Here we are going to share some ideas about acclimating
fish. When buying fish from us, it is very different
from your local store, or even an on-line etailer,
many of which work out of large wholesale places.
Those fish have been swimming in a tank the last
couple of days. When you get fish in directly from
overseas this is not the case. They have been in a
bag in a dark box for most of two days. Save the
spa treatment we give them in L.A. on the way to you.
They have been laying down on their sides often,
many sleeping. They go into conserve mode, waiting
for it to be over. They have been in the dark for
most of two days. So perhaps first and foremost DO NOT
blast them with light when you open the box. Open the
box in a dark place or area. Ideally, actinic lights
only would be great, using as little light as you need to see
while you are acclimating them. Slowly acclimate them
to light, just like you do new water.
Also cut them open into a tub that is a dark earthy
color, blue, green, brown, etc. Not into the white
styro box they came in. Only thing they ever saw
all that white was the belly of a shark. Expect
things like tangs and wrasses to be on their sides.
Most pop back up in no time as you acclimate.
First just to cover it briefly in concept,
when you get your fish from the local store,
you should acclimate them OUT OF THE BAG
no matter what the store told you. Do not
cut open a floated bag and work in the tank
out of a bag with store water. Also, a bag can
be depleted of oxygen in an amazingly short
period of time. Though water parameters
are not usually 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.
You might consider a clip at tankrim or on some object
there, to hold line in water, and to fix it so the line
can only drain an inch or two out before losing siphon.
Do not run line to deepest bottom of tank.
Cut the bag the fish came in and pour both
the water from the bag and the fish into the bucket.
Now, start a dripline siphon and using the valve,
adjust the drip to a very SLOW, but steady "trickle"
of water from the tank into the bucket: drip, drip, drip.
Sometimes I will put an airstone in with a
VERY LIGHTEST stream of bubbles to keep the water
"oxed up." If doing multiple fish, always
use an airstone, but never on high, only just
barely lightly bubbling air.
With a box of fish, elevate one side of your tub
so water collects fast in the other side as you quickly
cut open all the bags and put fish in tub. I may have
some nets or plastic betta cups full of holes (solder iron),
or small plastic colanders to separate anything if needed.
Turn on the drip and a light airstone. Do not drip too
fast, or turn airstone on high. Slow drip, light air.
Add any slime layer and electrolyte treatment like
NovAqua or StressCoat, or somesuch now. Both are great.
Now is the hardest part ... to wait patiently, taking
an hour or two is minimum, 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. Good time for fresh
top ups.
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 or foreign 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, the best management practice is
to always use a quarantine tank at first to
eliminate the chances of introducing diseases
into your established system. If you do not QT,
you will one day introduce a disease.
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.
We do not recommend dipping immediately upon acclimation
unless you see something that requires it. It is always
best to give the fish a day or two to recover, and of
observation, and then dip anything that needs it, only.
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. But know you are taking a big risk.
I do not move freshwater fish without acclimating them.
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 copper or formaldehyde bath
before putting a fish into your system. However
I strongly suggest using QT, and only dipping
if needed. Unless you run a coppered 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, which is best.
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!
Happy Acclimating!
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