new purchase fish (or coral)

[nuj244]

New purchase fish from LFS needs proper acclimatization for long term survival chance before introducing into the tank. Common method is by dripping water for an hour or two before finally introducing the fish into the tank. However, I noticed that most LFS have low SG at around 1.02. This may pose a problem if your tank is at 1.25, right? Do you check the SG during acclimatization process and ensure SG are the same on both tank and the water of the fish before stopping the drip? What's your method?

[comycus]

Depends on how you patient you are. Can drip acclimatize it for 2-3 hours for fishes that require more delicate care. Can also just add tank water to bag every 15min.

When bag is full, throw away 50% of water and restart the above 2 methods, until you are satisfied.

I know some may just throw the fish straightaway into the tank.

[jackywongto]

Depends on how you patient you are. Can drip acclimatize it for 2-3 hours for fishes that require more delicate care. Can also just add tank water to bag every 15min.

When bag is full, throw away 50% of water and restart the above 2 methods, until you are satisfied.

I know some may just throw the fish straightaway into the tank.

I just dump the fish into my tank. a one time shock and that's it.

Not the right method but its working so far for me.

[kanegan]

I use the add tank water to bag method with good results.

Every 15 to 20 mins I add tank water into the bag. If bag is full, i transfer to 1 feet tank.

I add until the 70 - 90 % of the water is actually my tank water then i put into my tank inside a floating cage. The cage is just in case my maroon clown 'dislikes' the new addition....

[nuj244]

I just dump the fish into my tank. a one time shock and that's it.

Not the right method but its working so far for me.

No casualty even one!

[jackywongto]

No casualty even one!

I had some fishes that died but I dun think they are due to shocking. Some of the fishes I bought are non feeding ones, so they gradually died of starvation in my tank. My few clowns died of brook. All the other fishes added immediately were doing ok.

[Ketchup]

all depends on how kiasu and kiasi you are la....

This will be good read on acclimatisation.

http://coralmagazine.coverleaf.com/coral/20100304#pg95

[dnsfpl]

home tank, 1 hour dripping acclimate

office tank, dump straight

imo no difference

[yikai]

some fish cannot tolerate dumping. as majority of the reefers here buy relatively common and hardy fishes, dumping them straight in is no issue.

but more delicate species like deepwater wrasses, certain butterflies, angels and ESPECIALLY inverts, will spell doom for them.

and also take note, when buying fish straight from shipment. the ammonia will be quite high and the pH will be very low. dumping them into the tank straight away is a major shock factor for them, and more delicate species will not be able to take it.

water in the bag might seem fine to you until you test it.

[CFOh]

New purchase fish from LFS needs proper acclimatization for long term survival chance before introducing into the tank. Common method is by dripping water for an hour or two before finally introducing the fish into the tank. However, I noticed that most LFS have low SG at around 1.02. This may pose a problem if your tank is at 1.25, right? Do you check the SG during acclimatization process and ensure SG are the same on both tank and the water of the fish before stopping the drip? What's your method?

Below r some YouTube Video links on How to Acclimate New Fish & Invertebrates by FosterAndSmithAquatics.com and hobbyists..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmTyI21uzTo&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb-Khc6j47o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy3F552NjzM&feature=related

[[V]tEc]

for me, i usually release my new fish only at night. so sometimes, shipment come in morning or noon. bring home liao let the bag float in my sump for 1 hr. after that open bag n start dripping water into the water. after that i pour some water from the bag n start dripping again. repeat this until 100% of the bag water is replaced by the tank water. then i will release it into the betta box, n start to feed it. so far this method is quite good for wrasses. esp deep water wrasses. kind of prevent shocking them....

[iskay]

Besides Acclimatization, Quarantine plays a good role in reducing the risk of introducing disease to your main tank.

Reference articles:

Acclimatization

Quarantine

Light Acclimatization

[Underwater]

Acclimatization is really important for the fish to prevent unnecessary shock and stress which will lead to weaker immune system and more prone to diseases and parasites attacks like ich/white spots. Not to mention further attacks from resident fishes.

Best to acclimatise properly and introduce the fish at night when lights are off. For me, after floating the bag in the sump for half an hour, i will use the dripping method until main tank is 100% more than the bad water, add Seachem ParaGuard for an hour dip to get rid of parasites and external fungus or bacteria.

As i do not have a betta box, sometimes i release certain fishes into my sump tank first to train to feed or observe for diseases/parasites, and also let it settle down for a couple of days with the new water parameters before letting it into the main tank.

[FuEl]

Nets are bad things to transfer fish with. Avoid if possible.

[iskay]

Nets are bad things to transfer fish with. Avoid if possible.

Good point. I use transparent plastic containers as much as possible. Learnt this from Henry.

[Firestarter]

Why is it that whenever I wish to start netting the fishes that I want to buy, the person in charge will hand me the 'bucket'

already filled with water meant to contain the netted fishes, but that bucket's water is not the same water as from the tank!

Doesn't this shock the fishes even before you release them into your home tank?

Hope someone can enlighten me with this issue.

[DUCADOS]

all depends on how kiasu and kiasi you are la....

This will be good read on acclimatisation.

http://coralmagazine.coverleaf.com/coral/20100304#pg95

Ya...And depend on how much the fish cost also la (thou not encourage to do so as it's also a life)

For me i throw the whole bag down without untie the rubber band.for 15min or so i'll release the fish into my tank liao.

I'm more particular about temperature,the rest still so good.Up to date whatever fish i throw down no fish die. (touch wood)

[CFOh]

Why is it that whenever I wish to start netting the fishes that I want to buy, the person in charge will hand me the 'bucket'

already filled with water meant to contain the netted fishes, but that bucket's water is not the same water as from the tank!

Doesn't this shock the fishes even before you release them into your home tank?

Hope someone can enlighten me with this issue.

Share with you my approach.. for some fishes and especially shrimp.. I will request the shop used back tank water....

Some shop packaging water and tank water r linked.... and some shop applied more copper in tank than packaging...

For dripping... I dun do long.... just wait 50% of water from your tank mixed with water in packaging will do... I will keep new stock in QT first..

just try not to add the packaging water in your tank... some may consist small amount of copper harm to yr corals.... also normally low SG level.... Worst we do not know infection from other fishes...

Cheers...

[DUCADOS]

Sg compared to temp I strongly feel that temp is more important n serious. If u guys notice those places that sell live sea food,when their stock come they bound to let them adapt to the temp before letting them into the tank.

Note:ESP inverterbrates. Lobsters,shrimp & crab etc tends to drop their legs if straight away intro into tank with drastic change of temp.

[Koji]

Depends on how you patient you are. Can drip acclimatize it for 2-3 hours for fishes that require more delicate care. Can also just add tank water to bag every 15min.

When bag is full, throw away 50% of water and restart the above 2 methods, until you are satisfied.

I know some may just throw the fish straightaway into the tank.

Wow, you write and I do is totally same way. I slowly mix with tank water and throw away. And do again at least once.

But I don't do it for corals. How about corals? Any nice idea?

[comycus]

Wow, you write and I do is totally same way. I slowly mix with tank water and throw away. And do again at least once.

But I don't do it for corals. How about corals? Any nice idea?

Its good practice to acclimatize corals, especially the fragile ones that don't ship well.

I normally don't acclimatize most of mine though.