Acclimating Saltwater Fish the Drip Line Way
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The Pros, The Cons, Instructions and Tips
The Pros
* The drip line or trickle acclimating method is a safe and gentle way to introduce saltwater fish into a new home, and is a fairly simple one to perform.
* Once the drip line is started and the flow rate is set, it pretty much takes care of itself.
* This procedure can be used to acclimate all types of marine as well as freshwater livestock.
The Cons
* This method can take some time to complete, often up to two hours, depending on the size of the acclimation container being used.
* Setting up is a little more involved than with other acclimation methods.
* If you are acclimating more than one fish, this means you have to either use a seperate acclimation container for each one or put them all together in the same one. If you combine the fish, they may fight and injure each other even before you can get them into your aquarium, especially if they are of the same or similar species.
* Moving too fast and not allowing adequate time for proper acclimation.
Acclimation Instructions
1. Put the fish with all the bag water in a bucket or container of sufficient size for the fish to be reasonably covered with the water.
2. Set the bucket on the floor next to the aquarium you will be placing the fish into when done.
3. Using some plastic air line tubing and an air gang value, set up and run a siphon drip line from the aquarium you will be placing the fish into, to the bucket.
4. Start the siphon and slowly allow the tank water to drip into the bucket, using the gang air valve to adjust the drip rate.
5. When the water dripped into the bucket equals about two to three times the volume of the bag water you started with. If you want you can test the pH, salinity and temperature of the bag water to see if these parameters match that of your tank water at this point to check if acclimation is complete.
6. Gently remove the fish and place it into the same tank the dripped in water came from.
Tips
* It doesn't hurt to add an ammonia buffer or destroyer such as AmQuel to the bag water in the bucket with the fish in it prior to starting the procedure, as ammonia build up may still occur while the fish is kept here, no matter how long completion of acclimation takes.
* You don't want to set the water drip in rate too fast, like drip-drip-drip, nor too slow, like drip-----drip-----drip-----, but in between, like drip--drip--drip.
* If you are acclimating several fish at one time and any are of a toxic releasing or poisonous stinging nature, it is best to acclimate such species individually in a container of their own!!
Acclimating Saltwater Fish the Measuring Cup Way
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The Pros, The Cons, Instructions and Tips
The Pros
* The measuring cup acclimating method is a gentle, safe and easy way to introduce saltwater fish to a new home, and usually takes less than an hour to complete.
* This technique facilitates re-oxygenation of the bag water during acclimation and introduces the fish to the unique pH and other chemical properties of your system.
* If you are acclimating several fish at one time and any are of a toxic releasing or poisonous stinging nature, such species are individually confined.
* This procedure can be used to acclimate all types of marine as well as freshwater livestock.
The Cons
* Moving too fast and not allowing adequate time for proper acclimation.
Acclimation Instructions
1. Open the bag, and if it is fairly full of packing water, pour off about half and discard.
2. Fold over or cut off any excess bag material at the top.
3. Place the bag inside the aquarium and secure it to the top rim of the aquarium with a clothes pin or other device, making sure no bag water gets into the aquarium or the tank water gets into the bag.
4. Drop an airstone into the bag for a few minutes to assist with re-oxygenation.
5. Add an ammonia buffer or destroyer to the bag water. Our preference is Amquel by Kordon, because it only takes a few drops, acts immediately, and cannot be overdosed.
6. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of tank water, pour it into the bag and wait 10 minutes.
7. Repeat this process.
8. Now scoop out about 1/2 cup of the tank water, pour it into the bag and wait 10 minutes.
9. Repeat this process.
10. If you want you can test the pH, salinity, and temperature of the bag water to see if these parameters match that of your tank water at this point to check if acclimation is complete. If not, or you are concerned, repeat the last step again.
11. Gently hand scoop or use a small perfferated container to lift the fish out of the bag and put it in your tank.
12. Discard the water in the bag.
13. Sit back and enjoy your new tank treasure.
Tips
* Holding the measuring cup one to two inches above the bag each time the tank water is poured in provides re-oxygenation throughout the acclimation process.
* Using a very soft mesh net to remove the fish from the bag to place it into the tank is ok, but not recommended.
Transport Container Acclimation Method
Before Starting Tips and Instructions
~ Debbie & Stan Hauter
Whether moving fresh or saltwater fish and other aquarium animals, upon arriving at your final destination after having followed our 8 Easy Steps to Pack-Up and Move Aquarium Pets, here's how to easily acclimate the animals right inside the transport container before introducing them into their new home.
Before Starting Tips
* If at all possible, it is best to prepare in advance for your arrival so that you will be ready to acclimate the animals as soon as possible.
* Both a portion of the transport container water and new saltwater will be used for this acclimation procedure. However, the transport water should only be used if it is clean.
* To simply filter the water right inside the transport container before or during the acclimation process, or in another container for reuse after it's been removed (see Step 1 instructions below), just run a compact hang-on-tank canister or similar type filter for a little while to clean it up. If you cannot do this, a fine-meshed net can be used to gently scoop up and remove detritus or animal waste that may be present.
* If you cannot reuse the transport container water because it is just too dirty, you'll need enough new saltwater to complete the acclimation process for the number and sizes of transport containers you have. Preferably the saltwater should be mixed ahead of time and stored, or be in an aquarium already set up for use.
* If you are not ready to begin the acclimation process right away when you arrive, it is important to keep the water in the transport container oxygenated, ammonia-free, and as waste-free as possible.
* To provide re-oxygenation of the water, either drop an airstone in for a few minutes, or scoop some water out with a large plastic container, then pour it back into container from about 12 inches or higher above, repeating this procedure several times.
* Add an ammonia eliminating product to the water. Our preference is Amquel by Kordon, because it only takes a small amount, acts immediately, and cannot be overdosed with.
* Keep the water clean or filter it as described above.
* If you run out of room to put more new saltwater into the transport container during the acclimation process, remove enough that will enable you to continue on.
Transport Container Acclimation Instructions
1. Remove enough water from the transport container to bring the level to about 1/2 full, saving this water if it can be reused.
2. Put a quantity of the new saltwater into a plastic container (about 1/4 the amount that equals the volume present in the transport container), pour it into the transport container from about 12 inches or higher above, then wait 15 minutes.
3. Repeat this process.
4. Put a larger quantity of the new saltwater into the plastic container, (about 1/2 the amount that now equals the volume present in the transport container), pour it into transport container from about 12 inches or higher above, then wait 15 minutes.
5. Repeat this process.
6. Once acclimation has been completed, remove all but enough water in the transport container to keep the animals comfortably covered, and pour the water into the set up aquarium.
7. Remove the animals from the transport container and place them into the aquarium.
8. Top-off the tank with more new saltwater it needed, or the saved transport water if it can be reused, and get the tank running.
9. To assist with removing any unwanted waste or matter floating in the aquarium water rather quickly, run a compact hang-on-tank canister or similar type filter on the aquarium for a while.
10. The next day perform whatever portion of a water change you feel is safe or needed for the aquarium.
11. Treat the aquarium as you would a newly set up tank.
Get a Bucket & Drip!
Livestockusa.org
When you get your fish from the local store,
you should acclimate them OUT OF THE BAG
no matter what the store told you!
A bag can be depleted of oxygen in an amazingly
short period of time. Though water parameters
are not generally all that different, your fish
still should be acclimated properly. I suggest
getting a small plastic container of some sort,
of about a gallon or two gallon size. Take a piece
of airline tubing, cut it in half and reconnect
the two halves with a plastic air valve in the middle.
Start a siphon by sucking through the airline
(now a drip-line) from your tank, into the
"bucket" you will be placing the fish into.
Cut the bag the fish came in and pour both
the water from the bag and the fish into the bucket.
Now, using the valve, adjust the drip to a very
SLOW, but steady "trickle" of water
from the tank into the bucket.
Sometimes I will put an airstone in with a
VERY LIGHT stream of bubbles to keep
the water "oxed up".
Now is the hardest part ... to wait patiently, taking
an hour or two, slowly getting the fish acclimated
to your tank's water. Most fish will come home in
a quart of water or so. So, when you've doubled the
water volume (which should take at least an hour),
the water is now 50% store water and 50% your water.
If you haven't noticed by now,
your tank is undergoing a slight water
change in the amount of water it will
lose during this process ...
so, be sure to have some new water
ready to replace it with.
When you've quadrupled the original amount of water,
it's 75% your water now. After some time past this
point it will be OK to put the fish in your tank.
NEVER put any store water in your tank!
Net or hand hold (if you're good with handling fish)
the fish and introduce it gently to your tank.
If it is an established setup, where several fish
have territories, it is best to do it in the dark,
after "lights-out". Also, moving a piece or two of
coral or live rock will cause a rearrangement of
territories, eliminating much of the beating
newly introduced fish often take.
Of course, it is always preferable to use a
quarantine tank at first to eliminate the chances
of introducing diseases into your established system.
But, remember when you buy a coral or piece of live
rock, there is a chance of "ick" or something else
being carried into the tank on it. If you have no
quarantine tank, it might be a good idea to give the
fish a medicated bath before you put it in the tank.
There are several good dips available for
this purpose, as well as old-fashioned, but
tried-and-true methods like a quick freshwater bath
(watch for distress), or a formaldehyde bath
before putting a fish into your system.
The main thing is to GO SLOWLY when
acclimating, and dip the fish to sanitize
it before you put it in your system if you
are not using the quarantine tank method.
When I move a freshwater fish from one tank to
another, I acclimate it with a bucket and drip line.
It is essential equipment if you intend on building
a live fish collection!