Best Way to Acclimate My New FH?

[stavs]

Hi all. My new Flowerhorn just arrived and it will be about 4 hours till I can get him home. I have him in a nice warm spot in the bag/container he was shipped to me in. Once I get him home, what is the best way to acclimate him?

Thanks,

Stavs

 

[windsurfer]

there is a notion that when receiving bagged fish, they need to be slowly acclimated to different water conditions. i'm going to try to explain why that isn't true.

here is what's really going on. The fish has probably been in the bag for over 24hrs. the water is full of ammonia and the air in the bag is full of co2. the ph in the bag has probably dropped a lot due to the co2. when you open the bag, the co2 will start to escape and the pH will climb dramatically while the fish is in water that's full of ammonia. this is exactly what you're trying to avoid!

so, the best acclimation when receiveing shipped fish is to open the bag and immediately put he fish into your aquarium! I used to lose fish or at least have them struggle through an acclimation process that was obviously stressfull for them. i've received $500 orders of discus (one of the most sensitive fish there is) and taken them out of the bags and directly into the tank and never lost a one.

good luck with your new fish!

windsurfer

 

[stavs]

You dont even let the bag sit in the water to equalize the temp?

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

the best acclimation when receiveing shipped fish is to open the bag and immediately put he fish into your aquarium!

sorry bro but i respectfully disagree with you

i prefer the drip method when acclimating a new fish.

just my .02

 

[ethnics]

best way and i've been doin it for the past 12 years and never lost a fish by doing this, is open the bag, and throw ur fish in...

 

[windsurfer]

you say that you have him in a nice warm spot. if it was shipped correctly, it should be in a styrofoam container with some heat packs. getting your fh out of the bad water and into good water is more important than temp equalization IMO. I usually don't bother to float the bag unless it's really cold, in which case, the shipper did something wrong.

windsurfer.

 

[stavs]

you say that you have him in a nice warm spot. if it was shipped correctly, it should be in a styrofoam container with some heat packs. getting your fh out of the bad water and into good water is more important than temp equalization IMO. I usually don't bother to float the bag unless it's really cold, in which case, the shipper did something wrong.

windsurfer.

It was in a really thick styrofoam box with one heat pack (I think 2 would have been better). The heat pack really had no heat left,, but the fish looks pretty good so far. I'm just anxious to get him into some clean water like you said....I just want to make sure he doesnt go into shock.

 

[brettrotchell]

sorry bro but i respectfully disagree with you

i prefer the drip method when acclimating a new fish.

just my .02

i am in full agreement with you drip method is the best way to acclimating your fish . but to be honest i have never just dropped the fish right into the tank i was taught to use drip method so the other way might work just fine . it would scare me to stress the fish out that much with such dramatic changes of ammonia and ph . IMO

 

[windsurfer]

sorry bro but i respectfully disagree with you

i prefer the drip method when acclimating a new fish.

just my .02

that's quite ok. I've done things both ways, but placing them immediately in the tank is what i've been doing for a long time now with better results.

i don't believe in making fish suffer a drastic pH change in a bag full of ammonia. if you can explain why a slow drip is better, i'm all ears.

i didn't make this method up myself, i learned it from people that ship and receive a lot of fish. it is a somewhat new idea in that the old school of thought was always a slow drip - however, this hobby is full of old wives tales and misinformation, so we need to be critical and thoughtful of what we read and hear - just like your response to my post.

peace,
windsurfer

 

[windsurfer]

i am in full agreement with you drip method is the best way to acclimating your fish

so what happens when you put them directly in the tank? have you ever tried it? i've done it both ways - have you?.

i've given detailed reasons and experiences why i think immediate transfer is better. so i'm open to hearing why a slow drip is better. have you ever measured the ammonia in the bag when you open it? have you have used a pH meter in the bag from when you open it until you are done acclimating? i want to avoid shock too - i think the shock of keeping them in the bag - especially after it's open and the co2 is escaping - is far worse.

in addition to fish, i'm kind of a science geek - so i love talking about this stuff and learning from others, so please don't take my posts as confrontational or demeaning as you may know something that I don't!

windsurfer