So you've all heard of drip acclimation right? Dripping water into a bag or bucket for hours till the fish or whatever is somewhat used to your params.
Well this is drop acclimation, in the sense that there is no acclimation and you are dropping the fish into the tank.
When to use it?
Pretty much only when the bag water and tank water are almost exactly the same. I use it when I buy livebearers or cichlids from local guys, or I ask people who I get fish shipped from what their params are beforehand, and if that's the same, that makes getting fish out of nasty shipping bags easier. As for temps, temp gun. If it's giving or taking a degree from the tank I just drop the fish in.
If there's a little more difference but I know the fish (like guppies lepomis sunfish or convicts) can handle it, while it isn't advisable, in a pinch I can drop. I'm sure most of the people who have been in the hobby have plopped fish in tanks from time to time.
When not to use it? When there is a significant difference in temperature or other params of course, or when you aren't sure of the params the fish or invert came from. That of course would result in some pretty bad shocking. I may have accidentally shocked a white cloud yesterday by moving it from 80 something degree pond water to 75 degree tank water. I realized and moved it back to the warmer water within seconds. Close call but the fish is currently fine.
Not sure why it took me 13 years to figure out that I don't need to float bags to match temps if the bags are already the same temps.
Well this is drop acclimation, in the sense that there is no acclimation and you are dropping the fish into the tank.
When to use it?
Pretty much only when the bag water and tank water are almost exactly the same. I use it when I buy livebearers or cichlids from local guys, or I ask people who I get fish shipped from what their params are beforehand, and if that's the same, that makes getting fish out of nasty shipping bags easier. As for temps, temp gun. If it's giving or taking a degree from the tank I just drop the fish in.
If there's a little more difference but I know the fish (like guppies lepomis sunfish or convicts) can handle it, while it isn't advisable, in a pinch I can drop. I'm sure most of the people who have been in the hobby have plopped fish in tanks from time to time.
When not to use it? When there is a significant difference in temperature or other params of course, or when you aren't sure of the params the fish or invert came from. That of course would result in some pretty bad shocking. I may have accidentally shocked a white cloud yesterday by moving it from 80 something degree pond water to 75 degree tank water. I realized and moved it back to the warmer water within seconds. Close call but the fish is currently fine.
Not sure why it took me 13 years to figure out that I don't need to float bags to match temps if the bags are already the same temps.
