Shipped fish acclimation (the three methods debated)

[jcardona1]

Once you kill a fish from osmotic shock, you'll change your mind about plop and drop. This has been discussed over and over in the past. Do what you like, if it works, it works. But just because you've never killed a fish doesn't mean plop and drop works and is 100% safe, it just means you've been lucky. If you have a fish that's sensitive enough, then you suddenly drop them in water that is very different in terms of TDS and GH, you CAN kill them as their internal regulation can't cope with the rapid change in hardness levels.

I would NEVER even think about cutting the bag open and dropping in my wildcaught discus into a new tank without a long acclimation. When they arrive, I pour them all out in a 5g bucket, add Prime, aerate with an airstone, and drip acclimate for 30-45 minutes minimum.

 

[krichardson]

LOL @plop and drop....it sounds careless.

 

[jcardona1]

Haha I swear that's the official name, at least that's what a lot of folks call it

 

[muffywrx]

I drip acclimated my rays for hours.... They showed no signs of stress and ate immediately. Plop and drop does sound careless.

 

[dogofwar]

Getting the fish out of the nasty shipping water is the #1 priority... I cut open the bag, pour the fish into a net over a bucket and drop them into the quarantine tank... has worked well for years with lots of sensitive and not so sensitive fish...

Matt

 

[screaminleeman]

Why is the water in the bag "cooler" than the water in my tanks? Is that written in whatever it is that they write on up there?

I don't usually do mail order during the winter months, but I have. I am aware of heat packs inside of Styrofoam are used to attempt to keep the temperature within lifeline parameters. In winter months, I see your theory holding true. I disagree with your "theory"/ "hypothesis" in the Spring, Summer and Fall months.

Hell, I would BET that the small volume of water in the shipped bag containing the fish would be considerably warmer than that within my tank(s)! That being the case I am actually reducing the toxicity of the ammonia to the fish by the float method the vast majority of the time, NOT SPIKING IT!