10. Discard the water in the bag and never pour it into your tank as it might contain dieases which will affect your whole tank !
11. It should be swimming happy after a day or two .

[Harlequinmania]

Dripping Method

Pros

• This method is gentle, safe and easy way to introduce your new saltwater fish to your home aquarium.
• Once the drip line is started and the flow rate is set, it pretty much takes care of itself.
• You can use this method not only for saltwater fish acclimation but also for all types of marine livestocks.

Cons

• It can take up to two hours for this method to be completed depending on the size of size of the acclimation container being used.
• There is a lot of set up involved.
• If you are acclimating more than one saltwater fish, this means you have to either use a separate acclimation container for each one or put them all together in the same one. If you combine the fish, they may fight and injure each other even before you can get them into your aquarium, especially if they are of the same or similar species.
• This method may have you move too fast and not allow enough time for proper acclimation process.

Instruction

1. Put the fish in any container of enough size to be covered
2. Set the bucket on the floor close to the aquarium you’ll be putting the fish into when done.
3. Using some plastic air line tubing and an air gang value, set up and run a siphon drip line from the aquarium you will be placing the fish into, to the bucket. ( Or you can also use a container drip of your tank water to the container )
4. Siphon and drip as slowly as possible the tank water into the container using the gang air valve to adjust the drip rate.
5. Do not set the water drip rate too fast nor too slow. Set it in between. Maybe 1 drop per sec.
6. If you are acclimating several fish bought from different LFS, it’s the best way to do it individually in a container of their own since each LFS water paremeter is different.
7. When the water in the container equals to about two to three times the volume of the bag water, pour half or 2/3 of the water in the container and repeat step 3 to continue dripping the water again until the water in the container double it's voume again.
8. Swicth off all aquarium for at least 2 hour before and after introuction of the new fish to the tank.
9. Gently remove the fish from the container and place it into your aquarium .

[Harlequinmania]

Turkey Baster Method

Pros

• This method is also gentle, safe and easy way to introduce your new saltwater fish to your home aquarium and takes less than an hour to complete.
• The bag water will be eventually replaced by your own saltwater.
• This method also provides re-oxygenation of the saltwater in the bag and slowly introduces the fish to your saltwater aquarium’s level of pH and other water chemistries.
• No nets, scoops or other stress inducing methods are used avoiding acclimation shock and any other stressful situation for the fish.
• Fish are individually confined if you have more than one you are trying to introduce to your saltwater aquarium.
• You can use this method not only for saltwater fish acclimation but also for all types of marine livestocks.

Cons

• This method may make you acclimating your fish too fast and not allowing enough time for proper acclimation of your live stocks.

Instruction

1. Open the bag and lower it into your saltwater aquarium.
2. Secure to the top with any devise that can hold it still.
3. Turn off all aquarium lighting if possible to prevent less stress to the fish if possible.
4. Let the water temperature from the bag stabilize with the temperature of your saltwater.
5. Using a large new plastic turkey baster that has no metal parts, add 1 or 2 full squeeze bulbs of your tank water to the bag and wait for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove 3 bulbs of water from the bag and throw it away. Add 2 more bulbs of your tank water and wait for another 10 minutes.
7. Repeat 4 and 5 until the recycling of bag water is complete.
8. Submerge the entire bag under water and let your new saltwater fish swim out.

[Harlequinmania]

Acclimation of clams / sponges

Sponges, clams, scallops, and gorgonias should never be directly exposed to air. Follow the acclimation procedure, but instead of netting the specimen out of the shipping bag, submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and remove the marine life from the bag. Seal off the shipping bag underwater by twisting the opening, and remove it from the aquarium. Discard both the shipping bag and the enclosed water.

A tiny amount of the diluted shipping water will escape into the aquarium. Do not be alarmed; this will have no adverse effect on the tank inhabitants.

** Extracted from pet eduction.com **

[Guest]

Good video on live stocks acclimation

http://youtu.be/ETDU4R4PrD0

[Guest]

http://youtu.be/Cm4LB8eQA9k

[diverxxx]

Useful tips to follow...may take a long time but will ensure higher survival rate in the tank

[Soleh Joe]

Good read.

[NiVleKsg]

Wow. Very detailed step by step guide. Good read! Make sense once you read it, but if you dont think about it, newbies like me will not know!

[guang]

Really useful read

[Cookiee]

Thanks for the Step by step guide! 

[Jane]

Thanks for sharing the guide! 

[zijie]

Really useful read

 

[CK191]

Useful guide!