Basically just wondering what the best way to drip acclimate a new ray to the aquarium. Ive read they are very sensative to water changes. Never really had a problem with drip acclimting so just asking what you guys usually do for your fish.
Drip acclimation
- Thread starter Scarycakes
- Start date
If you want to be super careful, check the water parameters the fish arrives in... and check your tank's parameters...
Keep in mind ammonia is more toxic at high PH values. So if the ray arrives in water with a detectable ammonia content and the PH has crashed... when you add the drip and the PH rises, the ammonia will become more toxic...
Add Prime or Amequel to 'detoxify' the ammonia/nitrite during dripping, if such pollutants are present...
Keep in mind ammonia is more toxic at high PH values. So if the ray arrives in water with a detectable ammonia content and the PH has crashed... when you add the drip and the PH rises, the ammonia will become more toxic...
Add Prime or Amequel to 'detoxify' the ammonia/nitrite during dripping, if such pollutants are present...
I use a length of airline tubing (I prefer the silicone stuff) and an adjustable pinch valve. Put the new fish and all its bag water in bucket #1 on the floor. Fill bucket #2 with an amount of water from the quarantine tank such that if all of it was added to the first bucket, it wouldn't overflow. Set bucket #2 higher than bucket #1. Put one end of the tubing in bucket #2 and the other in bucket #1. Start the siphon (I use a syringe w/o a needle). Adjust drip rate with pinch valve.
When most of the water has siphoned into bucket #1, test the TDS and compare it to the tank's water. If it's not within 5%, discard all but the minimum amount of water from #1 and fill #2 with more tank water. As before, don't put so much water in #2 that it would overflow #1 if it all siphoned into #1.
Repeat above until the TDS are within 5% then net the fish out and add to tank. Discard water in #1.
I often put a towel over bucket #1 to keep the fish calm and from jumping out.
This process can take hours but I never lose new fish. It eliminates the possibility of gill damage due to TDS (osmotic) shock. I've noticed that properly acclimated fish will act normally within hours rather than hide for the first few days. I've added small clown loaches that were acting normal, rummaging around looking for food the first day rather than hiding (which is what injured fish do).
When most of the water has siphoned into bucket #1, test the TDS and compare it to the tank's water. If it's not within 5%, discard all but the minimum amount of water from #1 and fill #2 with more tank water. As before, don't put so much water in #2 that it would overflow #1 if it all siphoned into #1.
Repeat above until the TDS are within 5% then net the fish out and add to tank. Discard water in #1.
I often put a towel over bucket #1 to keep the fish calm and from jumping out.
This process can take hours but I never lose new fish. It eliminates the possibility of gill damage due to TDS (osmotic) shock. I've noticed that properly acclimated fish will act normally within hours rather than hide for the first few days. I've added small clown loaches that were acting normal, rummaging around looking for food the first day rather than hiding (which is what injured fish do).
Thanks squint nice tips, I was readin for larger tanks about an hour-2 hours. Keeping the fish in the small space withthe little amount of water doesnt stress it out though?
It really depends on the TDS of the LFS water vs. your tank. A lot of LFS don't change water enough and their TDS gets ridiculously high. I've had some give me errors because my TDS meter only went up to 999 ppm! Tap water here is around 160 ppm so w/o acclimation, you're going to have problems.
The fish are already stressed out from the whole journey to your tank. A few more hours in a dark, round bucket won't add any additional stress. Certainly less than osmotic shock would.
Oh, and fish injure themselves less in round vs. rectangular containers. Something I read awhile back that makes sense. If they freak out, they tend to just go around in circles instead of slamming into a flat wall.
The fish are already stressed out from the whole journey to your tank. A few more hours in a dark, round bucket won't add any additional stress. Certainly less than osmotic shock would.
Oh, and fish injure themselves less in round vs. rectangular containers. Something I read awhile back that makes sense. If they freak out, they tend to just go around in circles instead of slamming into a flat wall.
I no the thread is old but the method I once used for acclimating is older. So last night decided to read online about drip acclimation, after reading all the positive post I vowed to start . Went to the lfs today and saw Panda cories so decided to buy 2 since I lost one 2 days ago noticed the one needed new members of his own.
Soon as I got in the house I placed both bags in a 5gal wc bucket and diy fry tank tool. After dripping from main aquarium into bag after 20 minutes of dripping noticed Panda's got very active. I netted them from the bag released them into the aquarium, and not even 2 minutes they were sifting through the sand lol.
Soon as I got in the house I placed both bags in a 5gal wc bucket and diy fry tank tool. After dripping from main aquarium into bag after 20 minutes of dripping noticed Panda's got very active. I netted them from the bag released them into the aquarium, and not even 2 minutes they were sifting through the sand lol.